The situation for Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov continues to become more ominous as The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that he was reportedly turned away from returning to the U.S.
Read Michael Russo’s full report here, via The Athletic.
The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Kaprizov left Russia for Dubai amid allegations that he allegedly purchased a fraudulent military service I.D. in 2017. League sources say Kaprizov tried to return to the U.S. from Dubai, but couldn’t get back into the country because he currently doesn’t have a work visa.
Many Russian and European players were allowed to play without a visa last season as the country recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the season over, it presents a new challenge for players trying to return.
Kaprizov tried a second time to get into the U.S. through the Caribbean Islands, but was unable to get back into the country.
It comes after unconfirmed reports from Russia that Kaprizov is wanted by authorities for buying a fake military ID in 2017. Although his father Oleg Kaprizov denied the accusations and his status as a student allows him to defer his military obligations, that exemption expired on June 30. With reports that Kaprizov is now wanted in Russia, it leaves the Wild’s franchise player in turmoil.
“[It is] something that is privately sending shivers down the spines of everybody in the Wild organization even if they’re publicly saying otherwise,” Russo wrote.
Wild general manager Bill Guerin downplayed the situation prior to this week’s NHL Draft, but Russo believes that the team saying the wrong thing could make the situation worse. Guerin also met with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in Montreal in an attempt to seek guidance
Losing Kaprizov would obviously be a big blow for the Wild on the ice, but his safety is the top priority for the franchise. With Russia currently attempting to take over Ukraine and fellow Russian Ivan Fedotov detained after purchasing an I.D., it’s a delicate situation as Minnesota heads into the offseason.
