Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov was recently denied entrance into the United States on two occasions, reports The Athletic's Michael Russo.
The Russian star reportedly attempted to enter the U.S. from Dubai but was turned away. He later tried to cross the ocean by way of the Caribbean Islands but still wasn't permitted entry. Kaprizov then returned to Russia.
The Athletic previously reported that many European players participated in the 2021-22 NHL season without work visas after the league negotiated with the U.S. government to provide exceptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week, general manager Bill Guerin refuted a report that Kaprizov returned to the U.S. after Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ivan Fedotov was reportedly detained in Russia on charges of intending to forgo military service.
Guerin said Kaprizov was doing well and was staying with friends and family in Russia, adding that the team is trying to find out more about his situation.
Fedotov's agent, J.P. Barry, said the goaltender is at a remote military base in northern Russia.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman remained tight-lipped on the situation with tensions mounting between the United States and Russia as the conflict in Ukraine continues.
"I don't want to say anything that could be misconstrued or cause an inflammation of a sensitive situation," Bettman told reporters ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft on Thursday, per The Athletic.
He added: "We probably don’t have the full story as to what’s going on in terms of what each player's relationship is in Russia with respect to the government, and we're going to have to respect the process as to what goes on."
Kaprizov, 25, led the Wild with 108 points in 81 games in 2021-22.
