Agent: Top NHL goalie prospect sent to Russian military base

Philadelphia Flyers goaltending prospect Ivan Fedotov, who reportedly was picked up by legislation enforcement in Russia final week forward of a deliberate transfer to the U.S., is now at a distant navy base in northern Russia, his agent stated Tuesday.

The agent, J.P. Barry, spoke with The Related Press amid hypothesis about Fedotov’s well-being. The scenario raised contemporary issues over whether or not Russian gamers might be keen or capable of be a part of Nationwide Hockey League groups that draft them this week because the battle in Ukraine continues.

The 25-year-old Fedotov is taken into account one the highest goaltenders on the earth outdoors the NHL, and the Flyers anticipated him to compete for a spot on their roster subsequent season. He received the silver medal because the Russians’ beginning goalie on the Beijing Olympics in February and led CSKA Moscow to the Gagarin Cup as KHL champion.

He was a seventh-round decide of the Flyers in 2015 however has since performed in Russia, with CSKA retaining his rights. The NHL and KHL should not have a switch settlement for gamers and Fedotov was eligible to signal with Philadelphia in Might solely as a result of he didn’t have an present contract in Russia for subsequent season.

CSKA, whose title interprets to “Central Sports activities Membership of the Military,” was based because the Soviet military’s hockey crew in 1946 and nonetheless has conventional ties to the navy.

The primary signal one thing had gone improper for Fedotov got here Friday. Russian media stated he was picked up by legislation enforcement outdoors a hockey rink in his residence metropolis of St. Petersburg, the place he’d been filming a documentary with a TV crew, and brought to a navy enlistment middle. Native information website Fontanka reported he was suspected of evading obligatory navy service required of Russian males.

Alexei Ponomaryov, a lawyer representing Fedotov, instructed Russian information company RIA Novosti on Saturday that Fedotov had been taken to a navy hospital with obvious stress-induced gastritis. Ponomaryov stated he and Fedotov’s relations had not been allowed to go to.

The Russian Protection Ministry hasn’t commented on Fedotov’s location. Russian newspaper Sport Specific revealed Monday what it stated have been pictures exhibiting Fedotov at a navy base in Severodvinsk, a naval metropolis with shipyards on Russia’s north coast, although there have been conflicting experiences about precisely the place he’s.

“We’ve a draft in step with the legislation, so any emotional commentaries can be completely inappropriate,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Monday when requested about Fedotov’s case. “There are particular causes for deferments and numerous methods of present process navy service for athletes.”

Russia was aiming to conscript greater than 130,000 males for a 12 months of navy service this spring. The legislation permits for 21-month various civil service in services like hospitals for many who object to navy service, however requests can usually be ignored. In concept, Russian males may be conscripted between the ages of 18 and 27, although some by no means serve in any respect.

Russians usually search to keep away from or delay being drafted with medical or instructional exemptions, and athletes aren’t any completely different. Some organize to be signed up with universities on years-long packages of distance studying whereas they proceed their sports activities careers.

The navy additionally has particular items for elite-level athletes who can hold competing whereas they serve. The protection ministry boasted of quite a few athletes with navy ranks competing at latest Olympics in sports activities starting from judo to snowboarding.

The NHL and Flyers normal supervisor Chuck Fletcher have stated the crew is conscious and investigating. As just lately as final week, Fletcher stated he anticipated Fedotov to compete for a spot on the roster subsequent season.

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