Finnish-born Russian goalie Ivan Fedotov was detained in Russia after reports of the National Hockey League prospect wanting to head to the U.S. to play in the next season.
What Happened: Fedotov, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft to the Philadelphia Flyers, has played the last several seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, which is primarily made up of Russian hockey teams.
Fedotov played for CSKA Moscow last season and posted a 14-10-2 record. Fedotov also posted a career-best goals-against average of 2.00 on the season. CSKA Moscow won the Gagarin Cup during the season.
In 2022, Fedotov also won a silver medal with Russia in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Fedotov’s contract with CSKA Moscow ended after the last season and the NHL prospect signed a contract with the Flyers in May.
Fedotov was detained and taken to a facility where he fell ill, leading some to speculate that he was poisoned. His family is reportedly not allowed to see him.
According to CNN, Russian news outlet Fontanka reported that Fedotov was detained due to being an army evader. Fedotov’s lawyer Alexey Ponomarev has denied the evasion claims.
“We’re aware of the reports and are investigating the situation. We have no further comment at this time,” Flyers President of Hockey Operations Chuck Fletcher said.
NBC Sports reported that Fedotov was moved to a remote military base in northern Russia. Other reports say Fedotov was sent to Novaya Zemlya, which is the easternmost point in Europe and the most northern part of Russia.
See Also: How The Sports World Is Reacting To The Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Why It’s Important: Russia requires all men aged between 18 and 27 to complete one year of military service. Evasion of military service is punishable with fines and potential prison sentences of up to two years.
CSKA Moscow is owned by Russian oil company Rosneft. The company counts Igor Sechin, a close friend and ally of Russia President Vladimir Putin, as its chairman and CEO.
Whether Putin and Sechin are showing their power over Russian athletes and making a statement by sending Fedotov to a remote military base remains to be seen.
The detainment of Fedotov also came on the same day that U.S. Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star Brittney Griner began her trial in Moscow on drug smuggling charges.
The war in Ukraine by Russia has general managers of NHL teams on edge heading into the 2022-2023 season. Teams with Russian players could face challenges to get their players back to the U.S. with potential of being detained. Players who didn't fulfill their military service might not be allowed out of the country.
There are also flight restrictions between Russia and the U.S. and Canada, the locations of the NHL teams.
The detainment of Fedotov and court case of Griner come as many professional sports have banned players from Russia and Belarus from competing and also changed locations of events that were set to be hosted in either country.
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