Nov. 19--The Kings have suspended minor-league goalie Patrik Bartosak without pay a day after reports surfaced that he is facing 12 charges related to a domestic violence case in Manchester, N.H.
A felony second-degree assault charge alleges that Bartosak attempted to strangle his girlfriend during an incident in Manchester on Monday afternoon, according to a report in the Union Leader.
The Kings, in announcing the suspension, released a statement Wednesday morning:
"We take this matter very seriously. Our response in this matter reflects our extreme disappointment, particularly given the programs we have instituted internally and the commitment our organization has made to educating our players on the prevention of domestic violence. This is the first step in an ongoing process as we continue to gather information related to this incident and monitor the legal proceedings."
It is the second time in a year that a player in the Kings' organization would be facing charges in a domestic violence case. The other involved defenseman Slava Voynov, who was arrested early last season and eventually entered a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in July. Voynov, in September, went back to his native Russia voluntarily, rather than contest deportation proceedings.
Bartosak's Manchester-based lawyer could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
