It has been quite the interesting Summer thus far for the New York Rangers star forward Artemi Panarin.
The New York Rangers star has been fined after he fired a gun in an unauthorized area in his native Russia, according to a report. The 31-year-old winger had a firearm confiscated by police last month and was subsequently fined 40,000 Rubles (about $400) for firing the weapon in an unauthorized area, according to The Novgorod Gazette.
The Rangers star had been found to have committed “a gross violation of public safety, threatening the life and health of citizens,” according to the outlet.
“The Borovichi District Court found him guilty of committing an accident,” according to the report.
The report goes on to state that Panarin’s punishment was mitigated by his own guilty plea and the fact that this was his first offense.
This is not his first brush with controversy as in 2021, he took leave from the team amid accusations that he beat an 18-year-old Latvian woman in 2011. He denied the claim and stated he was being targeted by the Kremlin for supporting Putin’s political enemy.
Former NHL player and current Russian league (KHL) coach Andrei Nazarov stated at the time that Panarin ‘sent [the woman] to the floor with powerful blows’ during the alleged 2011 altercation in the Latvian capital of Riga, according to a translation provided to ESPN.
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He took a 2 ¹/₂ week-long absence from the Rangers in the wake of the report.
Panarin is coming off a season where he recorded 92 points (29 goals, 63 assists) in 82 regular season games with the Rangers. His good play in the regular season did not translate to the playoffs as he put up just two points — both assists — during New York’s first-round series loss to the Devils.
