New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin has reportedly been accused of sexual assault by a former team employee in a settled lawsuit, as reported by Katie Strang of The Athletic. The incident allegedly occurred during a team trip in 2023, with Panarin and Madison Square Garden Sports, the team's owner, reportedly reaching settlements with the accuser.
The former team employee claimed that Panarin took her phone during a post-game gathering at a hotel in December 2023, and then allegedly pinned her to a bed when she went to retrieve it from his hotel room. The woman reported the alleged assault to the team three months after the incident, which coincided with a separate investigation involving her sharing anti-anxiety medication with a player on the team.
Settlements were reportedly reached in August 2024, with non-disclosure and no admission of wrongdoing clauses included. Both Panarin and MSG Sports did not respond to requests for comment, and the NHL considers the matter closed. This accusation comes after a previous leave of absence taken by Panarin in 2021 when a Russian newspaper alleged he assaulted a woman in a Latvian bar in 2011, which Panarin and the team vehemently denied. Despite these off-ice controversies, Panarin has been a standout player for the Rangers, leading the team in points for each of his six seasons with the team and earning recognition in the Hart Memorial Trophy voting.