Proposal: WARNING: Re Slava Voynov

[zaYG]

I find drinking and driving just as disturbing. Imagine all the players who would not be able to play if they set a precedent in this criminal offence too and they actually got caught. You step behind a wheel of a massive weapon that can strike and kill someone at any time due to your slowed reaction time, how is this ok for a player to continue playing? Yet substance abuse offenders are made out to be victims of addiction. Voynov beating his wife is horrible. Horrible. Yet if brad Marchand got caught drinking and driving, nobody here would think he should be suspended and cut from the team...they are both just as dangerous and from my lengthy experience in both, I have seen more deaths from drinking and driving. But again, both are horrible. But both, treated properly can help a person correct their behaviour.

I don't see a substance-based impaired decision to try and drive yourself home to be on the same level as physically beating your spouse. One is stupid but also due to a lapse in judgment caused by intoxication, one is pathetic and inexcusable.

 

[Mount Kramer Cameras]

You are wrong and I can say this with certainty. I've done case studies for projects with work. In a lot of cases you are right, it is repeat customers but often it's a one time thing due to factors involved at the time. I deal with pieces of **** every single day but every day I need to hope that person is going to change or I am going to hate people and hate my job. I put my life into helping people, including the troubled ones.

Maybe Voynov does live his life the right way, and got caught in a bad situation. Or maybe he's a borderline psychopath that's beyond help. Both instances are plausible and I don't think it's a risk that the B's should even consider.

I salute what you do amigo, it's a commendable thing. People do have the capacity to change, no doubt about it. But I guess part of accepting that is accepting that some people are born a certain way and can never change. Like I said, it's just not worth the risk in this situation. But in a day-to-day situation in 'normal' life you've gotta believe in every case, because what else can you do.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Easy yes. I'm a police officer and have investigated thousands of domestic violence cases. Often people make mistakes and need help to correct their behaviour. As frustrating the system can be, you have to trust in people that more often than not they will become better people after admitting a mistake. His wife is sticking by his side. I'm sure there is more to the story than you and I know. The media is horrible and write as much negative as possible omitting facts and creating fiction. Regardless of what is factual and what is real, voynov ****ed up. I hope he won't do it again. Maybe he will. I would give him a chance. Hell of a talent, just needs the help and the support. I think he would get that in Boston.

Agreed. Hockey is seen as a cleaner sport in terms of criminal activity but it still happens. Once it becomes a pattern, then it's an issue and I'd say no to him.

 

[alg363636]

Abso-****ing-lutely not. I would not watch a Bruins game with him on the team or for as long as the management that signed him was still in charge.

I spent time working for a domestic violence law firm and in a domestic violence clinic. Hiring that man goes against every value I believe in and I could not support that team. He doesn't deserve a spot on any NHL roster.

 

[Gargyn]

I don't see a substance-based impaired decision to try and drive yourself home to be on the same level as physically beating your spouse. One is stupid but also due to a lapse in judgment caused by intoxication, one is pathetic and inexcusable.

He was drunk when he beat his wife. Guess it was also a lapse in judgement.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

Actually, it's a tough call and one I'm glad I don't have to make.

The league is littered with players and execs who've been given a second chance, and as long as he's paid his debt to society, there are no legal grounds to deny him his right to play.

That said, I don't want Seguin on the team because of things that I BELIEVE transpired off ice (I have no proof), so I'd be a hypocrite if I said anything besides no way to this guy.

 

[MarchandNoseBest]

I don't see a substance-based impaired decision to try and drive yourself home to be on the same level as physically beating your spouse. One is stupid but also due to a lapse in judgment caused by intoxication, one is pathetic and inexcusable.

Agreed. Plus another factor beyond being drunk (because a lot of domestic abusers are drunk too) is that drunk drivers aren't deliberately harming someone the way a domestic abuser is. They are being reckless and thinking everything will be fine because in many drunk driving situations, nothing comes from it and it is fine. It's dumb logic as we know, but you can talk yourself into thinking nobody will get hurt from it.

Woman beaters know exactly what they doing is guaranteed to harm someone (usually that they supposedly "care" about too) and they still do it. Drunk driving can certainly have a more dire outcome sometimes, but men who beat up women are worse people.

Having said all that, I'd still take Voynov on my team. I don't look to sports for role models or because I think they are good people. I'm sure lots of them are scum bags, even the ones you haven't neccessarily heard in trouble with the law. Doesn't mean they are perfect citizens, just that they got away with it. Look at Aaron Hernandez, he committed a murder and went on to play an entire season for the Patriots after it. Wasn't until the 2nd murder that he got caught (and that assumes it was just those 2, which I'm far from convinced of). I'm sure many others have gotten away with unreported domestic violence just because they are rich and famous and the girlfriends or wives don't want to speak up knowing that they are with a millionaire living a good life when they aren't getting their heads beat in.

I look to these guys for entertainment on the ice, and for my team to win. I'd have no problem rooting for Voynov because I'm really not even rooting for specific players to begin with, I'm rooting for the Bruins. You'll never hear me vouch for his character or anything or try and defend what he did, but he can play for my hockey team (you know, if I actually got to make those decisions).

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

I don't see a substance-based impaired decision to try and drive yourself home to be on the same level as physically beating your spouse. One is stupid but also due to a lapse in judgment caused by intoxication, one is pathetic and inexcusable.

Perhaps the domestic violence occurred while under the influence.

 

[bp13]

I'd take him. Absolutely.

 

[FallsForItEveryYear]

if they did proper due diligence and believed he had made a one time mistake i would trust their judgement. id hope they would find a way to put wording in the contract that allows them to end the contract for the slightest hint of trouble. I think to ignore him completely for a crime he is paying for would be equally poor management to signing him purely on talent without learning as much about his personality/character and factoring that in.

then again if they don't sign him ill assume the bruins looked into it and determined he wasnt worth the risk and if im fine with that as well.

 

[KrejciMVP]

How desperate are we for a top 4 D?

 

[Kovi]

I don't see a substance-based impaired decision to try and drive yourself home to be on the same level as physically beating your spouse. One is stupid but also due to a lapse in judgment caused by intoxication, one is pathetic and inexcusable.

Both are behaviors that indicate not living a mindful life.

You cant judge an individual by one action, but you can surmise an outcome predicted by a pattern of behavior.

People need to be held accountable for behaviors.

 

[zaYG]

He was drunk when he beat his wife. Guess it was also a lapse in judgement.

Perhaps the domestic violence occurred while under the influence.

The difference is that driving is fine when you're sober. The drinking is what makes it dangerous.

Beating your spouse is never fine whether you are sober or drunk. I'm not saying the dude doesn't deserve a second chance in life, but I don't want him on the Bruins, that is for sure.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Only thing that should be offered to people like that is a beatdown.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

He was drunk when he beat his wife. Guess it was also a lapse in judgement.

redbeard, thank you for your service and sacrifices. It sounds as though you try to make the world a better place. Kudos to you.

These moral judgment situations are not always as cut and dried as they may appear.

I suppose we could find disturbing or troubling instances in almost anyone's past.

There are plenty of musicians for instance that are likely morally reprehensible individuals, but I listen to them for their musical abilities, not their civic-mindedness or morality.

But, I do have the right to buy their product or not, just as the teams have the right to employ athletes or not, as they see fit.

I guess I'm happy if the team I root for tries to uphold at least some level of integrity, and says no to wife-beaters, but I admit it can be a slippery slope.

 

[Absurdity]

I agree with all of those that say he may be a problem in the locker room being a reason to avoid him, especially when it looks like, to me anyways, that Sweeney and Co. are trying to build that sense of 'standing up for one another' mentality and get players that can build chemistry in the locker room. Even when looking at other FAs, I would rather give the kids a shot. Talented player, but I don't think he's a fit because of what he's done.

 

[Bad Puck Bounce]

Very sensitive topic.

As someone who's seen a friend go through what Voynov's girlfriend went through I know how messy and brutally traumatizing this situation can be. I've also seen the other side where someone had legitimate anger issues and sought help before it got real bad.

It's not easy to know what goes though a persons head in a situation like this but that far from makes what he did okay. I hope he gets help, I really do. I hope the same for the girlfriend, because she clearly deserves better than that.



All that aside, I want nothing to do with him as a Bruins fan or a hockey fan.

 

[ODAAT]

I know character and integrity don`t necessarily win games but I`d rather watch a bunch of guys skate around in a spoked B who respect others off the ice, especially women

 

[MarchandNoseBest]

Perhaps the domestic violence occurred while under the influence.

To me, while true, that really doesn't even matter. People driving drunk aren't intentionally hurting someone. They are being foolish, lazy and reckless, but the goal isn't to kill or badly hurt someone in a car crash. The domestic abusers goal IS to hurt someone, someone they supposedly claim to care about too.

That's what makes woman beaters worse people than drunk drivers. The intent.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Absolutely not (at this point everyone to a certain degree deserves second chances and in a few years if hes cleaned his act up that is another story.)


Would be a great fit with Hamilton gone.


I hope he gets deported and doesn't play another NHL game I am not rooting for Voynov to extend his NHL career but its America even immigrants who should have been deported but weren't have their rights if he beats this and gets to continue his NHL career than he beats it. F no to signing him now would be insulting to the fanbase *maybe* in a couple years if it made sense and we could add him without giving up much and he'd cleaned his act up people deserve second chances. But I hope his come in the KHL he can go replace my man Chudinov in St Petersburg for SKA.

 

[Kovi]

Absolutely not (at this point everyone to a certain degree deserves second chances and in a few years if hes cleaned his act up that is another story.)


Would be a great fit with Hamilton gone.


I hope he gets deported and doesn't play another NHL game I am not rooting for Voynov to extend his NHL career but its America even immigrants who should have been deported but weren't have their rights if he beats this and gets to continue his NHL career than he beats it. F no to signing him now would be insulting to the fanbase *maybe* in a couple years if it made sense and we could add him without giving up much.

because everyone will have forgotten about the behavior by then.....

 

[jjjshab]

Agreed. Plus another factor beyond being drunk (because a lot of domestic abusers are drunk too) is that drunk drivers aren't deliberately harming someone the way a domestic abuser is. They are being reckless and thinking everything will be fine because in many drunk driving situations, nothing comes from it and it is fine. It's dumb logic as we know, but you can talk yourself into thinking nobody will get hurt from it.

Woman beaters know exactly what they doing is guaranteed to harm someone (usually that they supposedly "care" about too) and they still do it. Drunk driving can certainly have a more dire outcome sometimes, but men who beat up women are worse people.

Having said all that, I'd still take Voynov on my team. I don't look to sports for role models or because I think they are good people. I'm sure lots of them are scum bags, even the ones you haven't neccessarily heard in trouble with the law. Doesn't mean they are perfect citizens, just that they got away with it. Look at Aaron Hernandez, he committed a murder and went on to play an entire season for the Patriots after it. Wasn't until the 2nd murder that he got caught (and that assumes it was just those 2, which I'm far from convinced of). I'm sure many others have gotten away with unreported domestic violence just because they are rich and famous and the girlfriends or wives don't want to speak up knowing that they are with a millionaire living a good life when they aren't getting their heads beat in.

I look to these guys for entertainment on the ice, and for my team to win. I'd have no problem rooting for Voynov because I'm really not even rooting for specific players to begin with, I'm rooting for the Bruins. You'll never hear me vouch for his character or anything or try and defend what he did, but he can play for my hockey team (you know, if I actually got to make those decisions).

The school of thought in the latter part of this post is exactly the reason why letting him play again would be an issue. When your general sentiment is to excuse a player for their off-ice behaviour because they're good at hockey, you're also silently saying it's okay for those actions to occur as well. You gave Hernandez as an example, and I think he's also an example of how repeat offenses occur when players don't understand the gravity of their actions because many fans look the other way. (I get that they are different crimes, but bare with me).

Not to mention kids are going to grow up seeing this all over the media and think, consciously or not, that this is acceptable behaviour too. Would you want your kid growing up idolizing Voynov?

What the NHL does with this case will be very interesting to watch unfold.

 

[finchster]

If he can play hockey, he can play for me. I don't care about his personal life.

 

[Alicat]

HELL NO.

If the Bruins ever did, I would stop rooting for them.

 

[Boston BROin]

Nope. Guy is done. In some ways I don't care about personal life; say someone was busted for smoking pot. Don't care. However, this guy beat his wife. Keep him off my team. I don't care if he's the next Orr. He doesn't deserve any type of redemption. He's a coward.