Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov and CSKA Moscow have violated sanctions imposed by the IIHF after the Russian played the first regular season game for CSKA on Friday despite being suspended from national and international play.
Fedotov and CSKA were initially sanctioned after the club signed the 26-year-old to a two-year contract, but the IIHF, hockey's world governing body, determined the deal to be a breach of international transfer regulations because Fedotov did not obtain a release from his contract with the Flyers.
Fedotov was given a four-month IIHF suspension, spanning from CSKA's first regular-season game on Friday through Dec. 31.
The IIHF will now refer Fedotov to the Disciplinary Board and implement a 5,000 CHF fine on the Russian Hockey Federation for allowing a player to play without obtaining a transfer.
If Fedotov keeps playing despite the suspension, the IIHF has threatened to impose more sanctions on the player and CSKA Moscow.
CSKA, whose name translates to “Central Sports Club of the Army,” was founded as the Soviet army’s hockey team in 1946 and still has traditional ties to the military. It is owned by Rosneft, a Russian state-run oil company.
Fedotov helped the Russians reach the Olympic final in 2022 before losing to Finland and helped CSKA win the Gagarin Cup as KHL champion, earning first-team All-Star honours.
-- With files from Associated Press
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