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League Notes: 2026 Olympics, Men’s U18s, 2024 Draft

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On today’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Darren Dreger dove into some more details surrounding a potential NHL return to Olympic participation in 2026. With the next edition of the Winter Olympics set to commence in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, it would be the NHL’s first time letting its players participate in the international event since 2014 in Sochi, Russia. After electing not to participate in the 2018 event, the NHL was on track to return to the Olympics in 2022 before concerns around travel and COVID insurance could not be resolved, leading the league to pull the plug on Olympic participation for a second straight cycle.

They appear on track to change that, with the NHL set to attend tomorrow’s IIHF meeting in Portugal with discussions around travel costs for 2026 on the agenda, per Dreger. Both the NHL and NHLPA have expressed a renewed vigor for international participation in recent months after former United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh assumed the lead post at the players’ association, quickly identifying a return to best-on-best international play as one of the players’ highest short-term priorities.

Some more administrative notes from the Insider Trading crew:

  • The NHL/IIHF partnership remains a topic of discussion, as Dreger also reports the league is stepping up to host an IIHF tournament for the first time. In conjunction with USA Hockey, the NHL will host/sponsor the 2025 edition of the Men’s U18 World Championships, the last major showcase tournament for draft-eligible prospects in a yearly cycle. Normally held in mid-to-late April, it’s unclear in which American city the tournament will be hosted at this time. The United States last hosted the tournament in 2021 in Frisco and Plano, Texas, and captured their record 11th gold medal at the tournament in 2023. 2025 will be the fourth time the US has hosted the tournament since its inception in 1999.
  • Lastly, Chris Johnston adds that the NHL is continuing to sort out logistical concerns regarding a venue for the 2024 NHL Draft, which is expected to take place in Las Vegas along with the 2024 NHL Awards. With the Vegas Golden Knights’ T-Mobile Arena seemingly unavailable for the Draft due to scheduling conflicts, Johnston reports the NHL has explored hosting next year’s draft at Sphere, the rather eye-drawing concert venue which boasts the largest LED screen in the world, newly opened by Madison Square Garden Company and New York Rangers majority owner James Dolan. It would certainly be a departure from normal procedure for the league, which has opted to host the Draft exclusively at team arenas, hotels and league offices throughout the event’s history.

CSKA Moscow Defies IIHF Ruling, Plays Ivan Fedotov

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KHL club CSKA Moscow has opted to start Philadelphia Flyers netminder Ivan Fedotov in their KHL regular-season opener today against Ak Bars Kazan, thereby violating the IIHF sanctions laid out against the club last month, as Szymon Szemberg of the Alliance of European Hockey Clubs reports.

The international governing body had ruled Fedotov’s tolled entry-level contract with the Flyers was valid for the 2023-24 season after CSKA Moscow attempted to sign Fedotov to a two-year deal earlier this summer. Fedotov had originally signed with the Flyers in the summer of 2022 but was barred from leaving Russia to complete required military service.

Shortly after the IIHF ruled, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation announced they’d submitted an appeal. That process has not been completed yet, however, and no follow-up ruling has been adjudicated. The KHL released a statement before today’s game, citing their legal grounds for CSKA to play Fedotov based on the Russian constitution’s grant of a citizen’s right to work. KHL president Aleksey Morozov also claimed the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian government warned the KHL and CSKA “about the inadmissibility of violating the right to work.”

As Szemberg notes, this decision will likely continue to further isolate Russian hockey on the international landscape and could further delay their return to international play, even if the country’s illegal invasion of Ukraine ends. With Russian players and teams already barred from participating in international events, Szemberg believes the KHL has nothing to lose by violating IIHF sanctions, as there’s not much more that could be levied against them.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation Appeals Ivan Fedotov Ruling

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Earlier this week, the IIHF issued its ruling on Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov, stating that the tolled contract with Philadelphia is the one that is valid, not the two-year agreement he recently signed with CSKA Moscow of the KHL.  Not surprisingly, Victoria Kravchenko of Sport-Express relays that the Russian Ice Hockey Federation has officially appealed the ruling, submitting it on Friday.

Fedotov originally signed a one-year contract with Philadelphia for the 2022-23 campaign but then was told that he needed to fulfill his one year of mandatory military service which he has now completed.  Philadelphia’s assertion is that since their original deal is still valid since it was tolled, the 26-year-old should be suiting up for them next season.

The IIHF’s ruling clearly saw it that way as they suspended Fedotov from appearing in any “official national and international games during playing periods” from September 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023.  Meanwhile, CSKA also received a significant sanction as they are now prohibited from making any international transfers for one year until August 10, 2024.  CSKA has since stated that they believe the IIHF’s ruling was biased.

The appeal actually goes against what Fedotov’s agent J.P. Barry indicated late last month to TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link) when he issued a statement saying that Fedotov would abide by the ruling whichever way it went.  As it turns out, Fedotov suited up for CSKA today in preseason action which doesn’t qualify as international games under the IIHF’s ruling.  Clearly, even with the IIHF’s ruling in Philadelphia’s favor, this file is far from being settled.

IIHF Upholds Ivan Fedotov’s Contract With Flyers

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The IIHF has ruled netminder Ivan Fedotov has a valid NHL contract with the Philadelphia Flyers for 2023-24, upholding the tolled deal originally signed for the 2022-23 campaign. Fedotov had signed an entry-level deal with the Flyers last summer but was prohibited from coming to North America to complete required military service in Russia. He then signed a two-year contract with KHL club CSKA Moskva in July, causing the Flyers to file a dispute with the IIHF.

In doing so, the IIHF determined both Fedotov and CSKA violated the organization’s International Transfer Regulations, resulting in sanctions and suspensions for both. The IIHF suspended Fedotov from appearing in any “official national and international games during playing periods” from September 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, keeping him out of a Russian uniform for that time. It’s unclear whether that suspension affects his eligibility to play for the Flyers, which his agent, JP Barry, said Fedotov would do if the IIHF ruled in their favor. The suspension was doled out as a result of Fedotov not obtaining a release from the Flyers within two weeks of signing with CSKA (or returning to Philadelphia and leaving CSKA) within two weeks of the KHL registering his contract.

CSKA also received a significant sanction from the international governing body, prohibiting them from making any international transfers for one year until August 10, 2024. It’s a powerful blow to one of the best professional teams outside the NHL, whose pool of potential talent has shrunk in a big way for the short term.

What’s for certain is Fedotov’s entry-level deal carrying a $925K cap hit is now officially on the Flyers’ books for next season. After three incredibly strong seasons in the KHL, culminating in a goalie of the year award in 2022 after he posted a 2.00 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 26 games for CSKA, he’ll now compete for playing time in a crowded Flyers crease that includes Carter Hart, Calvin Petersen, Felix Sandström, and Samuel Ersson. Fedotov does not require waivers to be assigned to the AHL, something Philadelphia has full power to do.

Based on pure ability, Fedotov is likely the second-best netminder under contract with Philadelphia right now and deserves a look at the backup role behind Hart if eligible. However, it’s important to note he hasn’t played pro hockey in a year, thanks to his military service. The Flyers will need to scout him closely at camp before determining what their goalie depth chart looks like to begin 2023-24.

Greg Moore Named Head Coach Of USNTDP

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During the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, the AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Marlies, announced they would not be renewing the contracts of their coaching staff. Even after coaching the team to a regular season North Division title, and the longest stretch in the playoffs since the 2018-19 season, Greg Moore was sent packing.

Now, Moore will be leading the bench of one of the most recognizable brands in United States hockey, as the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) has announced Moore as the 17th coach in team history. This will be Moore’s second time involved with the program, as he was an assistant coach from 2015-18, helping coach the team to a gold medal finish during the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship.

After serving as an assistant coach for the NTDP for several years, Moore signed on as a head coach for the Chicago Steel of the USHL from 2018-2020. In his first season as head coach, the Steel made it all the way to the 2019 Clark Cup Final, ultimately losing to the Sioux Fall Stampede.

Moore is excited to be back with the NTDP, saying, “It’s a privilege and an honor to be named a head coach at the National Team Development Program. I’m thankful to be able to continue the tremendous coaching tradition at the NTDP and I can’t wait to get started with the extremely talented group of incoming U17 players”.

As of now, 17 of the 23 rostered players have college commitments, and Moore will be in charge of bringing their game to a higher level. It may be considered a step back from the AHL level, but Moore will still have an important job for the top junior system in the United States.

Photo courtesy of the United States Development Team National Program

Minor Transactions: Roe, Mikhnov, Marcel

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The reigning Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears announced this morning that they’ve signed forward Garrett Roe to a one-year AHL contract. The 35-year-old spent last season playing for the ZSC Lions in the National League in Switzerland where he collected four goals and 10 assists in 31 games while serving as one of the alternate captains for the team.

Roe was a seventh-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings back in 2008 and previously played two seasons in the AHL for the Adirondack Phantoms where he posted 20 goals and 46 assists in 129 career games. He has spent the past decade in Europe, including the past four years with the Lions in Switzerland. He’s been a good offensive contributor for most of his professional career but saw the offence dry up this past season as he posted numbers well below his career average.

Roe represented the United States at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang where he posted a goal and an assist in five games as the Americans fell in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

In other minor transactions from around the hockey world:

  • Former Edmonton Oilers first-round pick Alexei Mikhnov has joined Brest Albatros of the FFHG Division 1 league in France. The 40-year-old forward was selected 17th overall by the Oilers in the 2000 entry draft and played just two NHL games with the franchise, going pointless. Mikhnov took years to make the move from Russia to North America as he was impacted by the lack of a transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian ice hockey federation. When he finally arrived, he had massive issues with his eyesight and struggled to adapt to the North American game. This will be his first year playing in France as he has spent the past four years playing professionally in Belarus.
  • Chicago Blackhawks 2023 fifth-round pick Marcel Marcel has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Blackhawks AHL affiliate the Rockford IceHogs. The IceHogs announced the deal this morning with the 19-year-old who saw his first glimpse of North American hockey this past season with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Gatineau Olympiques. In 52 games, the Pilsen, Czechia native posted 14 goals and 18 assists to go along with a +22 rating. He also helped his country win a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship where he recorded two goals and four assists in seven games.

Offseason Notes: Johnson, Svechnikov, Yakupov, World Juniors

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Continuing to round out their bench, the Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have hired Brent Johnson as an assistant coach. Much like their approach with hiring Greg Cronin as head coach, Thompson is another coaching veteran with over 20 years of experience behind the bench.

Primarily serving as the head coach of the New York Islanders AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, for the last nine seasons, Thompson brings an all-time 328-286-73 coaching record in 687 games at the AHL level. Unfortunately for Thompson and the Islanders, the team only qualified for the playoffs in three of those seasons, never managing to get past the second round. The most coaching success Thompson has ever seen came back in the 2010-11 season in the ECHL, coaching the Alaska Aces to a Kelly Cup Championship, as well as the ECHL Coach of the Year award.

Over the course of his coaching career, Thompson has primarily spent it developing players into NHL talents, and the Ducks have no shortage of those players. The team did sign several veterans this offseason, but the team is clearly building around young talents such as Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, and Jamie Drysdale.

Other notes:

  • A convincing argument can be made that the Carolina Hurricanes have had the best offseason of all 32 clubs in the NHL, and they received more positive news today. Chip Alexander of Raleigh News & Observer reported today that forward Andrei Svechnikov will resume skating for the first time this Friday. Shortly before the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Svechnikov went under the knife to repair his knee, which kept him out for the remainder of the season. Before the injury, Svechnikov was well on his way to recording another 30-goal season, something the Hurricanes will be looking forward to again next season.
  • Spending the last five seasons in the KHL, former-first overall pick, Nail Yakupov is on the move once again. The press service of the KHL announced today that Yakupov has reached a one-year agreement with HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Last season, Yakupov played for Avangard Omsk, scoring 10 points in 16 games. Avangard Omsk would make it all the way to the Conference Finals in pursuit of the Continental Cup in 2023 but were quickly dispatched by Ak Bars Kazan in five games.
  • It appears the IIHF World Juniors Championship will be returning to the United States in 2026. Gord Miller of TSN reports that Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Las Vegas have all inquired about potentially hosting the tournament. The next one will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden, followed by Ottawa, Canada in 2025. The last time the United States hosted the tournament came back in 2018, as it took place in Buffalo, NY.

Snapshots: Bjork, Simashev, World Juniors

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While former college hockey star Anders Bjork finished his season on a high note after a trade to the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring five points in his last four games and eight in 13 games overall, it seems Chicago won’t be issuing a qualifying offer. The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports that the Blackhawks “aren’t planning to give a qualifying offer,” though that “doesn’t mean the Blackhawks won’t necessarily re-sign” Bjork, just that they don’t want to issue a qualifying offer at a value of $1.8MM. (subscription link)

Set to turn 27 in August, Bjork spent most of last season in the AHL with the Rochester Americans, the longest stretch he’d spent in the minor leagues in his career. He’d previously been mostly an NHL option, with AHL stretches limited to just a handful of games. He didn’t overwhelm with Rochester, scoring 25 points in 42 games, and was eventually traded to Chicago for future considerations. Bjork showed some life under head coach Luke Richardson in Chicago, and that solid run of eight points in 13 games should serve him well heading into the open market, even if he may not receive a contract at the same value as his qualifying offer.

Some other notes from across the NHL:

  • Russian blueliner Dmitri Simashev was recently ranked 19th in Bob McKenzie’s final draft rankings of the cycle for TSN, though he could end up going even higher than that at the draft next week. As relayed by CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, Simashev’s agent Dan Milstein says 24 of the NHL’s 32 teams have asked for a meeting with Simashev at the draft in Nashville. He’s a rangy six-foot-four blueliner currently under contract in the KHL through 2024-25. He’s widely regarded as a high-upside prospect with tantalizing physical tools, and in a draft thinner on defenseman compared to forwards, Simashev could be a fast-rising prospect.
  • Hockey Canada, the CHL, and the IIHF announced today that the 2025 World Junior Championships will be played in Ottawa, Ontario. The Senators’ home arena, Canadian Tire Centre, will serve as the event’s primary location with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s’ TD Place as the secondary venue. Canada has won three of the last four WJC events and will hope to take home the gold medal on their home turf just as they’ve done the past two events.

Connor Bedard Wins IIHF Male Player Of The Year

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There’s a little over a week left in his amateur career, but Connor Bedard is still taking home awards. The 17-year-old forward is the inaugural recipient of the IIHF Male Player of the Year award.

Bedard has three IIHF gold medals (U18, U20, U20) and, as the release states, had “perhaps the greatest single World Junior Championship tournament” in history, with 23 points—nine more than his closest competitor.

The soon-to-be Chicago Blackhawks forward secured 31.8% of the votes for the award, with Latvian goaltender Arturs Silovs coming in second place at 19.6%. Silovs led Latvia on a historic bronze-medal run at the recent World Championships, posting a .921 save percentage in ten games.

It’s hard to have a more impressive draft year than Bedard. He won or was named:

  • CHL First All-Star Team
  • CHL Player of the Year
  • CHL Top Draft Prospect
  • CHL Top Scorer
  • U20 All-Star Team
  • U20 Best Forward
  • U20 Most Points
  • U20 Most Valuable Player
  • WHL First All-Star Team
  • WHL Most Points
  • WHL Player of the Year

The hype machine continues to be fueled by this latest award, and sets a precedent for future IIHF participants.

Hilary Knight Named IIHF Female Player Of The Year

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United States hockey superstar Hilary Knight has made history as the inaugural recipient of the IIHF’s Female Player of the Year award, the international body announced Thursday morning.

Knight, 33, is an absolute stalwart in the sport, trailing perhaps only Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin as the best active women’s hockey player on this side of the Atlantic. Per the IIHF, she received an overwhelming 40.9% of the total votes for the award.

Knight expressed her gratitude for being named the award’s initial recipient:

I am honored to be the first recipient of such a prestigious award. There are many talented women at this level, and it is a privilege to be recognized as the IIHF Female Player of the Year. Reflecting on this year it’s hard to pinpoint one highlight, rather a collection of memories shared with my teammates. I am grateful to be a part of such an incredible group and share these special moments with my friends. The sport and the women who play it deserve the largest stage and biggest spotlight. My hope is that the sport continues to grow and reach greater heights. Although hockey is a team sport, having awards and accolades that acknowledge accomplishments help drive more visibility. Thank you, IIHF, for creating this award, as it is important to recognize outstanding athletic performances.

The voting process involved members of the media from 16 IIHF member countries. Knight’s outstanding performances throughout the year, including her display at the 2023 Women’s World Championship in Brampton, earned her the award. She led all players at the tournament with eight goals in seven games, the tournament-record fifth time she’s achieved the feat.

Three of those eight goals came in the gold medal game against Canada. Her second goal in that game was the game-winner and marked her third game-winning goal in an IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medal game, another tournament record.

Across her career, Knight is a nine-time gold medallist at the Women’s Worlds, a one-time gold medallist and three-time silver medallist at the Olympics, and an Isobel Cup champion with the Boston Pride in 2016.

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