According to Katie Strang of The Athletic, Artemi Panarin and Madison Square Garden Sports paid financial settlements to a New York Rangers employee last year after she alleged that Panarin sexually assaulted her
Strang reports that the woman left the organization in August 2024 after a settlement agreement was reached with Panarin and another settlement was reached with MSG Sports, which included non-disclosure and no admission of wrongdoing clauses.
The alleged assault reportedly took place on December 23 during a team road trip according to two Rangers sources that spoke to The Athletic.
The Athletic adds that Panarin allegedly took the woman’s phone and said he would only give it back if she retrieved it from his hotel room.
When she did go to retrieve her phone, Panarin allegedly pinned her down on the bed before she pushed him off, took her phone, and left the room.
There is no record of the woman reporting the incident to law enforcement. While she reportedly did not immediately alert the team, she informed the team about the alleged sexual assault as part of an investigation into a separate incident around three months later.
Strang confirms that 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.”
Both Panarin and his agent did not respond to a request seeking comment while an MSG Sports spokesperson said in an emailed statement: “The matter has been resolved.”
The Athletic reports that the woman, who remains unnamed, only said “The matter has been resolved.”