In his first ever AHL game, this recently traded former Philadelphia Flyers goalie earned an impressive shutout.
On Friday night, in the head-scratching absence of NHL hockey, the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliates of the Columbus Blue Jackets, faced the Utica Comets in their first regular season game of the year.
Ivan Fedotov, who was traded to the Blue Jackets by the Flyers on Sept. 14, started for the Monsters against the Comets, out-dueling top New Jersey Devils goalie prospect Nico Daws, making 21 saves in a 1-0 victory.
Fedotov’s 21-save shutout is his first professional shutout since Feb. 26, 2024, when he made 38 saves in a 4-0 win against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Gagarin Cup playoffs while playing for CSKA Moskva.
Ex-Flyers Goalie Quietly Dominating NHL Preseason
It may only be two games of NHL preseason action, but this former Philadelphia Flyers goalie has been dominant in limited ice time.
As for the Flyers, they’re content with the 2026 sixth-round pick and the cap space they received for trading Fedotov, as much as they would have liked things to work out differently on the ice.
Heading into 2025-26, the Flyers and the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms will boast a goalie depth of Aleksei Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason – two prospects younger than Fedotov who needed the playing time more.
While the NHL wasn’t always his speed, Fedotov, 28, is off to a flying start to life in the AHL. With time and adjustments, it’s certainly still possible the 6-foot-7 netminder can put the pieces together and grow into a serviceable NHL goalie.
