This morning, we were finally treated to the announcement of the sanctions in goaltender Ivan Fedotov’s 2018 ECJ case. For those who haven’t been following the case, let’s remember that he had signed a contract with the Flyers last summer, was then arrested in Russia to complete his military service and decided to join the KHL ranks this year.
Clearly, this didn’t sit well with the Flyers, who took their case to the IIHF. They won their case this morning.
The goalie is suspended for four months → https://t.co/OG4P9MvqVk
– DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) August 14, 2023
What this means, concretely, is that he won’t be able to play in the KHL or with the Russian national team for four months from September 1. His team, CSKA Moscow, will not be able to make international transfers for the next year.
However, in practical terms, this doesn’t seem to prevent him from playing in the NHL tomorrow morning. It’s a bit like Evgeny Kuznetsov’s situation in 2019, when he was suspended for four years by the IIHF but continued to play in the Bettman circuit.
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The problem is that the KHL has been up in arms with the IIHF since the announcement this morning. One gets the feeling that the league has not digested the decision and intends to fight to overturn it.
And Valery Kamensky, the KHL’s vice-president, didn’t hesitate to take a swipe at the IIHF, saying that the league must stop cooperating with it as long as the Russians are banned from the international scene.
KHL Vice-President Valery Kamensky:
“The decision is wrong. We must suspend cooperation with the IIHF until we are allowed to compete internationally.”Source: https://t.co/Yp1E8Z8MTD
– Field hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) August 14, 2023
Far be it from me to defend the Russians in this matter, but the KHL’s frustration is understandable.
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After all, the fact remains that they are currently forced to respect the decision of a federation that has banned them from the international scene, while the NHL can take advantage of the situation to repatriate Fedotov.
CSKA Moscow obviously doesn’t agree either, finding it “absurd” to have to respect an organization that “defends the NHL’s rights above all else”.
CSKA has now amended and added to their Fedotov statement which they made in the quote tweeted post. #KHL #FueledByPhilly https://t.co/JTd2AUWaOT pic.twitter.com/HRGIvUadID
– Field hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) August 14, 2023
Clearly, we can expect the issue to continue to be talked about, as the decision is rather poorly received in Russia. Will the KHL win in the end? I doubt it, but they will continue to fight to overturn the decision.
In gusto
– Expect him to sell his CH shares (probably to Geoff Molson) within the next few weeks.
New owner Michael Andlauer to complete Senators purchasehttps://t.co/vNjNFVavjT
– RDS (@RDSca) August 14, 2023
– Still, it’s amazing.
Players with as many or more 5v5 goals than Leon Draisaitl this season:
– Brady Tkachuk
– Dawson Mercer
– Jesper Bratt
– Alex Killorn
– Bo Horvat
– Anders Lee
– Andrei Kuzmenko
– Wyatt Johnston (rookie)
– Jordan Kyrou
– Timo MeierHe saves himself for the Powerplay. pic.twitter.com/vrRW9g4v6b
– Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) August 14, 2023
– News of the Frenchman’s debut in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia | Karim Benzema assists and wins on his comeback with Al-Ittihad https://t.co/vhBkuHxZtd
– La Presse Sports (@LaPresse_Sports) August 14, 2023
– Shooting Stars are LECB champions.
Scarborough triumphed over Calgary in their second final appearance in as many years. https://t.co/kBLLzrKYtO
– AlleyOop360 (@AlleyOop360) August 14, 2023
– Nothing less.
Nate Diaz made more money in one night than in his entire careerhttps://t.co/EmrTpjR7Qp
– RDS (@RDSca) August 14, 2023