Support The Moscow Times!

Russia's Mogilny, Under Extortion Threat, Leads Win

BUFFALO, New York -- Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres returned to the ice after sitting out one game because of an extortion threat from the man who helped him defect from the Soviet Union.


Mogilny, who had a goal and an assist in helping Buffalo beat the New York Islanders 4-1 Sunday, said he has already put the incident behind him.


"The thing happened a few days ago," he said. "I don't know where the guy is. I don't even want to know. It's just a normal day, a normal, human day. What can I tell you?"


Sergei Pavlosky, 30, is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail after being charged Saturday with second-degree attempted grand larceny.


Pavlosky and another Russian were unarmed when they were arrested outside the Buffalo locker room on Friday night, police said.


"I think they were stupid guys trying to get somewhere fast. Hopefully, it doesn't go any farther than that," Sabres wing Brad May said.


Mogilny told police he noticed a car following him to a restaurant after practice on Friday. Pavlosky allegedly approached Mogilny in the restaurant and, speaking in Russian, demanded $150,000. Pavlosky told the Sabre he had a gun and would shoot him in the back and stab him in the legs, police said.


Although it has been reported that Russian hockey players were being asked to pay protection money on behalf of their relatives back home, team and law enforcement officials said there is no evidence the men are part of a larger scheme.


Mogilny, 25, was born and raised in Khabarovsk, a city of 600,000 on the Chinese border of the former Soviet Union. He was drafted by the Sabres in 1988 and defected in May 1989. Pavlosky, a Russian who defected to Sweden, helped Mogilny defect while the hockey player was with the Central Red Army team, Mogilny told police.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more