|
 Voynov, who entered a plea of no contest in July to a charge of
domestic violence against his wife, had been suspended by the
National Hockey League since his arrest last October.
"Earlier today, I notified the National Hockey League, the National
Hockey League Players' Association and the Los Angeles Kings of my
decision to immediately begin the formal process of returning to
Russia with my family," Voynov said in a statement released by his
agent.
"I sincerely apologize to those in and around the game of hockey,
who have been affected by my situation, and I also wish the players
of the L.A. Kings success in the future."
The 25-year-old defenceman, who played on the Russian ice hockey
team that finished fifth at last year's Sochi Olympics, won Stanley
Cups with the Kings in 2012 and 2014.
Voynov has been in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement for the last two weeks following a two-month stay in a
California jail.
The Kings, who also suspended Voynov in June, said they had already
determined to void Voynov's contract if the issue was not resolved
by the time training camp opens on Thursday.
[to top of second column] |
"As we have publicly stated since Mr. Voynov's arrest last year, the
Kings organization will not tolerate domestic violence," the Kings
said in a statement.
"As part of that commitment, we will soon announce a series of new
Conduct Awareness Training Initiatives that reflect the values and
principles central to our franchise."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Andrew Both)
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