Photo: NHL.com
After allegations against New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin came out, the team announced on Monday that the 29-year-old has left the team indefinitely.
The allegations came from his former KHL coach, Andrei Nazarov, stating that Panarin beat up an 18-year-old girl in Latvia in 2011.
Nazarov, who has criticized Panarin’s words regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that Panarin “sent her to the floor with several powerful blows,” according to ESPN.
He added that a criminal case opened against Panarin in Latvia but someone paid $40,000 to close the case. Nazarov’s team dealt Panarin a month after the alleged assault.
The Rangers released a statement on Monday afternoon.
Last month, Panarin showed his support for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in an Instagram post. Through a Rangers spokesperson, Panarin declined to comment further on the topic in the days after the post.
Panarin, who signed an $81.5 million, seven-year contract with New York in 2019, typically spends his offseasons in Russia and still has family there.
One in currently leads the Rangers in most offensive statistic categories. He has five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 14 games this season
By Harrison Brown
Well I hope he gets shunned like Bill Peters was for his issue! To me physical abuse is more serious than a negative comment! Although i’am sure because it’s New York & close to league office the rugs already being lifted up for it to be swept under!
My question is … why did it take so long for the allegations to surface? Wouldn’t the Chicago Blackhawks want to vet him (and find out what his former KHL coach and team thought of his character) prior to signing him?
Because NHL teams have tremendous skeleton’s in thier closets! Two examples:
1) Theo Flurey basically admitted in his biography that he used drugs & alcohol throughout his
Career! With all the medical testing done now adays how would they not have know he had both in
His system?
2)Derek Boogard was “scoring” pain med’s from Wild team doctors as well as buying off street sellers all while playing/being with Rangers organization !!
Growing up 1 1/2 hours outside of Edmonton ,I’ve heard a great deal of events that occurred with several of dynasty Oiler teams! In fact Glen Sather basically told his players” if i’am not your first call when your in trouble,there better be damn good reason i’am not!”
Talking about Putin negatively??? What was he thinking! He is lucky this is all they did to him, the message has been sent I guess.