This is from hated Rangers reporter Larry Brooks, this morning.

Breaking news: Panarin is taking a leave of absence from NYR in aftermath of political hit piece against him from Russia alleging that he beat up an 18-year-old girl in Russia in 2011.

— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) February 22, 2021

We’re digging around for more information, but it looks like Russian state media is targeting Artemi Panarin with a hit piece alleging Panarin beat up an 18-year-old girl following a night of partying back in 2011.
We have no idea if it’s true or if Russian GRU is manufacturing this story to blackmail Panarin which happens to EVERY elite Russian athlete at some point.
Elite Russian NHL players have been targeted and blackmailed by Putin and the Russian government for decades. Traditionally, they only target athletes and celebs who are highly paid Russian nationals in an attempt to siphon money or have them act as Russian informants.
Problems for guys like Panarin (makes 12 million a year) happen when they refuse the advances of Russian intelligence. That’s when stories like this appear on the web because the player isn’t interested in becoming a Russian agent or says ‘no’ when told to send half their NHL salary back to the motherland ‘or else’.

The story seems to be coming from Putin-friendly former NHL player/KHL coach Andrei Navarov, and as of yet, he’s offered no proof.

Andrei Nazarov, the mentally unstable ex KHL coach/NHL goon is claiming that Artemi Panarin beat up an 18-year-old girl in a Russian bar years ago. He says it set a pattern of evil behavior that has culminated in his anti-Putin statements.
Russian media is running with this. https://t.co/mQYk2bN4H3

— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) February 22, 2021

Having said that, maybe Panarin did beat up an 18-year-old girl in 2011. We don’t know and we can’t discount the allegations so Panarin and the team decided it would be wise if he took a week or so off so the Rangers can get to the bottom of it.
Organized Russian crime has been a major issue in the NHL for YEARS. I spent time talking to NHL players who acknowledged as much and told stories of players having to meet Russian ‘friends’ in different cities and Russian players never wanted to talk about it because they are ‘scared as fuck’ as one player put it to me.

‘No player ever really leaves Russia,’ he said.  ”Russia thinks NHL players MUST send money back to the motherland because they are told the motherland is responsible for their success and the price of ignoring Russian requests is steep.”

Wild, huh?

DB

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