Officials reported Wednesday that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin’s three Stanley Cup rings were taken during a break-in at a well-known professional athlete’s residence.
On Saturday evening, Malkin went back to his residence on Blackburn Road in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Sewickley Heights “to find his home was burglarized,” according to a statement from the Allegheny County Police Department.
“Detectives initiated an investigation, and preliminary information indicates Malkin s three Stanley Cup Championship rings were taken from the residence,” according to police.
With 506 goals in his illustrious career, the 38-year-old Malkin ranks 45th on the NHL all-time list.
Since Malkin joined Pittsburgh in the fall of 2006, the Penguins have lifted the Stanley Cup three times.
The Penguins lost 5-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday after losing 5-0 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday in their back-to-back games at PPG Paints Arena.
According to a Penguins team statement, we are collaborating closely with team security and local authorities. We won’t be commenting on the situation any further because Malkin has asked that his privacy be respected during this time.
Basketball players Bobby Portis and Luka Doncic, as well as football players Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Joe Burrow, all had their homes broken into in recent months.
Local police have not yet discovered any links to those other well-publicized thefts in this preliminary inquiry.
“County Police are in contact with impacted law enforcement agencies, and at this time, detectives have not received any information indicating this incident is tied to any of the reported organizations targeting professional athletes across the country,” the police said. “However, this remains an active investigation.”
Due to their playing schedules, the NBA and NFL have officially cautioned its sportsmen to secure their houses from highly experienced burglars who are aware of the precise times when athletes will be away from home.
Citing FBI intelligence, the NBA report expressly connected these recent break-ins to multinational South American Theft Groups that prey on high-net-worth persons, including professional sportsmen.