Report: Flyers prospect detained for planning to evade military service
Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ivan Fedotov was detained in Russia on charges of intending to forgo military service, several Russian media outlets reported, according to The New York Times' David Waldstein.
The 25-year-old goaltender was arrested Friday at a rink in Saint Petersburg and taken to an army enlistment office, according to the reports.
Russian news outlets also said Fedotov fell ill while in custody at that facility, and an ambulance took him away, according to HockeyNews.se's Karl Mansson.
"At this moment, we can't say exactly how things are," Fedotov's lawyer said, according to Mansson. "He was in the hospital, at least in fact, but for some reason was not listed as other patients. Neither we nor our parents were allowed to see him. Recently, military police officers entered the hospital.
"He doesn't feel very well," the lawyer added. "He says that he was given some kind of injections, which he does not know, he was told that this was prescribed by a doctor. He doesn't look good."
Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher acknowledged the reports in a statement and said the team is investigating the situation. An NHL spokesperson told the Times the league is also aware but declined further comment.
Russian men between the ages of 18 and 27 are subject to one year of mandatory military service. The country is amid its spring conscription, one of two periods, including another in the fall. When this one began in April, the government said "conscription events are not related" to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera's Sasha Petrova.
Fedotov played this season for CSKA Moscow, a KHL team known for having ties to the Russian army. He led the squad to the Gagarin Cup - that league's championship - after helping the Russian Olympic Committee claim the silver medal in Beijing.
The Flyers signed Fedotov to an entry-level contract in May after selecting him 188th overall in 2015. He was born in Finland but grew up in Russia.
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