Sept. 17--Kings defenseman Slava Voynov, who was facing the prospect of lengthy deportation proceedings, will begin the "formal process" of returning to his native Russia.
Voynov, who entered a no contest plea to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in July, has been at an unspecified detention facility after he was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sept. 2.
"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 on Wednesday by his agent Rolland Hedges.
"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."
Voynov is in the midst of a six-year, $25-million deal, which was to run through the 2018-19 season. There were four years and $19.25 million left on the contract.
The Kings, in a statement, said that they had decided Voynov would no longer play for the team and had planned to terminate his contract:
"...The method by which we would ensure this outcome was something we carefully considered and we established a deadline of September 17 -- the beginning of our 2015-16 training camp -- to reach this outcome. Recently it became evident to us that our conclusion to this process would be to terminate Mr. Voynov's Standard Player's Contract. However, Mr. Voynov's announcement today of his intention to leave the United States and return to Russia makes the termination unnecessary.
"As we have publicly stated since Mr. Voynov's arrest last year, the Kings organization will not tolerate domestic violence. 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."
The immigration limbo could have lasted well into the upcoming season. Bond was not allowed immediately and it is unclear if Voynov had a hearing since he was taken into custody. Local officials and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EIOR) in Washington require an alien registration number and, potentially, a privacy waiver to supply case information.
Voynov last played for the Kings on Oct. 19, 2014. The case stemmed from an incident that started at a team Halloween party and continued at the Redondo Beach home of Voynov and his wife Marta Varlamova. Redondo Beach Police Department reports stated that he pushed her into a flat-screen television after he repeatedly choked and kicked her.
The couple has maintained, through their attorneys, that the incident had been an accident.
Shortly after entering the no contest plea, Voynov served his time at the Seal Beach Police Detention Center. He had been allowed to spend his days at the Kings' practice facility in El Segundo under the terms of a work-release program.
An ICE spokeswoman said the timetable for a formal removal can differ from person to person, but that the deportee's country -- Russia, in Voynov's case -- will need to provide documentation that the person is allowed to return.
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