Flyers still waiting on arrivals of Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier because of work visa holdups
The newly traded players have yet to reach the United States. The process and timetable are out of the Flyers' hands.
Andrei Kuzmenko’s not taking John Tortorella’s phone calls.
But before any controversy starts, it sounds like the Russian’s phone isn’t taking any calls right now. And that’s fine for the Flyers coach, who isn’t a big texter or “phone guy.” He just wants to get the new guys here.
The Flyers acquired Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier officially in the early hours last Friday from the Calgary Flames in a trade for Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. Tortorella said Thursday it seems as if Kuzmenko’s work visa paperwork is done and Pelletier’s is close. They are now in Toronto to make it a shorter trip, but although they were expected to fly to Philly, the flight was canceled.
According to an immigration lawyer who asked not to be identified, getting a work visa in the U.S. is a tedious and prolonged process because of administrative protocols made under the Biden administration coupled with enhanced vetting under the Trump administration.
Because Pelletier is a Canadian citizen and Kuzmenko is Russian, they must get U.S. government approval before being allowed to play. Had they already been playing for an American team, they would have fallen under a 30-day provision to get the new paperwork completed and could have played immediately.
Without that, their permission to work in this country must be approved through a multistep process by the Department of Homeland Security. The process and timetable are out of the Flyers' hands.
As the team waits for their highly-anticipated arrival — Tortorella hopes they will play Saturday when the Pittsburgh Penguins come to town (7 p.m., NBCSP) — when they do get to the Flyers, they are expected to fit right in.
“I talked to him right after the trade, the day after, kind of talked to him for maybe a good 30, 40 minutes,” forward Nick Deslauriers said about Pelletier, who like Tortorella has not spoken to Kuzmenko. “He is a mature kid and I know fans are going to like him. He is a little water bug out there.”
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The 5-foot-9 Pelletier, a winger who also hails from Quebec, has been texting Deslauriers almost every day with questions about the Flyers' systems. Defenseman Jamie Drysdale knows how tough it is to be traded during the season and has also texted with Pelletier.
“He’s always a positive guy, great guy to be around, love to have him in the room, [and] really funny,” Drysdale said. “On the ice, he’s a workhorse. He’s got skill. From what I remember, he’s all over the place in the best way possible, his legs never stop moving. He’s an energy guy.”
It’s been a while since the pair were teammates, winning silver at the 2021 World Juniors for Canada. But he “absolutely” remembers how Pelletier went around to console his teammates after they lost to the Americans in the finale. Utah coach André Tourigny was the coach of that team and noted what Pelletier would bring on and off the ice.
“You cannot [help but] love Pelts,” said Tourigny, who moved Pelletier from the fourth line to the top line in that tournament because of his effectiveness, resilience, and tenaciousness.
“He’s a lot of energy. Unbelievable human, hardworking guy. Great hockey sense and super competitive. I’m happy for him. I think he had good and bad in Calgary, and he will have a fresh start with the Flyers. I hope for him he will catch a break, and the fresh start will be good for him. But talk about business and personal, what a great guy.”
Breakaways
Ivan Fedotov will start Thursday against the Washington Capitals (7 p.m., NBCSP). According to Tortorella, Sam Ersson will start Saturday against Pittsburgh in the Flyers' last game before the 4 Nations Face-Off. ... Tortorella said forward Owen Tippett will not play in the Flyers' two remaining games because of an upper-body injury. Tippett did off-ice work while the team practiced in Utah on Monday and joined the team for morning skate on Tuesday. He did not participate on Thursday. ... Tortorella said he was unsure of the status of defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who was injured against the Colorado Avalanche. Ristolainen did not skate Thursday morning. The blueliner is on Finland’s squad for the international tournament.