Panarin denies report, takes leave of absence

New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin is taking a leave of absence from the team after a Russian tabloid printed allegations from a former coach that he attacked a woman in Latvia almost a decade ago.

“Artemi vehemently and unequivocally denies any and all allegations in this fabricated story,” the Rangers said in a statement Monday.

Andrei Nazarov, a former NHL enforcer who coached Panarin in the Kontinental Hockey League, told Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda in a story published Saturday that Panarin attacked an 18-year-old Latvian woman in a hotel bar in the Latvian capital of Riga following a game in December 2011.

Nazarov told the tabloid that Panarin knocked the woman to the floor with “several powerful blows.”

Nazarov added that he later heard that the Latvian authorities looked into the incident but that no action was taken after “authoritative” locals negotiated with the police not to pursue the case, allegedly after money changed hands.

Nazarov said he was motivated to speak because he disagreed with Panarin’s repeated criticism of the Russian government.

■ Blackhawks: Defenseman Connor Murphy was activated off injured reserve Monday. Murphy, 27, had been sidelined by a right hip injury. Also, forward Dylan Strome is in the concussion protocol. Strome was ruled out for practice Monday.

■ Sabres: Defenseman Jake Mccabe will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed Monday with ligament and meniscus damage, and the team said he will need six to eight months to recover.