The NHL acted quickly Monday when Kings defenseman Slava Voynov was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.
The league announced that Voynov was suspended indefinitely before the two-time Stanley Cup champion was released on $50,000 bond from the Redondo Beach Police Department jail.
Voynov, 24, has not been charged and is scheduled to appear in court in Torrance on Dec. 1. The alleged victim has requested confidentiality, according to Redondo Beach police.
"The police are still investigating, as we are," Voynov's attorney, Craig Renetzky, said in a telephone interview, "and we're hopeful no charges will be filed."
The alleged incident unfolded Sunday night in Redondo Beach, around 11:25, when a caller reported "that a female could be heard screaming for the past 20 minutes and could now be heard crying," according to the police report.
Her injuries were such that she required medical attention at the Little Company of Mary hospital emergency room in Torrance, according to Lt. Joe Hoffman of the Redondo Beach police. A nurse contacted police to report that a woman was being treated for injuries that "alarmed" the staff, according to the Associated Press. Officers responded and arrested Voynov at the hospital at 12:45 on Monday morning, booked him at the police department at 2:03 and released him around 9.
Hoffman said he thought there was no record of any previous call to the Redondo Beach address.
The Kings released a statement supporting the league's suspension:
"These developments are of great concern to our organization. We support the NHL's decision to suspend Slava Voynov indefinitely during this process, and we will continue to take appropriate action as the legal proceedings and the investigation by the NHL take their course."
The suspension of Voynov was imposed under section 18-A.5 of the collective bargaining agreement, a section that was beefed up in the most recent labor negotiations:
"The league may suspend the player pending the league's formal review and disposition of the matter where the failure to suspend the player during this period would create a substantial risk of material harm to the legitimate interests and/or reputation of the league."
Voynov, who is in his fourth season with the Kings, will be paid during the investigation and his salary will continue to count against the salary cap, limiting moves the Kings can make because they are close to the cap's ceiling. They are expected to know more about the status of injured defenseman Jake Muzzin, who has been out since the preseason, by Wednesday. One team executive said later on Monday that he did not anticipate any roster changes.
Voynov's lawyer and agent were asked if they would try to get his suspension lifted by the league. His agent, Rolland Hedges, said, "We have to find out more information … that's something we'll have to address."
Domestic violence cases in professional sports have recently received increased attention since the NFL's handling of allegations against then-Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. Rice received mandatory counseling after videotape showed him dragging a woman — who was then his fiancee and is now his wife — out of a hotel elevator. The NFL at first suspended him for two games, then, after more video became available showing him punching the woman, banned him indefinitely from playing.
The Kings have had to address off-ice incidents in the past.
In 2003, Kings forward Ziggy Palffy, now retired, was arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse in an incident involving his fiancee at his Manhattan Beach home. They each suffered minor injuries from the fight, according to a police report. Palffy was not charged.
That same season, then-Kings defenseman Joe Corvo received a two-year suspended jail sentence, pleading guilty to two counts related to an attack on a woman during an incident in a Boston restaurant and lounge.
In 2012, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty was investigated by Hermosa Beach police in connection with a sexual assault allegation. Prosecutors declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence. Renetzky also represented Doughty.
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