VOORHEES, N.J. -- Ivan Fedotov has joined the Philadelphia Flyers, and the 27-year-old goalie will be available to help with their push for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"I'm feeling really good," Fedotov said Friday. "I'm looking forward at my career starting here. I hope it will be a long road together with Philly."
Selected by the Flyers in the seventh round (No. 188) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Fedotov was named the best goalie in the Kontinental Hockey league in 2021-22 after going 14-10-2 with a 2.00 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and two shutouts in 26 games for CSKA. He then led the team to the Gagarin Cup championship, going 16-6 with a 1.85 GAA and .937 save percentage in 22 playoff games.
He had signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers on May 7, 2022, but on July 4 was detained by Russian authorities for trying to evade compulsory military service. He was subsequently assigned to serve at a base near the Russia-Finland border and did not play in the 2022-23 season.
Fedotov's NHL contract was transfered to the 2023-24 season, but he instead signed a two-year contract with CSKA on July 8, 2023.
This season he was 21-22-1 with a 2.37 GAA and .914 save percentage in 44 regular-season games, and CSKA terminated his contract Thursday, after the team was eliminated from the KHL playoffs. Fedotov had a .916 save percentage in five playoff games.
"It's great feelings because it's been a really difficult last two years for me," Fedotov said. "Now I'm here and I'm be happy to be here and I want to help the team struggle for the playoffs and be one of the best teams in the playoffs."
Fedotov served as the backup for Philadelphia's fourth straight loss, 5-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.
The Flyers (36-29-10) fell from third in the Metropolitan Division to the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. They are tied in points with the Washington Capitals, who have played two fewer games.
"This year we watched most of his games, almost all of them," general manager Daniel Briere said. "What we felt was maybe there was a little rust at the beginning after not playing much hockey ... but he was excellent in the second half of the season. He was excellent and really took over in the playoffs. He was very impressive in his playoff series, so that makes it exciting for us to bring him aboard.
"The last two years for him has been a lot, things that probably none of us can imagine, he had to go through. I think it's a big moment for him being able to answer questions, face the media, and now he can go in the ice and start with practice."
Fedotov was on the ice Friday along with defensemen Jamie Drysdale, Nick Seeler and Marc Staal, and forwards Nicolas Deslauriers and Denis Gurianov as he tries to adjust to the way the game is played in the NHL. But he didn't feel it would be a difficult change.
"In Russia you need to be focused on the puck, don't think too much," he said. "All goalies I've spoken with, it's 'Don't be afraid to do what you usually do and be focused, follow the puck, follow the rhythm of the game.' It's of course over here a bit faster, but for me it's really good. I like it when the game is as fast as possible."
Briere also said he wasn't concerned about Fedotov's ability to adjust.
"The game is played on the outside a lot more [in the KHL]," he said. "But the good thing is because of his size (6-foot-6, 191 pounds), playing in traffic might serve him better then the little guys."
Fedotov will be the latest to try to solidify the Flyers' backup goalie position behind Samuel Ersson, who has been entrenched as the No. 1 goalie since Carter Hart took an indefinite leave of absence from the Flyers on Jan. 23 after being one of five players -- including four playing in the NHL -- facing charges in an alleged sexual assault that took place while they were representing the team that played for Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Since Jan. 27, Cal Petersen was 1-1-0 with a 4.21 GAA and .831 save percentage in three games (two starts) before being sent to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Feb. 29. Felix Sandstrom was recalled from the AHL that day and was 1-2-0 in five games (three starts) with a 3.87 GAA and .823 save percentage. Sandstrom was returned to the AHL Friday.
"Sam was kept in the loop, Felix was kept in the loop," Briere said. "We tried to be as open as we can with our players and how it was going to affect them. But at the same time, we told Sam, 'You've earned the right to be the No. 1, we believe in you, we trust in you.' But we've been upfront with both of them."
