A Los Angeles Superior Court judge Monday granted former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov's request to have his misdemeanor domestic violence plea expunged.
Voynov pleaded no contest in July 2015 to one count of corporal injury to a spouse stemming from an October 2014 fight with his wife that led to his suspension by the National Hockey League. Superior Court Judge Eric C. Taylor, who granted the request, originally sentenced Voynov to 90 days in jail, a yearlong domestic violence course, eight hours of community service and three years of probation.
After being released from jail in Seal Beach, Voynov was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and later announced his plans to leave the United States voluntarily. He had been in the country on a temporary visa for athletes.
Voynov's wife, Marta Varlamova, allegedly told police the hockey player had punched her during a fight at a Halloween party on Oct. 19, 2014.
When they returned home later that night, he threw her to the ground, kicked her, choked her and shoved her into a flat-screen television, the woman said initially. Varlamova later said that what happened was an accident and she declined to testify at trial.
ESPN reported it is possible that the expungement could clear the way for Voynov's return to the NHL. Voynov has expressed interest in coming back and met with league commissioner Gary Bettman this spring to begin outlining the process, according to ESPN.
