Russian Olympic goalie Ivan Fedotov was detained in St. Petersburg on Friday, July 1st. He was arrested per the request of the Russian prosecutor’s office on the grounds of being “an army evader,” according to Russian news outlet Fontanka.
17-year-old Fedotov made his debut on December 12th, 2014, in the Kontinental Hockey League, playing with HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. He was then drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 7th round of the 2015 NHL Draft. After being traded to various teams, he finally was traded to CSKA Moscow. While playing with CSKA Moscow in the 2021-22 season, he showed his talent and goalkeeping and became a finalist for KHL’s top goaltender of the year.
He was detained right after the conclusion of the Russian and Chinese hockey league KHL’s season, where he contributed greatly to his team once again. He also led the team to victory in the Gagarin Cup. Furthermore, he helped win the men’s ice hockey silver for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Russian men are forced to enlist if they’re within the ages of 18 to 27. From then, they must have one year of military service before being able to quit. Evading conscription can lead to a sentence of two years in prison and/or heavy fines.
Fedotov was detained right outside the Ice Arena Kupchino in St. Petersburg, where he was transported to the military registration and enlistment office. Unluckily, he fell ill right before being able to enlist, and was transported to the hospital (Fontanka).
“We’re aware of the reports and are investigating the situation. We have no further comment at this time,” Chuck Fletcher, Flyers President of Hockey Operations, said in a statement to CNN.
His lawyer, Ponomarev, said he and Fedotov’s parents were prohibited from seeing Fedotov in the hospital. “At this moment, we can’t say exactly how things are. He was in the hospital, at least in fact, but for some reason he was not listed as the other patients,” Ponomarev said.
The military tried to enter hospital grounds, presumably to check up or do tests on Fedotov, but Ponomarev stopped them, and questioned them first. Upon meeting Ponomarev, the military turned around, and waited until they were allowed to enter the hospital grounds. “As far as I understand, they want to transfer him in a serious condition to some kind of military investigative body,” says Ponomarev.
Ponomarev thinks that Fedotov’s fate is uncertain; although he had the registration certificate for the army, he lives in a different city than the city he got the certificate in. Because he doesn’t live in the city he got it in anymore, the certificate might not be counted as registration, proving his guiltiness. The army could use this point to say he was evading conscription.
Ponomarev also says, “also yesterday, information about his presence there was concealed in every possible way, despite the fact that he had a phone and informed his relatives that he was there. The employees of the military commissariat were informed that a complaint had been filed with the court and the decision had been suspended.”
Link: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/04/sport/ivan-fedotov-detained-evading-military-service-spt-intl/index.html#:~:text=The%20Russian%20Olympic%20Committee%20goalie,punishable%20by%20up%20to%2010
17-year-old Fedotov made his debut on December 12th, 2014, in the Kontinental Hockey League, playing with HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. He was then drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 7th round of the 2015 NHL Draft. After being traded to various teams, he finally was traded to CSKA Moscow. While playing with CSKA Moscow in the 2021-22 season, he showed his talent and goalkeeping and became a finalist for KHL’s top goaltender of the year.
He was detained right after the conclusion of the Russian and Chinese hockey league KHL’s season, where he contributed greatly to his team once again. He also led the team to victory in the Gagarin Cup. Furthermore, he helped win the men’s ice hockey silver for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Russian men are forced to enlist if they’re within the ages of 18 to 27. From then, they must have one year of military service before being able to quit. Evading conscription can lead to a sentence of two years in prison and/or heavy fines.
Fedotov was detained right outside the Ice Arena Kupchino in St. Petersburg, where he was transported to the military registration and enlistment office. Unluckily, he fell ill right before being able to enlist, and was transported to the hospital (Fontanka).
“We’re aware of the reports and are investigating the situation. We have no further comment at this time,” Chuck Fletcher, Flyers President of Hockey Operations, said in a statement to CNN.
His lawyer, Ponomarev, said he and Fedotov’s parents were prohibited from seeing Fedotov in the hospital. “At this moment, we can’t say exactly how things are. He was in the hospital, at least in fact, but for some reason he was not listed as the other patients,” Ponomarev said.
The military tried to enter hospital grounds, presumably to check up or do tests on Fedotov, but Ponomarev stopped them, and questioned them first. Upon meeting Ponomarev, the military turned around, and waited until they were allowed to enter the hospital grounds. “As far as I understand, they want to transfer him in a serious condition to some kind of military investigative body,” says Ponomarev.
Ponomarev thinks that Fedotov’s fate is uncertain; although he had the registration certificate for the army, he lives in a different city than the city he got the certificate in. Because he doesn’t live in the city he got it in anymore, the certificate might not be counted as registration, proving his guiltiness. The army could use this point to say he was evading conscription.
Ponomarev also says, “also yesterday, information about his presence there was concealed in every possible way, despite the fact that he had a phone and informed his relatives that he was there. The employees of the military commissariat were informed that a complaint had been filed with the court and the decision had been suspended.”
Link: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/04/sport/ivan-fedotov-detained-evading-military-service-spt-intl/index.html#:~:text=The%20Russian%20Olympic%20Committee%20goalie,punishable%20by%20up%20to%2010