The drama surrounding goaltending prospect Alexei Kolosov’s reported refusal to return to the Philadelphia Flyers has given fans plenty to talk and debate about, with many placing the blame for the situation squarely on Flyers GM Danny Briere‘s shoulders.
The thing is, it’s not that black and white.
It can’t be overstated that the general public doesn’t know the details of the situation. Nobody from Kolosov’s team has commented on the reports, and the only thing the Flyers have said is that they fully expect the young goalie to participate in preseason camps (which he is contractually obligated to do).
A source said that Kolosov felt “isolated” during his stay with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, lending credence to reports that Kolosov was dealing with severe homesickness after his arrival in the U.S. in April. He apparently was also disappointed with his playing time, only appearing in two games during the tail end of the 2023-24 season.
Per AHL source, Alexei Kolosov told #Flyers at the end of his stint w/ Lehigh Valley he did not want to return
“They put him in the hotel by himself & he felt isolated, especially since his English isn’t great”
Explains the AHL deals for Gahagen & Petruzzelli. @InsideAHLHockey
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) July 27, 2024
It’s understandable that a young player could feel out-of-place in a new country and new league, especially when many people on the Phantoms don’t speak his language, but people seem to think that Briere and the rest of the Flyers front office “abandoned” Kolosov in a hotel and dusted their hands of the situation. In what world would any NHL front office do that to a new player, much less a front office that has consistently shown how much they care about making their players comfortable in the organization?
The narrative that Flyers just “ghosted” Alexei Kolosov in Lehigh Valley is hard to believe for two reasons…
1- Kolosov & Fedotov have same agent so he knew Fedotov was coming
2- PHI made it well known Kolosov wasnt coming over for NHLSomething doesnt add up. #LetsGoFlyers
— Brandon J. Sommermann (@B_Sommermann) July 27, 2024
As for the limited game time, it’s natural to feel unhappy with so few minutes, but Briere stated from the get-go that Kolosov would be starting out his Flyers career with the Phantoms, and that Ivan Fedotov (who arrived at the same time) would assume backup duties at the top level.
Kolosov and Fedotov have the same agency representation, and Briere has always made a point about…