Evgeni Malkin’s Home Burglarized Championship Rings Stolen
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Pittsburgh Penguins star and Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin became the latest victim in a string of high profile break ins and robberies at the homes of star athletes across the country. The list of players targeted includes NFL stars Joe Burrow, Travis Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes, NBA stars Luka Doncic, Bobby Portis and Mike Conley Jr, and fellow NHL player Tyler Seguin. The home of the mother of NBA Finals NBA MVP Jaylen Brown was also broken into with authorities believing that Brown was the intended target.
Currently both local and federal authorities are involved in the investigation. The FBI recently issued a formal warning to sports leagues regarding the break ins. According to the FBI, these robberies are believed to be the work of organized criminal networks who specifically target athletes due to the perception they have high end goods such as jewelry, watches, and cash. The theft ring uses sophisticated surveillance to monitor players and track movements specifically timing their break ins for when players are traveling.
What makes the Malkin break in unique is that apparently memorabilia was part of the heist. According to reports from ESPN and local news affiliates, Malkin’s three Stanley Cup rings were stolen from a safe in the house. From what research I’ve done there have been no other reports of memorabilia such as championship rings, jerseys or other pieces stolen from athlete’s homes. In another departure from break ins, the robbery at Malkin’s took place while the Penguins were playing a home game.
The choice to steal memorabilia and the Stanley Cup rings in particular is an odd one. It’s one thing to steal random high priced goods as they can be sold much easier. It’s another to steal rings that literally have the player's name on it. I’m sure there are collectors out there who would want to buy a ring like this legitimately however trying to sell these rings now would be next to impossible. The only possibility I could see is if the thieves plan on dismantling the rings which would be awful for Malkin.
Malkin has been a star in the NHL for many years and his championship rings represent the pinnacle of his achievements and his hard work. I sincerely hope he’s able to recover his rings intact along with any other items that were stolen.
