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Evgeni Malkin's Stanley Cup rings were found safe in his home after the Pittsburgh Penguins star was burglarized last week.
The Allegheny County Police Department announced on social media Thursday that Malkin's three championship rings, which were initially believed to have been stolen, were found in his residence.
While his rings were not stolen, the Allegheny County Police Department clarified that the investigation is ongoing.
In a statement, Malkin thanked the Allegheny County Police, the Sewickley Heights and the Penguins organization.
"I would like to express my gratitude to the Allegheny County Police, the Sewickley Heights Police and the entire Penguins organization," he said. "The outpouring of support and concern from my teammates and fans over the past few days means so much to my family and I."
The burglary of his home occurred on Jan. 10 while the Penguins were playing the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena. A 911 call reporting the robbery came a few hours after the game.
A handful of professional athletes have dealt with burglaries over the past year, including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić and more.
Amid a slew of robberies, the FBI issued a warning to pro sports leagues about athletes' homes being targeted while they were playing games or traveling.
The NHL unveiled Thursday the uniforms the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings will be wearing for the upcoming installment of the league's Stadium Series on March 1 at Ohio State's Ohio Stadium.
The Blue Jackets will wear a navy sweater with a cannon emblazoned on the front, with the Red Wings featuring a red script Detroit across a white sweater:
The NHL also pointed to the smaller design features unique for each team.
The captain and alternate captain letters on the Blue Jackets' sweaters are surrounded by an outline of Ohio. A buckeye leaf also accompanies the team's wordmark that's stitched inside the back neck portion of the jersey.
The font for the front of Detroit's sweater was inspired by logos for the automotive industry and "Hockeytown" is also woven into the pants. The uniform even has an appearance by Al The Octopus.
Blue Jackets fans might notice there are no references to Ohio State despite the game being staged at the Buckeyes' historic venue. Fanatics creative director Dom Fillion told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski that some ideas were considered, such as having buckeye stickers on the helmet.
"That was off limits for us," he said. "There's definitely some trademarks that you've got to navigate and be aware of."
Similarly, Fillion said there were discussions about having Columbus and Detroit wear jerseys that were a nod in some form to the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan. Ultimately the color schemes for the respective schools were considered too far from the Blue Jackets and Red Wings' usual looks.
"I think at some point there's a threshold that you cross," he said. "It doesn't feel like it's the team anymore, it's somebody else's team."
The three Stanley Cup rings earned by Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin were stolen during a home break-in Saturday, according to Jennifer Borrasso, Mike Darnay and Patrick Damp of KDKA in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins issued a statement confirming Malkin was the victim of a burglary:
The incident happened on the same day the team suffered a 5-0 home loss to the Ottawa Senators. Malkin didn't play because of an upper-body injury.
Malkin told The Athletic's Rob Rossi and Alex Andrejev that nobody was home at his residence in Sewickley Heights, Pennsylvania, at the time of the break-in. He also confirmed his Stanley Cup rings were missing.
The 38-year-old helped Pittsburgh lift the trophy during the 2008-09, 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, playing a key role in all three title runs. He was the Conn Smythe winner in 2009 after tallying 14 goals and 22 assists in 24 games.
The burglary at Malkin's home comes as athletes across multiple sports have been targeted in similar incidents in recent months. Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić and Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin have all been targeted.
Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin of ABC News reported in December the FBI had issued a report outlining how a group might be deliberately targeting professional athletes
"These homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches and cash," the FBI said.
The Bureau also said the alleged theft rings are capable of bypassing security systems and uses jammers to disrupt any Wi-Fi signals.
