New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin is disappearing from nonappearance from the group for individual reasons.
The news comes after a Russian paper distributed charges from Panarin’s previous KHL mentor, Andrei Nazarov, asserting the winger got into an actual quarrel with a 18-year-elderly person in Latvia in 2011. Nazarov’s meeting said Panarin”sent her to the floor with several powerful blows,” according to a translation provided to ESPN. Nazarov has previously criticized Panarin’s outspoken beliefs toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Artemi vehemently and unequivocally denies any and all allegations in this fabricated story,” the Rangers said in a statement Monday. “This is clearly an intimidation tactic being used against him for being outspoken on recent political events. Artemi is obviously shaken and concerned and will take some time away from the team. The Rangers fully support Artemi and will work with him to identify the source of these unfounded allegations.”
NHL delegate magistrate Bill Daly told that the group intends to investigate the claims.
Nazarov, who played 571 games in the NHL, said a criminal case against Panarin was opened in Latvia but added that somebody paid “a sum of 40k Euro cash” to stop the case, though it was unclear who paid that.
Panarin was exchanged from Nazarov’s group a month after the supposed attack.
A month ago, Panarin showed his help for Russian resistance pioneer Alexei Navalny in an Instagram post. Through a Rangers representative, Panarin declined to remark further on the point in the days after the post.
Panarin, 29, was a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP last season. He has five objectives and 13 helps for 18 focuses in 14 games this season. The Rangers have won two straight however are as yet four calls attention to of a season finisher position in the East Division.
Panarin, who marked a $81.5 million, seven-year contract with New York in 2019, ordinarily spends his offseasons in Russia and still has family there, including his grandparents. He stays in the United States and has no designs to get back to Russia, a source near Panarin told.
It is uncommon to see prominent Russian competitors take a stand in opposition to Putin or the Russian government, yet Panarin has been steady in his position.
In a Russian-language meet in 2019, Panarin said that he is baffled to see financial advancement slowed down and restricted to the first class in Moscow.
“I may look like a foreign agent right now, but it’s not like that,” Panarin said in the 2019 interview. “I think that the people who hush up the problems are more like foreign agents than those who talk about them. If I think about problems, I am coming from a positive place, I want to change something, to have people live better. I don’t want to see retirees begging.”
Officers mentor David Quinn said he talked with his players about Panarin’s circumstance.
“We’re going to help Artemi through this difficult time,” Quinn said. “You have to continue to unite as a team. It’s hard to overcome losing a player like Artemi from a hockey standpoint, but we’ve got to find a way to do it.”
