Why was Russian NHL star Kaprizov not allowed into America?
It seems that Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin was not in vain afraid to let Kirill Kaprizov go to Russia. While everyone was trembling at the prospect of “roaring” into the army and watching the refutation of information about the bought military man, a new trouble crept up to the Wild star. Kaprizov is now not allowed into the United States, and for a very strange reason - the lack of a work visa.
This is reported by The Athletic journalist Michael Russo. Allegedly, Kirill tried to enter the United States from Dubai and through the Caribbean Islands, but was refused. This may be due to the fact that the Russian currently does not have a visa, although in September last year he signed a 5-year contract with the Minnesota, and, therefore, his working relationship is documented.
A little earlier it became known that several European hockey players - not only Russians - were allowed to play in the NHL without visas last season. The League agreed with the US authorities to provide exceptions due to problems in the work of consulates during the pandemic. But, according to Russian tradition, there is nothing more permanent than a temporary measure. After unsuccessful attempts to come to the United States, Kaprizov returned to Russia.
"This is scary. It scares us all. This is a terrible situation in our world. Seeing what happens to someone as close to us as Kirill is a frightening situation. And we hope that everything will be resolved correctly , ”said Minnesota head coach Dean Evason . In fact, there is nothing terrible in these circumstances - you just need to be more attentive to your own documents. Without a valid work visa, Kirill could leave the United States and return no further than Mexico or Canada without any problems, but after a trip to Russia, a visa was necessary. It is surprising that the athlete himself, and his agent, and the representatives of Minnesota were stumped by this need - obviously, none of them simply tracked the status of Kirill's documents. But if this is still excusable for Kirill himself, then why the club and the agent did not take care of the availability of a visa is a mystery. “
The last few days have been joyful and positive for the Wild, on several fronts, after two first-round picks and the signing of goalkeeper Marc-Andre Fleury. But there is still a feeling that a gray cloud will hang over the team as long as the situation with Kirill Kaprizov in Russia remains unresolved. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's evasive remarks didn't help. The situation with his non-arrival only complicated the understanding of what was really going on, ” the Minneapolis Star-Tribune noted. “
Kirill Kaprizov found himself in a frightening political situation due to his military commitments. He is still in Russia and, according to league sources, has been denied a return to the United States. Which privately gives everyone in Minnesota goosebumps, even if they publicly say otherwise.
The Wild superstar was accused of buying a fake military ID in 2017, which his father publicly denied. Oleg Kaprizov says his son was a student, which allowed him to defer military service. But the grace period expired on June 30th.
It is frightening that Kaprizov is suddenly caught up in a major political drama as tensions escalate between the United States and Russia. And although representatives of the Wild publicly portray that this is not a big deal, they will not breathe a sigh of relief until he safely returns to the United States , ”said The Athletic columnist Michael Russo .
In the situation with Kaprizov, we can hardly expect developments similar to the story with goalkeeper Fedotov. Since Kirill was able to travel around Dubai and the Caribbean, he has no problems crossing the Russian border. Well, sooner or later he will be issued a visa to the USA. And then they will think hard before agreeing to his new departure to his homeland.