Report: Kaprizov back in U.S., will return to Minnesota on Tuesday
After a tense couple of weeks, Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov has left Russia and is back in the United States, sources told The Athletic's Michael Russo.
Kaprizov departed from his home nation late last week by way of Turkey and touched down in New York City on the weekend. He's expected to arrive in Minnesota on Tuesday.
Reports emerged in July that the winger was denied entry to the U.S. twice. He first tried to enter the U.S. from Dubai but was turned away. Kaprizov then attempted to cross the ocean by way of the Caribbean Islands but still wasn't permitted entry. He then returned to Russia.
The Athletic previously reported that many European players participated in the 2021-22 NHL season without work visas after the league negotiated with the U.S. government to provide exceptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It isn't known if Kaprizov was able to exit Russia because the Wild got him a U.S. work visa, according to Russo.
Kaprizov, 25, set a new franchise single-season scoring record after putting up 108 points in 81 games during the 2021-22 campaign.
He took home the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 2020-21. Selected by the Wild in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, Kaprizov has 159 points in 136 games.