NHL makes official statement on the return of disgraced defenseman Slava Voynov

Since the 2018 offseason there have been rumblings that former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov was set to return to the NHL. The disgraced blue liner who was arrested in 2014 on domestic abuse charges and subsequently banished from the NHL officially filed for a return to the league this past summer, but has yet to receive a formal approval or denial from the league.

Earlier today though NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly made the announcement that Voynov would NOT be returning to the NHL… at least not this season.

Check it out:

This effectively means that Voynov has been ruled out for the duration of the 2018-19 season and would need to wait until the upcoming offseason to catch on with a team in free agency. 

But… man… if this guy catches on with an NHL club… the team better get ready for a tidal wave of criticism. 

For those unaware, it was alleged that Voynov caused “great bodily harm” to his wife Marta Varlamova in a domestic argument. Voynov was suspended indefinitely by the NHL and he eventually had his contract terminated by the Los Angeles Kings. 

Officers testified that Varlamova told police Voynov punched, kicked, and choked her, and that her face was cut after Voynov pushed her into a flat-screen television. The officer also testified to seeing a laceration above Varlamova's left eye, blood streaming, and red marks on her neck. Voynov's attorney claimed that police misunderstood Varlamova because she doesn't speak English and maintained she "fell down."

In 2015, Voynov pleaded no contest to the charges and served 90 days in Seal Beach Police Detention Center in California. Upon his release he returned to Russia, signing a deal with the KHL powerhouse SKA Saint Petersburg. After three seasons and two championships in Russian, including a gold medal win at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Voynov is now seeking a return to the NHL.