About 24 hours after a report surfaced saying Minnesota Wild star winger Kirill Kaprizov allegedly purchased fraudulent military identification in his native Russia, Wild general manager Bill Guerin had no update on the very sensitive situation.
Asked Thursday if he had learned any additional information, Guerin replied, “No.”
This comes a day after Guerin denied a report that Kaprizov had returned to the U.S. after Philadelphia Flyers goaltending prospect Ivan Fedotov was taken to a remote military base in Russia because his name was linked to fraudulent military identification.
“He’s in Russia, and he’s doing fine,” Guerin said of Kaprizov on Wednesday. “He’s with his friends and with his family.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman delicately addressed things on Thursday, noting that it’s “probably not a good idea” for the league to get involved in “the politics of what’s going on in Russia” at the moment.
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“I don’t want to say anything that could be misconstrued or cause an inflammation of a sensitive situation,” Bettman said before the start of the NHL Draft at Centre Bell in Montreal. “The Russian players that still reside in Russia need to make sure they’re making the best possible decisions for themselves and their families.”
After winning the Calder Trophy following the 2020-21 season, Kaprizov signed a 5-year, $45-million contract with the Wild last offseason. He had a huge 2021-22 season, setting Wild franchise records with 47 goals, 61 assists and 108 points.
MIDDLETON GETTING MARRIED
After signing a 3-year, $7.35 million contract on Wednesday, defenseman Jake Middleton emphasized that he’s thrilled to be part of the Wild moving forward.
“You guys know how highly I spoke of this organization,” Middleton said. “It’s a little bit of security for myself and for my fiancée as well. It’s something nice. We’re very happy to be here.”
Speaking of that, Middleton and his fiancée Natalie are planning a shotgun wedding in Nashville next weekend.
“It’s been a planned trip with my family and her family for about a year,” Middleton said. “Now we’ve decided we’re doing a shotgun wedding on the Friday morning that we’re there. We got engaged a couple of months ago. We’ve been together 10 years, though, so we figured it was a good time with both our families around to tie the knot.”
Where’s it all going down?
“We’re just doing it at city hall and getting ordained there,” Middleton said. “Then we’ve got a nice dinner set up at the 1230 Club right across from Bridgestone Arena. I don’t know. I’m sure we’ll be everywhere that weekend.”
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INJURY UPDATE
According to Guerin, winger Jordan Greenway and defenseman Jon Merrill had surgery this offseason and could miss the start of next season.
Though it’s still unclear how much time Greenway and Merrill will miss moving forward, it’s worth noting that Guerin didn’t seem too concerned.
“They will be back soon enough,” Guerin said. “I think we’ve got the bodies that we can get by.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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