Former Kings defenseman Slava Voynov signs with KHL team
Slava Voynov will resume his hockey career in the KHL after signing a contract with SKA St. Petersburg on Thursday.
According to the Russian news agency TASS, Voynov was given a three-year deal with SKA, which had acquired his rights from Traktor Chelyabinsk.
Terms of his compensation were not released, but it is believed it will not count against the team’s salary cap.
The two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Los Angeles Kings left the NHL in disgrace after serving jail time for domestic violence. He was in the process of being deported from the United States when he chose to leave the country voluntarily.
Voynov technically remains under suspension by the NHL. He missed the final 76 games of the 2014-15 season while under investigation for assaulting his wife, Marta Varlamova. He ultimately pled guilty to reduced charges and served two months in jail, plus time in immigration custody, before returning to Russia in September.
According to Russian journalist Igor Eronko, Voynov voluntarily signed his retirement papers before leaving the country. He could conceivably return to the NHL at some point in the future, but would first need to be granted entry by the United States government. He would then need to receive permission from the Kings to sign with another team unless he waited until he was 35, at which point he would be free to sign with any team of his choosing.
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