Voynov leaving Kings, NHL

Defenseman Slava Voynov announced Wednesday that he will return home to Russia with his family, leaving the Los Angeles Kings in the wake of his legal troubles resulting from domestic violence charges.

Voynov was arrested in October and charged initially with a felony for domestic violence after a fight with his wife, Marta Varlamova.

Kings defenseman Slava Voynov, who was facing the prospect of lengthy deportation proceedings, will begin the “formal process” of returning to his native Russia. “I sincerely apologize to those in and around the game of hockey, whom have been affected by my situation, and I also with the Players of the LA Kings success in the future”. Although the franchise expressed strong support for the NHL’s suspension, Voynov was allowed to continue working out on his own at the Kings’ training complex, and the club was fined $100,000 last November when he participated in a practice in violation of the suspension.

In a statement released Wednesday, the Kings said they set Sept. 17, the start of training camp, as the deadline for a decision on Voynov’s status with the team.

“As we have publicly stated since Mr. Voynov’s arrest last year, the Kings organization will not tolerate domestic violence”, the Kings said in a statement.

His statement comes one day before the Kings had planned to officially terminate his contract. Local officials and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EIOR) in Washington require an alien registration number and, potentially, a privacy waiver to supply case information. In that case, if Voynov were somehow able to reside in the United States again, the NHL would also need to reinstate Voynov, however unlikely. Los Angeles spent last season with minimal room to adjust their roster, partly due to the strictures of paying Voynov’s hefty salary while he wasn’t playing.

Now, the Kings have cut all ties with three players who were arrested in the last 11 months, including Voynov and forwards Jarret Stoll and Mike Richards.

Voynov is in the midst of a six-year, $25-million deal, which was to run through the 2018-19 season. The Kings intended to terminate his contract.

Prior to being charged, the NHL Players’ Association filed a grievance on Richards’ behalf on Aug. 10, contesting the termination of his contract. After months of negotiations between his lawyer and the district attorney, his no-contest plea left him with a sentence of 90 days in jail.