Sorry if this comes across as minimizing what Watson did, but come on guys, read the police reports. One is significantly more disturbing than the other one.
I still remain torn on Voynov, I wouldn't lose any sleep if he was banned for good, but if he is allowed back and is going to play I guess I'd rather have him on the Kings than the Kings getting pennies on the dollar for a #2 or 3 defenseman. But I think some people are really letting team loyalty cloud them a bit when I read comments like.
Free Voynov?
Anger at Watson's misdemeanor possibly being treated differently than Slava's felony?
Both pled the same deal, same charge.
Obviously they differ in severity. All I've said is that if the NHL overlooks Watson's then goes on to punish Voynov, especially after he's already been punished with the longest suspension in NHL history, it would be garbage. Less about Voynov, more about Watson. So many people (not you) are going out of their way to make excuses for him and minimize the incident it's just gross. All the folks who are completely outraged about Voynov are now going "well, it's JUST a shove, and she was drunk" as if some degree of domestic violence is justifiable. No, for a league with no DV policy, the NHL has to do this one right--and they're fortunate, as I stated, that they get to discipline Watson first, as given the similar
legal charge, they get to set the precedent with Watson instead of working backwards from Slava.
Frankly it's a little insulting that the insinuation is consistently "team loyalty" is clouding judgment, I'm simply saying it DOES compare no matter how much people want to downplay Watson's incident. Not in degree, but in category. I'm not minimizing Voynov's, I'm trying to illuminate Watson's.