Kremlin-Critical NHL Star Takes Leave Over Assault Allegations

NHL star Artemi Panarin will certainly take a sabbatical from the New York Rangers after a Russian tabloid released assault accusations that his team web links to his objection of the Russian government and also President Vladimir Putin.

Panarin, 29, was accused of striking an 18-year-old woman in Latvia in 2011 by his previous KHL train Andrei Nazarov. Talking in a Saturday meeting with the Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid, Nazarov stated Panarin “sent out the lady to the floor with several powerful strikes.”

Nazarov claimed he was encouraged to discuss the case by Panarin’s outspoken remarks versus the Russian government and support for recent protests calling for imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s launch.

Panarin “vehemently as well as unequivocally” refuted the allegations in a declaration launched by the Rangers on Monday. The group said it would support Panarin throughout the process of finding the source of the “unfounded” allegations.

” This is plainly a scare tactics strategy being made use of against him for being outspoken on recent political occasions,” the Rangers’ statement said.

The NHL’s deputy commissioner Bill Daly also informed ESPN that the organization intends to look into the allegations.

It is fairly unusual for Russian athletes to articulate criticism of their house country’s federal government. Fellow NHL star Alexander Ovechkin has actually been a long time singing advocate of Putin.

In a 2019 meeting with prominent Russian sporting activities information web site Sports.ru, Panarin stated he was annoyed to see slow-moving financial development at residence with brand-new wealth generally going to Moscow’s elite.

” I may resemble a foreign agent today, but it’s not like that,” Panarin claimed at the time. “I think that individuals who muffle up the problems are much more like international agents than those who discuss them. If I consider issues, I am originating from a favorable location, I wish to transform something, to have people live much better. I don’t want to see senior citizens begging.”

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