Nikolay Zherdev Thinks Tim Panaccio is in the Russian Mob

In Soviet Russia, news reports you!

Last week we told you that the Flyers' new Russian forward, Nikolay Zherdev, wouldn't speak to the media, and it was a point of contention with the team.

Well, that precipitated a meeting with GM Paul Holgren and this awesome, awesome comment from Zherdev about long time Flyers beat reporter Tim Panaccio:  [Broad Street Hockey]

Nikolay Zherdev was finally told he had to speak to the media in Philadelphia and not duck interviews or hide behind a translator. Zherdev came out of a meeting with GM Paul Holmgren saying he would talk to everybody "but the Russian reporter" and he pointed at Flyers.com writer Tim Panaccio. When told Panaccio was Italian, through and through, Zherdev shrugged. "Well, he looks like he’s in the Russian mob."