Arthur Kaliyev gambling case update: Elliotte Friedman says NHL have re-opened investigation after ex-girlfriend's allegations

Arthur Kaliyev's alleged gambling addiction was detailed by ex-girlfriend Lauren Mochen in a recent article published by the New York Post on Monday. In the article, the model claimed that the forward had cheated her and other players from the Los Angeles Kings organization, his former club, of at least $50,000, which he needed for his gambling payments.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, in his Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts column on Wednesday, claimed that the league has reopened its investigation into Arthur Kaliyev's dealings.

"According to several sources, the NHL re-opened its look into Arthur Kaliyev’s gambling following Monday’s Mollie Walker New York Post story," Friedman wrote. "I’m going to stick to what I can confirm at this time — as the NHL, the NHLPA and Kaliyev’s representatives aren’t commenting."

According to Friedman, the league had put Kaliyev through an initial round of questioning when users online claimed that the 24-year-old had driven up betting amounts.

"Before the story was published, the league was aware of social media posts accusing him of running up gambling debts," Friedman added. "Kaliyev was questioned about it. I’m not sure who did the questioning, but he was asked. "Generally, in these situations, the league is worried about two things: a) did you bet on hockey? and b) did you bet illegally?"

Lauren Mochen's admission in the NY Post sent shockwaves through the NHL as she described how Kaliyev's addiction got in the way of their relationship. As per Mochen, Kaliyev had sent fraudulent checks to her account, stating that his family had helped him repay the money he had "accidentally" borrowed from Mochen's PayPal account.

Meanwhile, the Uzbek professional kept asking for money from his girlfriend, lying that his account had been frozen. Mochen also claimed in her testament that her former partner had been put on waivers by the Kings organization because of his ties to gambling.

Elliotte Friedman states that NHL hasn't found any concrete proof to accuse Arthur Kaliyev

As per Elliotte Friedman, the NHL had been unable to gather any substantial proof that linked Kaliyev to gambling initially. He also confirmed that the same sources haven't been able to unearth any evidence regarding this matter.

"[NHL sources] indicated that, as of Wednesday afternoon, nothing new had been discovered linking Kaliyev to anything that would get him penalized," he wrote.

After being dropped by the Kings, Kaliyev was picked up off waivers by the New York Rangers within 24 hours back in January. He signed a one-year contract with the Ottawa Senators ahead of this season and featured in 2 of their games.

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Edited by R. Nikhil Parshy