Ice hockey: Russian Ivan Fedotov wanted to switch to the NHL, now he has to go to the Arctic for military service

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The Russian national ice hockey goalkeeper Ivan Fedotow – here in a CSKA Moscow jersey – was about to move to Philadelphia

Photo: IMAGO/Alexandre Ovcharov / IMAGO/SNA

Russian national ice hockey player Ivan Fedotov, who was arrested for allegedly refusing military service, will probably be transferred to a military base on the Arctic island of Novaya Zemlya as a punishment.

This was reported by the Tass news agency on Sunday evening, citing an informant in the Russian security organs.

Fedotow wanted to leave his previous club CSKA Moscow to play in the North American ice hockey league NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Fedotov was arrested by unknown persons after training in Saint Petersburg on Friday and taken to a pickup truck.

Later it became known that he was taken to the military commissariat and detained there.

After staying there for several hours, the athlete became ill and had to be taken to a clinic by ambulance.

Fedotov's lawyer said he had had no contact with his client since he was transferred to the hospital.

He wanted to take action against the conscription because Fedotov was registered as a conscript in Moscow and not in Saint Petersburg.

It is currently unclear whether the goalkeeper actually refused his military service.

As a CSKA player, you are automatically a member of the armed forces, and young athletes from the Moscow Army Club serve in the sports company at a young age.

In this case, military service lasts one year.

Fedotov is said to have been taken to the Severomorsk naval base north of Murmansk on Sunday.

"He will probably serve in one of the military units based on the island of Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean," said an anonymous spokesman for the Russian security organs.

Novaya Zemlya is also known as the former Soviet nuclear test site.

Angry CSKA leadership may have blacked him out

Fedotow wanted to play for the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL from the coming season.

Last season, the Russian international won the Gagarin Cup as a goalkeeper with CSKA Moscow.

His contract expired at the end of June.

Columnist Anton Orech suspects that Fedotov's call-up has something to do with the CSKA leadership's anger at the change.

Fedotov's case is also influenced by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.

In Russia at the moment, many conscripts are afraid of being drafted and sent to the front.

It is uncertain whether this will also affect other well-known athletes in the future.

see/krä/dpa