PITTSBURGH — Evgeni Malkin, the star forward and Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick who has said repeatedly he wants to play in the NHL, left his Russian pro team during a training camp in Finland on Saturday, various Russian news services reported.

It was uncertain whether Malkin bolted from the team in an attempt to get to North America and play for the Penguins this season, but the Itar-Tass news agency, citing a source within the club, reported Malkin took his belongings and passport with him.

Malkin's departure from Metallurg Magnitogorsk of Russia's Super League would be yet another unexpected turn in an ever-changing story in which the Olympics star renegotiated his Russian contract from two seasons to one season last week, at the same time his North American-based agents were saying he wants to play in the NHL as soon as possible.

Malkin's agent, JP Barry, didn't immediately return a phone message. Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan said the club had no comment on the report.

In another curious twist, the Russian daily newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda reported last week that Malkin recently opened a new restaurant in Metallurg designed to resemble a Russian jail, complete with bars on the windows, aluminum forks, waitresses in striped prison garb and portraits of Soviet dictators.

Malkin was the No. 2 pick in the 2004 draft behind last year's NHL rookie of the year, fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. But he did not play in the NHL last season because the league lacked a transfer agreement with the Russian ice hockey federation.

Malkin led Metallurg with 47 points, including 21 goals, in 46 games last season.