A veteran sports attorney, Valery Fedoreev, commented on the potential consequences for CSKA Moscow if goalkeeper Ivan Fedotov returns to play despite the IIHF suspension. The central issue is whether a team can be crowned Russian champion in a season where the goalkeeper is under a ban that affects his eligibility to participate in official games.
The discussion hinges on the relationship between the federation for Russian hockey, the national federation, and the commercial league that runs the top tier. The national federation holds the right to host the national championship and delegates that authority to the professional league, which in turn crowns the league champion. This chain of delegation means that while a team like CSKA could win the regular season or the KHL title, there is a possibility that the official Russian championship recognition could be withheld if a key player remains barred. The attorney pointed out that the life of the title is tied to the eligibility of players within the federation’s framework, not just the outcome of the league standings.
Fedoreev noted that the national federation did not register the player’s contract with the army club in this period, effectively aligning with the stance of the federation that Russia’s IIHF membership remains intact even as its teams face sanctions in international play. This distinction matters, because the registration of contracts is part of the federation’s governance tools that determine who can participate in domestic competition. A four-month suspension, in this view, translates into a prohibition on registering the player for league games, which indirectly affects the club’s ability to field him and, by extension, the club’s rights to claim the national title for the season.
Public statements from CSKA’s leadership have underscored a commitment to field Fedotov for the 2023/24 season, notwithstanding the IIHF’s decision to disqualify him at the international level. The tension here reflects the broader mismatch that can occur between international sanctions and domestic competition, where teams and leagues navigate the letter of international rules while pursuing their domestic ambitions. The overall question remains how the sanctions will translate into official recognition of national champions if a key participant is suspended from playing in domestic games.
In this context, the situation draws attention to how Russian hockey governance operates when international bodies impose penalties that do not automatically erase a club’s right to compete at home. The interpretation offered by the legal expert emphasizes that while the club may be allowed to continue training and plan for the season, the suspension directly restricts on-ice participation and the formal registration of the player for domestic fixtures within the protected window of the suspension. The result could be a scenario where the team performs well in the league, but the national title is uncertain pending a resolution of registration and eligibility issues that would be acknowledged by the federation and the league administrators. The discussion reflects how governance mechanisms, player eligibility, and timing of sanctions can shape ultimate championship outcomes for the season. The parties involved have indicated that the domestic championship framework will operate within the confines of existing rules, with the possibility that the national title could be affected if high-level penalties prevent full team participation. The implications extend beyond one season and highlight the ongoing interaction between national and international governance in ice hockey. Attribution: legal commentary by a sports law practitioner.