"Needs some Russian mafia protection": NHL fans react as Evgeni Malkin's Pittsburgh house reportedly gets broken into and 3 Stanley Cup rings stolen

According to a report from KDKA, the Pittsburgh Penguins alternate captain Evgeni Malkin was the victim of a break-in at his Sewickley Heights home over the weekend.

The incident occurred on Saturday, resulting in the theft of Malkin's Stanley Cup rings, which he had won with the Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017. The break-in started with the back door being kicked in while the alarm system and surveillance cameras weren't operational.

It was also noted that Evgeni Malkin's safe was found open, raising further concerns about the security of his belongings. Moreover, a 911 call was made a few hours after the Penguins' game against the Ottawa Senators on the same day.

NHL fans on X/Twitter reacted to the burglary at Malkin's home, with one tweeting:

"Needs some Russian mafia protection."

Another chimed in:

"Despicable and an invasion of privacy, the last 3-4 years it seems not only Pittsburgh, but the rest of the United States has gone in the toilet."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"When will athletes, whose schedule is published for everyone to see, hire private security to watch their homes when they are gone?," a second fan commented.

"These athletes: please install a system security or at least hire security personnel so you won't have to deal with a break-in in the future," opined another.

"Every sports league should be making sure their players homes are safe and secure - get them a deal with ring and ADT- this seems to be happening more - sounds like a cartel or something," posted another.

"So like, is there reason to believe that this is the same person who broke into burrows home a few months ago? And possibly mahomes as well? Is this some sort of group targeting athletes?," another chimed in.

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Allegheny County Police have started an investigation into Evgeni Malkin's house burglary

Allegheny County Police have announced an investigation into the burglary that occurred in the area, urging individuals with any relevant information to come forward.

The incident adds Evgeni Malkin to the roster of big-name athletes who have fallen victim to home break-ins. Notably, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin also experienced similar incidents last year.