Ivan Fedotov: Russian hockey player detained in Russia for allegedly evading military service, per reports

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN

Updated 0901 GMT (1701 HKT) July 4, 2022

Fedotov is a 25-year-old Finnish-born Russian

(CNN)Russian goalkeeper Ivan Fedotov was detained in St. Petersburg on the request of the military prosecutor's office on Friday for evading military service, according to reports from Russian media outlets.

According to Russian news outlet Fontanka, the military prosecutor's office believes that there are grounds to «consider Fedotov an army evader.»Speaking to Russian state media RIA Novosti, his lawyer Alexey Ponomarev denied that Fedotov had evaded military service.The 25-year-old Finnish-born Russian signed a one year entry level contract with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers on May 7, after the conclusion of Russian and Chinese hockey league KHL's season, where he led CSKA Moscow to win the Gagarin Cup. Fedotov was detained outside the Ice Arena Kupchino in St. Petersburg and was transported to the military registration and enlistment office, where he became ill and had to be transported to the hospital, Fontanka reported.Read More«We're aware of the reports and are investigating the situation. We have no further comment at this time,» Chuck Fletcher, Flyers President of Hockey Operations, said in a statement sent to CNN.READ: Griner's wife wants US officials to do more to bring her homeIvan Fedotov was taken to hospital after falling ill.In an interview with Russian news outlet Match.TV on Saturday, Ponomarev said he and Fedotov's parents were prohibited from seeing the goalkeeper in the hospital.«At this moment, we can't say exactly how things are. He was in the hospital, at least in fact, but for some reason he was not listed as the other patients,» Ponomarev said.US basketball star Brittney Griner