Artemi Panarin and Madison Square Garden Sports - the company that owns the NHL's New York Rangers - paid financial settlements to a team employee in 2024 after she told the team the star forward sexually assaulted her, sources told The Athletic's Katie Strang.
The alleged assault reportedly took place during a Rangers road trip in December 2023. Panarin and the woman were at a postgame gathering at a hotel with several other players and staff members. Panarin allegedly took the woman's phone and told her he would only give it back if she picked it up from his hotel room, sources told Strang. The woman reportedly said that when she went to his room to retrieve her phone, Panarin pinned her down on the bed. According to her account, she reportedly pushed him off, recovered the phone, and left.
The woman reportedly left her position with the team in August 2024 after reaching two separate settlements: one with Panarin and another with MSG Sports. The settlements included non-disclosure and no admission of wrongdoing clauses.
No records indicate the woman reported the incident to law enforcement, per Strang. The woman informed the team of the alleged assault three months later during an investigation into a separate incident, sources told Strang. The team reportedly discovered that the woman, who was anxious about traveling on airplanes, shared her anti-anxiety medication with a player who was also anxious about airplane travel. She was placed on paid leave pending the outcome of that investigation.
The woman felt her treatment was unfair, sources told Strang, and then told the Rangers about the alleged assault.
MSG Sports and the woman both said "the matter has been resolved" when Strang reached out for comment. Neither Panarin nor his agent responded to Strang.
The NHL and the Rangers wouldn't say whether Panarin was subject to any discipline. The NHL wrote in an email: "The club retained an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation, which the league was fully apprised of. We consider the matter closed."
Panarin has led the Rangers in scoring every season since signing a seven-year, $81.5-million contract with the club as a free agent in 2019. He finished fifth in Hart Trophy voting a year ago.
