Artemi Panarin rejoins Rangers, but return to lineup still uncertain
Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin look on against the Blues in the first period of an NHL game at Madison Square Garden on March 3. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Artemi Panarin’s leave from the Rangers is over. The Russian forward, who was granted a leave from the team following the publication of an article in Russia in which a former KHL coach of his accused him of beating a woman in a hotel bar after a game in Latvia in 2011, rejoined the team for its practice at TD Garden in Boston Wednesday.
Panarin has missed eight games, in which the team has gone 4-4. He will not play in Thursday’s game in Boston against the Bruins, coach David Quinn said.
"He walked into breakfast and everyone was pretty, pretty happy to see him,’’ Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba said. "We heard rumblings that he might be meeting us in Boston… everyone kept it quiet. But I think everyone's excited, honestly. It’s obviously great to have him back and have him back in the locker room.’’
"He's such a positive, energetic guy, and it was just -- it was great seeing him, and great having him back in the locker room,’’ defenseman Ryan Lindgren said. "And he's excited to be back. And we're definitely excited to have him back.’’
Panarin, who did not speak to the media Wednesday, left the team Feb. 22, after his coach with KHL team Vityaz, Andrei Nazarov, was quoted in an article in a Russian news outlet saying that Panarin, then 20, beat up an 18-year-old woman in a hotel bar in Riga, Latvia, after the team had played a game there that night.
The Rangers immediately issued a statement in support of Panarin, saying "Artemi vehemently and unequivocally denies any and all allegations in this fabricated story,’’ and called the story "clearly an intimidation tactic being used against him for being outspoken on recent political events.’’ Panarin, an outspoken critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, had recently expressed support for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a post on Instagram.
"We're glad to have him back,’’ Quinn said. "When he's gonna play again, we don't know.’’
Quinn said Panarin, 29, needs to skate some more before returning to action, but the coach said Panarin seems to be mentally and emotionally ready to go.
"He's doing good,’’ Quinn said. "He was in a good place when he got here, and he's excited to be back with us. So, we're all happy he's here and nobody's happier than he is that he's back.’’
Panarin was the team’s scoring leader at the time he left, with five goals and 13 assists, for 18 points. In his absence, Pavel Buchnevich has moved ahead of him with 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) and Ryan Strome (9-9-18) has pulled into a tie with Panarin for second.
Quinn said there would be no problems re-integrating Panarin into the team; no lingering resentment by his teammates that Panarin left them for so long. Trouba agreed.
"We've talked about it,’’ Trouba said. "I think everyone's kind of on the same page with where we're at. Obviously, we're welcoming him back in the room and we're extremely excited to have him back, and it's pretty much business as usual.’’
Blue notes
Quinn said G Igor Shesterkin remains "day-to-day’’ with his groin injury and Alexandar Georgiev will start Thursday against the Bruins… Lindgren did his Zoom interview sporting a cut on his left eyelid, the result of a high stick from teammate Alexis Lafreniere in practice.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
