“It will be better for everyone”: Fedotov left CSKA and can continue his career in Philadelphia

“He has a chance in the NHL”

CSKA, which failed the current KHL season, started a global restructuring even before its completion. First, Ilya Vorobyov replaced Sergei Fedorov as head coach. And now the army team has parted ways with its main goalkeeper Ivan Fedotov.

“The sports rights to the player in Russia are still retained by HC CSKA. The club thanks Ivan Fedotov and wishes him success in his future career,” reads a statement on the official website of the red-blues.

At the same time, the media claim that the goalkeeper does not intend to stay in his homeland, but will go to Philadelphia, with which he has an agreement. According to American journalist Elliott Friedman, negotiations on this have been going on over the past few weeks.

And The Athletic, citing a source in the NHL, reported that the Russian will join the Flyers before the end of this season, after which he will become a free agent. There are supposedly no obstacles to such a transition. This may be officially announced in the coming days.

Deputy league commissioner Bill Daly confirmed that there are no obstacles to Fedotov moving to the United States.

“Fedotov’s contract with Philadelphia? It is valid and has always been so,” the TASS functionary quotes.

Meanwhile, the KHL also spoke out about the future Olympic medalist. League vice-president Valery Kamensky believes that he was simply not included in the plans of the new CSKA coach Vorobyov.

"It happens. And then everything depends on Ivan. He is a very talented guy, and he will 100% return to his level, but on a different team. Of course, he has a chance in the NHL... Before this season they set some goals, but before the new season they set others. Life is changing. I think it will be better for everyone,” Sport24 quotes Kamensky as saying.

Disqualification from the IIHF and complaints to CAS

Fedotov's departure is especially surprising if we remember how Muscovites fought for him last year. On July 2, the athlete completed his military service and went on vacation to Dubai. And a few days later, CSKA announced a contract with him until 2026, despite the existing agreement with Philadelphia.

“I was guided by the fact that a year had passed. The level of hockey in the army is not very good. Now I decided to go to CSKA to get in shape again. The club owns the rights to me, and it’s a super club. I wanted to remember the taste of victories and get in shape. How can a person who played hockey and now marches on the parade ground feel? You wait and hope that this will end soon, you cross off days on the calendar,” Fedotov explained his decision.

The main thing is that the KHL officially registered the document and confirmed: the hockey player has the right to play for the red and blue. But along the way, NHL Vice-Commissioner Bill Daly recalled the Russian’s remaining obligations to Philadelphia, with which he entered into a one-year rookie agreement in May 2022.

Then the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) intervened in the matter. In August, she disqualified the goalkeeper for four months, and banned the capital team from making international transfers until the summer of 2024. After studying the testimony of all parties, they came to the conclusion that the Russian had an agreement with the Flyers for the 2023/24 NHL draw. Consequently, he had no right to negotiate with the army.

However, CSKA simply did not listen to the IIHF verdict.

“Ivan did not disappear for a year, he paid his debt to his homeland. The so-called fog was present only in people who were not interested in it. Ivan is not silent after the service, he is busy preparing for the season. Official representatives of CSKA clearly outlined the current development of events. Fedotov signed a contract and will compete in the domestic championship from September 1. Only the lazy didn’t speak out on this matter,” noted the team’s former head coach Fedorov.

As a result, on September 1, Fedotov played his first official match for CSKA with Ak Bars. Later, the army team and the athlete himself appealed to the international federation, but the disciplinary council rejected them. The parties decided not to stop there and in January filed complaints with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Rare outbursts and constant errors

Alas, despite all the efforts and risks, the goalkeeper never returned to his previous level and was unable to become the leader of the red-blues as before. In total, he played 49 matches for them, in which he conceded 117 goals. In the regular season, he saved 91.4% of shots, and in the playoffs - 91.6%. He also has five clean sheets.

The club hoped that over time Fedotov would get in shape and trusted him. Thus, in February, one of its main competitors, Alexander Sharychenkov, left CSKA.

“I think, thanks to muscle and simple memory, everything will come back. Of course, not without mistakes, but in December, it seems to me, we should see that goalkeeper who is excellent in goal both in CSKA and in the national team,” Fedorov expressed hope back in the summer.

But the bet did not pay off. Of course, the Olympic silver medalist had some outstanding confrontations. For example, in the first match with Lokomotiv in the opening round of the playoffs, he made 38 saves and scored a goal. And CSKA achieved defeat (4:0). However, in the next four matches the red-blues lost, and Fedotov not only did not help out, but also made mistakes.

The same picture was observed in the regular season, where the former goalkeeper of the Russian national team alternated individual bright outbursts like the “dry” derby with Spartak with blunders. For example, in a meeting with SKA, he failed to cope with Vasily Glotov’s weak shot from mid-range. At the end of the game with Ak Bars, Ivan rolled out of the goal towards the boards and completed a pass directly to the opponent, who hit the empty target. Overall, nearly half of all goals came from poor trap play.

Of course, colossal psychological pressure could not help but take its toll, although the athlete claimed that he did not experience it.

“Why should I worry and worry? In principle, I don’t go on the Internet. Our life is structured in such a way that everyone likes to get under your skin, judge and look for some topics for discussion, and pick through dirty laundry. Artemy Panarin and many others said that why once again add pressure, pressure and cyberbullying to yourself,” he noted after one of the matches.

It’s paradoxical, but a possible departure to the NHL can revive the career of a talented hockey player. Moreover, the Russian has a real chance to become Philadelphia’s number one, because the team is experiencing serious problems at the last line. One of his partners, Carter Hart, is currently facing charges of sexual assault; he has not appeared on the ice since January.

Samuel Ersson conceded 106 goals in the 41st meeting, and Calvin Pietersen and Felix Sandström only appear on the court occasionally. We must not forget about Belarusian Alexei Kolosov, whose rights also belong to the Flyers. But he spent the current season on loan at Dynamo Minsk.