Monday due to assault charges leveled against Artemi Panarin by her former KHL coach in the Russian tabloid, which forced the Rangers’ star winger to walk away from the NHL, three former teammates who played during the 2011–12 season Played with Panarin. Parivartan allegedly tells The Post that he has no recollection of any such incident.
All three players competed under the leadership of former Vitaz coach Andrei Nazarov, who claims that on December 11, 2011, after a West Indies road loss, Pyrenees beat up an 18-year-old girl while partying in Riga’s hotel bar.
Nazarov, a well-known supporter of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has repeatedly criticized Panarin for his vocal beliefs of 29-year-old Russian descent about Putin’s rule. Additionally, Nazarov once called foreign players, who criticized Russia for going to jail.
John Mirsty, reached by phone on Tuesday afternoon, said that his former coach’s allegations sounded “really fishy” and that he had never heard of such an incident.
“[Panarin] Was a great kid, I have nothing good to say about him, so when I heard, I was like, ‘Oh, it doesn’t sound like that,’ “Mirsty, a former left winger, told The Told the post. “And I’m pretty sure I’d heard something like that, you know, one of the old stalwarts out there.
“I didn’t hear anything like that, so I was kind of blown away. I am not explicitly saying that this did not happen, but if I think (it didn’t). And why is it leaving after 10 years? “
For Nazarov, Mirsty said that he had a lot of respect for him considering playing parts of the 16 seasons in the NHL – with the Sharks, Lightning, Flames, Ducks, Coyotes, and Wilds – and a well-established coach in the KHL Was. .
“He treated me well, he was clearly a tough guy, and then played at the NHL level as well,” Mirsty said. “He was always nice to us, and it was like a strange year for us, because there were very few of us who were all Canadians and we didn’t speak Russian words.
“We really relate to him because he spoke very good English and I don’t really have anything bad to say about him. So, to me, it’s all really shocking.”
Mirsty questioned the timeframe of the allegations, saying he saw Panin speaking publicly against the Putin regime, including showing him support for Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny in an Instagram post last month.
“I don’t think Panarin can even kill a girl,” Mirsty said. “He was a small, thin kid and he was always smiling, making people laugh, and he was a hell of a hockey player. It just doesn’t add me.”
Reached on Facebook Messenger on Tuesday afternoon, Kip Brennan, who played for the Kings and Islanders for a while, also said that he was concerned about Panarin’s involvement in a physical change with a woman during the season they played together. Did not know anything.
“I had no idea or heard that something like this ever happened,” he told the Post.
“He was a great guy, he was cheerful in the locker room. He always worked on his English with the North American people and was a very talented young player.”
A third former teammate, who requested anonymity, agreed to the stance of both Mirasti and Brennan.
“I just know Artemi as a very happy, awkward man,” he said. “He always had a smile on his face at the rink and was a good fellow.”
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