After a two-week leave of absence, Nikita Zaitsev returned to the Ottawa Senators locker room. Unfortunately for the veteran, some serious accusations made by his ex-wife followed him to Canada.
Senators Nikita Zaitsev Accused of Kidnapping Attempt
Friday morning’s tabloids are filled with accusations made by Zaitsev’s ex-wife, Margarita. She claims Zaitsev hatched a plan to abduct their children. The alleged attempt occurred in Russia. The forward took a leave of absence for personal reasons from the Senators at the end of November.
The Volatile Fight for the Money
The former couple spent the offseason locked in a brutal court battle. The point of contention is child support and alimony. The two married in 2015. At the time, Zaitsev was playing for CSKA Moscow. Currently, Zaitsev is on a seven-year, $4.5 million deal. Since they were married when he signed, Margarita is entitled to a hunk of the money.
Margarita is reportedly asking for one-third of Zaitsev’s salary. Additionally, she is requesting alimony payments worth ten times the Russian monthly minimum wage. That amount is roughly $1700 USD.
Tumultuous Details Emerge About Alleged Kidnapping
Хоккеист Никита Зайцев напал на бывшую жену. Не хотел платить алименты, поэтому прилетел в Москву из Канады и похитил собственных детей. Где они теперь находятся — не ясно, женщина обратилась в полицию. Сам же Зайцев оперативно улетел обратно в Канаду pic.twitter.com/CyycDXPcXm
— Лента.ру (@lentaruofficial) December 6, 2019
Their toxic relationship seems to have taken a more serious turn. Margarita accused Zaitsev of organizing the abduction of their two daughters. She claims Zaitsev ordered two unknown men to assault their children’s nanny.
The attack happened in broad daylight on a Russian street. One of the men reportedly sliced the nanny’s ear and a second man wrestled Zaitsev’s daughters into a nearby vehicle. A Russian media outlet, Lenta.ru, released a video taken that shows large men tussling with a smaller woman. The men then fled with the two young children.
The motivation behind the kidnapping attempt is rumoured to be financial. Media outlets are accusing Zaitsev of dodging his child support. Margarita released a statement on Instagram where she claimed Russian authorities ignored her pleas for help.
Meanwhile Zaitsev’s father has made a number of allegations against Margarita, claiming that she is an unfit parent.
Zaitsev’s agent has also released the following statement.
Statement regarding Nikita Zaitsev. pic.twitter.com/moxCQcDbVL
— Dan Milstein-Hockey (@HockeyAgent1) December 6, 2019
More details will certainly come out on the matter in the coming days, weeks and months. We will try to keep you as updated as possible, here at LWOH.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
