Jury rules in favor of Avalanche’s Semyon Varlamov in civil case
The civil trial against Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov filed by his ex-girlfriend, Evgeniya Vavrinyuk, ended Tuesday as a jury ruled in favor of Varlamov, awarding him $126,000 in damages.
Varlamov, 27, was arrested on suspicion of felony kidnapping and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, in October 2103, but the charges were dropped two months later due to a lack of definitive evidence. In October 2014, Vavrinyuk filed the civil lawsuit seeking an unspecified amount for medical costs and other damages, claiming the goalie had subjected her to “years of abuse.”
After Tuesday’s decision, Varlamov’s lawyers said in a statement that Vavrinyuk's claims were “groundless and completely unsupported.” Varlamov’s lawyers also said the goalie is looking forward to returning to the ice.
Vavrinyuk’s lawyer said she will appeal the decision and ask for another trial, reports the Denver Post’s Tom McGhee.
During Vavrinyuk’s testimony, she said the goalie told her “if we were not in America, I could have killed you” during the night of the alleged incident.
Varlamov is expected to be the backup Tuesday night when the Avalanche play the Blackhawks, reports the Associated Press. Calvin Pickard will start in net for Colorado.