A Sport Express interview with Nikita Zaitsev finally gave a glimpse into his side of the story in the ongoing saga with his ex-wife, the battle over the custody of their kids, and the allegations of kidnapping and infidelity.
The interview, while illuminating, opens up more questions about the Maple Leafs handling of yet another scandal in their midst during the Babcock era. Zaitsev said that his wife's behaviour was, indeed, one of the several reasons for requesting the trade out of Toronto. Zaitsev said he was told by Leafs management and his teammates about Margarita's "abhorrent" behaviour, but did not elaborate beyond that.
The 28-year-old Russian defenseman is adjusting well in Ottawa, as he is currently in the third year of a seven year contract worth $4.5 million per season. He has eight assists in 32 games with a -1 rating, averaging a career high 22:31 TOI while being used heavily in a defensive role. "I feel great here," Zaitsev said. "We have a friendly group here, we battle in every game. I feel serene in this city. The fans here really love hockey, but in a good way. There is no animosity towards the players."
When asked how Ottawa has been at helping him handle his family situation, Zaitsev said that the organization has been very understanding and supportive. "They were horrified when they saw the video of [my ex-wife] viciously yanking my daughter out of her high-chair. They saw it as barbaric. Family values are the number one priority with them. They asked me to keep them appraised about the ongoing situation."
Though Zaitsev denied allegations made by his ex-wife that he is on the verge of receiving Canadian citizenship, and stated that he will always be Russian and his kids will speak Russian as a first language, he admitted to being disappointed at some of the reactions to the scandal in his homeland. "Seems that people in [Russia] live under a strange misconception," Zaitsev spoke ruefully. "They live by a slogan : 'If you're a rich athlete, you're at fault, you're the dirtbag.' I am, first and foremost, a family man. My children, my parents, my brother, my close friends - that's my life. I don't like glamorous clubs, fashionable restaurants, parties. I want to be in the comfort of my home, and I was being dragged (by my ex-wife) to party every evening. My body was hurting after games, I just wanted to be home and playing with my kids."
Zaitsev also effectively accused his ex-wife of adulterous behaviour. In an earlier appearance on a talk show, Margarita claimed that the video of her bringing a man to the house where she was staying with the kids (which belonged to Zaitsev's father, Igor) was months after the divorce proceedings had concluded. Nikita stated that the divorce was finalized in the fall, while the footage of her and still unidentified man, who at times appears naked, was taken in the summer. Furthermore, he is not willing to accept her excuse about the kids being asleep during these trysts. "They could have come out of their room at any time during this and been traumatized by what they would have seen," said Zaitsev.
For now, he's resting after being injured in a match against the Blue Jackets. "I was hurt twice blocking shots in the 2nd and 3rd periods. That's bad of course, but that's my style; I can't let the puck get to the net," said Zaitsev. "Everything is good in Ottawa, and as soon as my girls are with me and I can forget all the bad stuff, I'll truly be happy."
Source: Alena Grebenkova, Sport Express
