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

LadyStanley

Registered User
Sep 22, 2004
105,728
18,856
Sin City
NHL plays waiting game on Slava Voynov reinstatement

"I know his party is interested in understanding the parameters under which he'd be allowed to rejoin the league," deputy NHL commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday in Las Vegas.

But would the league allow him back? Daly said it's too early to address that.

"There are a couple of legal hurdles that I understand still have to be passed. Until he gets past those, I don't think we're ready to comment on it," he said.

And needs to ensure he can get in/out of Canada as well. His "probation" expires in July.

Even if he's allowed back in, would there be a league suspension to be served? How many teams would be willing to take the PR hit of signing him?
 

cheswick

Non-registered User
Mar 17, 2010
6,764
1,094
South Kildonan
Craig MacTavish killed someone, spent a year a prison and returned to the league the season after he was let out.

While what Voynov did was indefensible, he didn't kill anyone. I personally think the league should allow him back in (assuming his ability to legally play in USA & Canada) and let individual teams decide if they want to sign him or not. -
 

tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
84,978
137,336
Bojangles Parking Lot
Craig MacTavish killed someone, spent a year a prison and returned to the league the season after he was let out.

While what Voynov did was indefensible, he didn't kill anyone. I personally think the league should allow him back in (assuming his ability to legally play in USA & Canada) and let individual teams decide if they want to sign him or not. -

MacTavish didn't deliberately kill someone. He chose to get into a car after drinking, rear-ended another car on an icy street, and that car skidded off the road and crashed.

Voynov deliberately beat his wife so badly she needed medical care afterward. He punched her in the face, threw her to the ground and kicked her repeatedly, choked her THREE times, then threw her face-first into a TV stand.

There's a difference in severity between these crimes, but there's also a difference in terms of committing the crime on purpose.
 

cheswick

Non-registered User
Mar 17, 2010
6,764
1,094
South Kildonan
MacTavish didn't deliberately kill someone. He chose to get into a car after drinking, rear-ended another car on an icy street, and that car skidded off the road and crashed.

Voynov deliberately beat his wife so badly she needed medical care afterward. He punched her in the face, threw her to the ground and kicked her repeatedly, choked her THREE times, then threw her face-first into a TV stand.

There's a difference in severity between these crimes, but there's also a difference in terms of committing the crime on purpose.

Anyone who deliberately drinks and drives makes a decision to kill. Disgusting that you're defending it.
 

Bjorn Le

Hobocop
May 17, 2010
19,590
605
Martinaise, Revachol
Yes, they have to find out (if they haven't already) if he can get a visa to enter the country and play here. So not surprising the NHL isn't ready to make a decision yet. But the fact they've acknowledged his camp has approached the league makes me think that if all the legal questions come back kosher, that they'll give him a suspension and reinstate him pending the completion of that. They have to suspend him because it sets a bad precedent for future domestic violence cases if they don't, but it's likewise difficult to ban him from the league when similar incidents in other leagues have not resulted in lifetime bans. The league isn't and won't have any interest in being the morality police.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DaveG

tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
84,978
137,336
Bojangles Parking Lot
Anyone who deliberately drinks and drives makes a decision to kill. Disgusting that you're defending it.

First of all, excuse you.

A decision to drive drunk is exactly that -- a decision to drive drunk. It is not a decision to murder someone. It's still a criminal act. Even in places where the penalty for DUI manslaughter is very stiff, there is always a mitigating distinction between accidentally causing a death due to intoxication and deliberately causing a death because you wanted to kill someone. The law recognizes this difference for a reason -- it's a common-sense distinction between recklessness and cold-blooded intent.

The decision to hold your wife down, punch her in the face, kick her, choke her, and throw her through a TV stand is exactly what it sounds like. The intent is clear and unmistakable. Even if the outcome is less severe than a death, it really doesn't leave any room for debate about the inner character of the person who commits the crime.
 

mouser

Business of Hockey
Jul 13, 2006
29,284
12,583
South Mountain
Even if he's allowed back in, would there be a league suspension to be served? How many teams would be willing to take the PR hit of signing him?

There would almost certainly be a league suspension to be served.

Following the CBA rules, the NHL suspended Voynov with pay and deferred any hearings and decision on league discipline until after Voynov's legal case was resolved. Voynov left the country after his legal situation was resolved, so the next step of meeting with the NHL and determining any league suspension was never completed. If he returns I'm sure the NHL will require that step to take place.

My guess would be a suspension of 25-40% of a season. i.e. 20-35 games.
 

Killion

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
36,763
3,211
There would almost certainly be a league suspension to be served.

Following the CBA rules, the NHL suspended Voynov with pay and deferred any hearings and decision on league discipline until after Voynov's legal case was resolved. Voynov left the country after his legal situation was resolved, so the next step of meeting with the NHL and determining any league suspension was never completed. If he returns I'm sure the NHL will require that step to take place.

My guess would be a suspension of 25-40% of a season. i.e. 20-35 games.

Most likely yes. Along with being ordered to take anger management counselling, contributing time & money to (nice big fine dontated to...) womens shelters and.... given the nature of his crime to be monitored for alcohol & drug abuse, regular testing & not allowed to drink or take anything stronger than aspirin unless prescribed by an NHL & or Team Doctor. On-going psychological evaluation that he himself will have to pay for, reviewed weekly. Thereafter & upon his return, thats even if anyone wants such a creature in the dressing room he'd pretty much have to keep his head up at all times as it wouldnt surprise me in the least if he's targeted by others, called a coward, run at & possibly right out of the League.

The fans as well I'd imagine, certainly some of them making games as unpleasant for him as possible. I have my doubts he'd be willing to even go that far & attempt it or if he did that he would make the grade, comply fully & or not wind up either in the hospital or the back of a cruiser again. In the most famous (infamous) case, Bobby Hull, no one knew what was going on beyond a very very few people. No charges ever brought during his peak-prime years, media that knew looking the other way. Had that gotten out his career wouldve been over & he was an absolute Superstar, one of the games greatest players of all time. As it is once it did become known his once sterling reputation absolutely destroyed. An asterisk next to name, a disqualifier, all of his records, importance as a player, how it was he who was responsible for the huge salary increases every player received in both the WHA & NHL following his signing with the Jets in 72 & so on & so on tarnished forever, in perpetuity. From Hero to Zero as a result of his out of control behaviour. Cowardly acts. Monster.
 

Jumptheshark

Rebooting myself
Oct 12, 2003
99,857
13,840
Somewhere on Uranus
Craig MacTavish killed someone, spent a year a prison and returned to the league the season after he was let out.

While what Voynov did was indefensible, he didn't kill anyone. I personally think the league should allow him back in (assuming his ability to legally play in USA & Canada) and let individual teams decide if they want to sign him or not. -


you over looking some serious legal situations in this statement

1) Mactavish was drunk and did not refute or deny his involvement
2) Voyanov has hidden behind a team if lawyer--Mact did not

also

it wont be up to the NHL to allow him into North America

We can not get too political here--but if the guy in the Oval office stays true to his standard-he would sign an executive order preventing Voyanov from entering the states
 
  • Like
Reactions: MATTHEWSisGretzky

Captain Bowie

Registered User
Jan 18, 2012
27,139
4,414
I wouldn't like it, but there are circumstances under which Voynov should be allowed in the league again. He has to be completely unencumbered by any legal ongoings. He needs to serve a lengthy suspension after signing an NHL contract, like up to even a full season.

If he never comes back I won't shed a tear for him though.
 

ck26

Alcoholab User
Jan 31, 2007
11,892
2,035
Coyotes Bandwagon
Funny how Kovalchuk and Voynov both want to come back to the NHL after winning Iron Pyrite at the Pyongchang Olympics.

Vote Putin.

Would be shocked if any team wants him. Would be even more shocked if Washington / Ottawa gave him all the permissions he would need to work in both countries.
 

Gotaf7

Registered User
Nov 6, 2011
2,595
2,549
I hope the league takes a hard stand against this piece of human garbage!
 

Shootica

Registered User
Jan 17, 2013
681
421
Utica, NY
This may be a bit outside the scope of this thread, but how does this sort of thing usually play out legally for someone who isn't a professional athlete in the public eye?

If an average person in the United States on a work visa committed this degree of domestic violence and then leaves the country, would they generally be allowed to re-gain that visa after a certain number of years? Is this situation being treated any differently because of his status?
 

tsanuri

Registered User
Jun 27, 2012
6,823
342
Central Coast CA
This may be a bit outside the scope of this thread, but how does this sort of thing usually play out legally for someone who isn't a professional athlete in the public eye?

If an average person in the United States on a work visa committed this degree of domestic violence and then leaves the country, would they generally be allowed to re-gain that visa after a certain number of years? Is this situation being treated any differently because of his status?
It isn't that common because someone would have to have money in order to do it. Leaving the country and then to come back for the court dates isn't cheap.

But it's the exact reason that he voluntary deported It's a much easier road back in. And him filing to expunge the record isn't unusual and for a misdemeanor very common to get
 

Zippy316

aka Zippo
Aug 17, 2012
19,485
4,473
New Jersey
Former Kings defenseman Slava Voynov petitions court to dismiss domestic violence case

Voynov asks LA court to dismiss misdemeanor spousal corporal injury conviction. First step in return.

If the charge is dismissed, then does the NHL have any legal basis to keep him out of the league even though he pleaded no contest already?

If the no contest still holds up, then does the NHL have any legal rules for how it treats reinstatement?

Seems like this may be something that legally the NHL might have to submit to even if they don't want to.
 

Jets4Life

Registered User
Dec 25, 2003
7,191
4,119
Westward Ho, Alberta
Craig MacTavish killed someone, spent a year a prison and returned to the league the season after he was let out.

While what Voynov did was indefensible, he didn't kill anyone. I personally think the league should allow him back in (assuming his ability to legally play in USA & Canada) and let individual teams decide if they want to sign him or not. -


Exactly.

Slava Voynov did something terrible, but life is about second chances. If he has changed, we should welcome him back with open arms.
 

hooverdam

Registered User
Feb 21, 2013
2,499
1,748
Exactly.

Slava Voynov did something terrible, but life is about second chances. If he has changed, we should welcome him back with open arms.

How could anyone know that Voynov has changed? Just because he's trying to get back into the NHL doesn't mean he's stopped beating his wife. He skittered away like a cockroach to a country with no laws against domestic violence. It could be happening nightly for all we know. Abusers don't just decide overnight to stop abusing people without therapy or some other form of rehabilitation.

He did a despicable thing and there's not even any doubt he did it. There should be no open arms for him here.
 

Olympic curse

Registered User
May 24, 2018
9
6
How could anyone know that Voynov has changed?

He did a despicable thing and there's not even any doubt he did it. There should be no open arms for him here.

Maybe, because he'd married her, and their first child was born in 2017 ? (or second, afaik Slava's adopted Marta's daughter) ?

And there was some doubt, actually:
"Voynov wаѕ initially charged with felony corporal injury tо a spouse, аftеr accepting a рlеа deal with prosecutors in whiсh thе felony wаѕ reduced tо a misdemeanor, in part, due tо a biomechanical engineer whо ѕаid Slava’s wife’s injuries appeared tо hаvе bееn thе result оf аn accident."
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->