{"id":63145,"date":"2019-12-06T13:31:07","date_gmt":"2019-12-06T18:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=63145"},"modified":"2020-12-26T16:31:05","modified_gmt":"2020-12-26T21:31:05","slug":"ottawa-senators-nikita-zaitsev-kidnapping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/12\/06\/ottawa-senators-nikita-zaitsev-kidnapping\/","title":{"rendered":"Ottawa Senators Nikita Zaitsev Ex-Wife Alleges Kidnapping"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a two-week leave of absence, Nikita Zaitsev<\/a><\/strong> returned to the Ottawa Senators<\/a>\u00a0locker room. Unfortunately for the veteran, some serious accusations made by his ex-wife followed him to Canada.<\/p>\n

Senators Nikita Zaitsev Accused of Kidnapping Attempt<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The Volatile Fight for the Money<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0is roughly $1700 USD.<\/p>\n

Tumultuous Details Emerge About Alleged Kidnapping<\/h3>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/lentaruofficial\/status\/1202870335395311616?s=19<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Zaitsev’s father has made a number of allegations against Margarita, claiming that she is an unfit parent.<\/p>\n

Zaitsev’s agent has also released the following statement.<\/p>\n

\n

Statement regarding Nikita Zaitsev. pic.twitter.com\/moxCQcDbVL<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dan Milstein-Hockey (@HockeyAgent1) December 6, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n