MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has issued a suspension for Russian goaltender Ivan Fedotov until the end of the year citing a breach of his contractual obligations, the IIHF press office said in a statement on Monday.

"The IIHF has determined that Ivan Fedotov was in breach of a Professional Player Contract per Article II.4.1 of the IIHF International Transfer Regulations when he signed a contract with CSKA hockey club for the 2023/2024 season," the statement reads.

According to the statement, the IIHF imposed sporting sanctions against Fedotov slapping him with "a four-month suspension on playing in official national and international games during playing periods. The suspension shall take effect on 1 September 2023 (first CSKA regular season game) and conclude on 31 December 2023."

The IIHF also recognized as valid Fedotov’s contract with the US-based National Hockey League (NHL) club Philadelphia Flyers.

"Based on the evidence provided to the IIHF by the involved parties, the IIHF has determined that Ivan Fedotov has a valid NHL Contract with the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Club for the 2023/2024 season," the statement reads.

On July 8, Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) officially registered CSKA Moscow HC’s two-year contract with Fedotov.

However, the US-based National Hockey League (NHL) announced later in the day that the deal violated the player’s one-year contract with Philadelphia Flyers, which had been signed before the player was drafted for serving in the military.

The IIHF also ruled to bar Russia’s CSKA Moscow hockey club for the period of one year from entering international players’ transfers following the case of Fedotov.

"… as CSKA Hockey Club was aware of the Player’s [Ivan Fedotov] NHL Contract and did not establish to the IIHF that it has not induced the Player to commit a breach of his Professional Player Contract, the IIHF has imposed the following sporting sanctions on CSKA Hockey Club - a one season ban on International Transfers taking effect on 11 August 2023 and concluding on 10 August 2024," the IIHF statement reads.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told TASS in early July that a KHL-NHL memorandum of understanding on inter-league player transfers, initially signed in 2010, has now been rescinded.

The Kontinental Hockey League was founded in Russia in 2008 and lists 22 professional ice hockey clubs, namely from Russia, Belarus, China and Kazakhstan.