Slava Voynov to be arraigned Dec. 1
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has filed a felony case against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov stemming from his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence last month, it confirmed in a statement Thursday.
Voynov has been charged with one felony count of corporal injury to a spouse with a great bodily injury. He is set to be arraigned Dec. 1 and faces a maximum sentence of nine years in state prison if convicted as charged.
When reached by telephone Thursday, Voynov's California-based lawyer Craig Renetzky said the player is "disappointed" by the DA's decision to file charges but that he "maintains his innocence."
"He's really looking forward to his day in court," Renetzky told ESPN.com. "Expects to be cleared."
Michael J. Walsh, the attorney for Slava's wife, Marta Varlamova, released a statement Thursday saying Marta was "stunned" and that she expects her husband to be cleared.
"Marta was stunned by the news today and she is devastated," Walsh said in a statement. "She did not believe, and does not believe, that her husband intended to injure her and she believes that he is not guilty of any crime. She is worried about her family's privacy and concerned that she and her family are going to be subjected to ridicule, embarrassment and hatred because of this decision. In fact, she has already seen that beginning to happen. It is unfortunate that no one seemed to care what she wants, and that the authorities gave little or no weight to her view of the facts of the case. Despite this unwelcome news, she still expects her husband to be cleared of any criminal wrongdoing."
In a statement released later Thursday by deputy commissioner Bill Daly, the NHL said: "We are aware of the actions taken today in California, which we will review and evaluate before making any decisions. Until further notice, the current terms of Mr. Voynov's suspension remain in place."
Voynov was arrested by members of the Redondo Beach Police Department at a Torrance, California, hospital in October after accompanying his wife to seek medical treatment. According to the DA's office, during an argument at their Redondo Beach home Oct. 19, Voynov caused his wife to suffer injuries to her eyebrow, cheek and neck, prosecutors said.
The 24-year-old Voynov was suspended indefinitely by the NHL during the criminal investigation and has not played since Oct. 19.
Because of the cap implications stemming from Voynov's suspension, the Kings have had to play multiple games short-handed. They have sought temporary cap relief from the NHL, but to no avail.
The Kings released a statement Thursday supporting the NHL's suspension of Voynov:
"We maintain our support of the NHL's indefinite suspension of Slava Voynov. As an organization we will continue to closely monitor the developments of the legal proceedings and work in partnership with the NHL to determine the proper course of action in the future."
