NHL Suspends Player for Domestic Abuse

The NHL indefinitely suspended Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov after he was arrested on domestic-violence charges Monday morning. He will remain suspended until the league completes a formal investigation, but will continue to be paid during the suspension. The NHL’s collective-bargaining agreement permits a suspension “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.” The NHL’s response to Voynov is noticeably different to that of Semyon Varlamov. The Colorado Avalanche player was charged with second-degree kidnapping and third-degree assault charges last season (which were eventually dropped), but he was never suspended by the NHL. In light of the NFL’s Ray Rice incident, the NHL appears to be taking a stronger stance on domestic-abuse charges.