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Philadelphia Flyers goaltending prospect Ivan Fedotov has reportedly been sent to a remote base in Northern Russia after being picked up by Russian law enforcement for attempting to evade military service, his agent told CBS Philadelphia.
Fedotov, 25, was drafted by the Flyers in 2015 and has been playing for CSKA Moscow, which reportedly has direct ties to the Russian military. The Flyers signed Fedotov, considered one of the top goaltending prospects in the world, to an entry-level contract at the end of May.
According to CBS, Russian media reported last Friday that Fedotov had been picked up by law enforcement outside of a hockey rink in St. Petersburg. It was later reported that he had been taken to a hospital for “stress-induced gastritis” and that his family was not allowed to visit him. Fedotov’s exact location was then kept quiet, with Russian outlet Sport Express publishing Monday what it said were photographs of Fedotov at a military base in Severodvinsk, on Russia’s northern coast. The Russian Defense Ministry has yet to comment on Fedotov’s whereabouts.
“We have a draft in line with the law, so any emotional commentaries would be utterly inappropriate,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, via CBS Sports. “There are certain reasons for deferments and various ways of undergoing military service for athletes.”
Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher issued a statement last week after news of Fedotov’s arrest reached the states, saying the situation is being “investigated.” He also recently said he still expects Fedotov to compete for a roster spot next season.
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