Reinstatement of Slava Voynov UPD: suspended for 19-20 season; Arb credits 41 games to suspension

[LadyStanley]

Hmmm. How long might this take?

 

[LadyStanley]

As Slava Voynov seeks a return, the NHL needs a specific...

Pundit calls on NHL to have domestic violence policy. (Athletic/Paywall)




Meanwhile, Burnside and LeBrun host Strang on Atheletic podcast and talk about situation. Perhaps no "set" policy on domestic violence is needed, but evaluation on a case by case basis. And discuss whether any GM and/or owner will be willing to have player on roster. (Might fans boycott if signed?)

 

[BattleBorn]

Forgive me if this is explained somewhere I’m unaware of, but if someone has served the punishment the legal system has set forth for them, why is it the league’s duty to provide their own punishment in addition to that?

I’m not advacating for Voynov or anything, but his contract was cancelled and he was out of the league for a while. If the courts think his debt to society is paid and his contract has been voided due to the event, why are they not just letting him back in?

 

[LadyStanley]

I think it goes to "conduct unbecoming" against league.

Now, whether Bettman wants to take the pound of flesh for the league after investigation is to be seen.

 

[LadyStanley]

Not insignificant.

Wonder if he'll appeal.

 

[tony d]

Heard this, no surprise to see this announcement. Personally I doubt any team will take a chance on him.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

So is this still tied to the previous incident, or did something new trigger it?

 

[LadyStanley]

Yes, previous incident.

He requested reinstatement by league. Bettman ruled he's out for next season.

 

[mouser]

Not insignificant.

Wonder if he'll appeal.

Given the precedent set in other major north american sports I don't see any way this suspension would be upheld by the arbitrator if Voynov chose to file a grievance.

I would think half a season is about the max the arbitrator would rule.

 

[LadyStanley]

Well, @mouser, we'll see.

 

[mouser]

For the curious here's a summary of DV/DA suspensions in the other major professional leagues:

NFL - has settled in a 6 game (37.5% of season) standard unless there are exceptional circumstances. The league has not successfully imposed a suspension of more then half a season.
-- 2014 Adrian Peterson was suspended indefinitely for a child abuse guilty plea. The suspension was overturned in court and ended up being effectively 6-7 games (note: Peterson was on the exempt list for 8-9 games prior to the official suspension where he received his full pay, similar to Voynov).
-- 2014 Ray Rice was suspended indefinitely for DV, overturned on appeal.
-- 2015 Greg Hardy was suspended 10 games for a DV conviction, but later reduced to 4 games.

NBA - has a new policy as of 2017 but no specific suspension lengths are detailed. Longest suspension in recent history was 24 games (29.2% of season) in 2014 for Jeffery Taylor for a guilty domestic abuse plea.

MLB - policy allows for a wide range of suspension lengths based on facts of the incident. In the past 3 years suspensions have been implemented of 15, 15, 30, 40, 41, 75, 82, and 100 games. The 82 and 100 game (61.7%) suspensions are the only upheld suspensions I've found of greater then half a season.
-- 2018 Jose Torres suspended for 100 games in a domestic violence incident that included him pointing a handgun at the victim.

 

[LeHab]

He was initially suspended indefinitely and contract terminated. If I understand correctly he has not attempted to get reinstated earlier since working Visa was unlikely to be granted. As part of this NHL review, were +4 years off considered as port of the overall suspension making the total suspension 4 years + additional season with possibility of return conditional on good behavior? Or is it only now this one season the actual suspension? The 4 years alone would be rather unheard of compared to all other cases across NA pro sports.

 

[mouser]

He was initially suspended indefinitely and contract terminated. If I understand correctly he has not attempted to get reinstated earlier since working Visa was unlikely to be granted. As part of this NHL review, were +4 years off considered as port of the overall suspension making the total suspension 4 years + additional season with possibility of return conditional on good behavior? Or is it only now this one season the actual suspension? The 4 years alone would be rather unheard of compared to all other cases across NA pro sports.

Breaking down your questions:

1) Voynov was suspended indefinitely with pay. The CBA allows a player to delay an NHL investigation and disciplinary hearing while legal cases are ongoing. Voynov chose to do this. In return the CBA also allows the NHL to suspend a player with pay while the legal case is being resolved. From the NHL and CBA point of view the indefinite suspension is separate from the formal disciplinary suspension the NHL issued yesterday,

2) The NHL didn’t terminate his contract, the LA Kings terminated the contract. There was a report which came out a year or two later that Voynov had formally retired from the NHL as part of the separation. Which means Voynov effectively agreed to the contract termination. I don’t think we know the full details of how Voynov’s departure from the NHL was handled. According to other reports the NHL and PA negotiated an agreement on Voynov’s status prior to his contract termination. So it’s possible there were unique conditions agreed upon outside the normal CBA rules for retirement.

3) The four years are not considered part of the suspension. Again per (1), Voynov’s indefinite suspension was until the NHL disciplinary process was completed and a formal suspension announced. Because Voynov left the NHL and returned to Russia that NHL disciplinary process was not completed until recently when Voynov returned to NA and applied for reinstatement.

 

[LadyStanley]

On NHL Now today, Dan Rosen with results of arbitrator's decision....

1 year suspension upheld (82 games).

But he's been credited with already sitting out 41 games. So, he'd be able to start playing with a team that signed him this summer in the middle of the season (circa ASG).

League satisfied that suspension upheld, but doesn't like the credited games. (My response: c'est la vie. Deal with it.)

 

[LadyStanley]

Won't be returning to Kings

 

[mouser]

Haven’t read the arbitration decision, but I’m more then a little surprised the arbitrator “upheld” the year long suspension.

Doubt the PA is happy with letting that precedent stand.

 

[LadyStanley]

Slava Voynov will be eligible to play in the NHL next season, but will anyone even go near him? - TheHockeyNews

Ken Campbell column. Of the 10 GMs he asked, only one would consider adding him to team. Thinks that entire organization would have to weigh in and be behind the decision.

 

[masa2009]

On a side note, THN's article suggests that the NHL will sack arbitrator Shyam Das for ruling against the league on a number of occurences, and I read he had previously been fired by the MLB for similar reasons.
That's not necessarily an assessment of his ruling in this particular case, but how independent can an independent arbitrator be if they can be fired by the league, which is usually one of the parties in the cases they arbitrate?

 

[mouser]

On a side note, THN's article suggests that the NHL will sack arbitrator Shyam Das for ruling against the league on a number of occurences, and I read he had previously been fired by the MLB for similar reasons.
That's not necessarily an assessment of his ruling in this particular case, but how independent can an independent arbitrator be if they can be fired by the league, which is usually one of the parties in the cases they arbitrate?

The PA has the option of firing the arbitrator as well. The CBA allows either the league or the union to fire the arbitrator once a year in September. After which the league and union start negotiating on the replacement arbitrator with the assistance of an “independent” 3rd party from a national arbitration board in the event the league and union can’t come to agreement on the new arbitrator.