New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin is leaving the team for personal reasons.
The news comes after a Russian newspaper published the accusations of Panarin’s former coach Andrei Nazarov, who claimed that the extremist got into a physical altercation with an 18-year-old woman in Latvia in 2011. Nazarov’s interview went to say that Panarin “sent her to the apartment with several powerful blows,” according to a translation provided to ESPN. Nazarov has previously criticized Panarin’s sincere beliefs about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Artemi vehemently and unequivocally denies all allegations of this fabricated story,” the Rangers said. he said in a statement Monday. “This is clearly an intimidation tactic that is used against him to be frank in recent political events. Artemi is obviously moved and worried and will take some time off the team. The Rangers give full support to Artemi et al. They will work with him to identify the source of these baseless allegations. “
Nazarov, who played 571 games in the NHL, said a criminal case was opened against Panarin in Latvia, but added that someone paid “a sum of 40,000 euros in cash” to stop the case, although not it was clear who paid for it.
Panarin was traded by Nazarov’s team a month after the alleged assault.
Last month, Panarin showed his support for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in an Instagram post. Through a Rangers spokesman, Panarin declined to comment further on the issue in the days following the post.
Panarin was a Hart Trophy finalist as an NHL MVP last season. The 29-year-old has five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in 14 games this season. The Rangers have won two in a row, but are still four points away from a playoff position in the Eastern Division.
Panarin usually spends his seasons in Russia and still has family there, including his grandparents. It is rare to see high-profile Russian athletes speak out against Putin or the Russian government, but Panarin has been consistent in his stance.
In an interview in Russian in 2019, Panarin said he is frustrated to see stopped and limited economic development in Moscow’s elite.
“I may look like a foreign agent right now, but it’s not like that,” Panarin said in the 2019 interview. “I think people who solve problems look more like foreign agents than those who talk about it. problems, I come from a positive place, I want to change something, to make people live better. I don’t want to see retirees asking. “