Slava Voynov

Lore & Background

Voynov began his professional career with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Russian Superleague before being drafted by the Kings. He was assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL, where he recorded eight goals and 23 points in his rookie season and improved to 29 points the following year. He was selected to the 2011 AHL All-Star Game.

Voynov scored his first and second NHL goals on 27 October 2011 against Kari Lehtonen of the Dallas Stars. In the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, he set a Kings record for most goals by a defenceman in one playoff season, scoring his fifth in game three of the Western Conference final against the Chicago Blackhawks. On 18 June 2013, he signed a six-year, $25 million contract extension with the Kings.

Arrest and suspension

On 20 October 2014, Voynov was arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence charges against his wife Marta Varlamova and suspended indefinitely by the NHL. The Los Angeles County prosecutor later charged him with one felony count of corporal injury to a spouse with great bodily injury. Voynov pleaded not guilty on 1 December 2014.

At a hearing, an officer testified that Varlamova told police Voynov punched, kicked, and choked her, and that her face was cut after he pushed her into a flat-screen television. Voynov's attorney claimed the police misunderstood Varlamova, who does not speak English, and maintained she fell. On 2 July 2015, Voynov pleaded no contest to a reduced misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, three years of probation, and ordered to attend counseling.

After his release, he was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and elected to return to Russia rather than face deportation proceedings. The Kings terminated his contract on 17 September 2015. His misdemeanor conviction was dismissed on 2 July 2018, the day his probation ended.

Return to Russia

Voynov returned to Russia and signed with SKA Saint Petersburg, winning a Gagarin Cup in 2017. He later played for Avangard Omsk, HC Dynamo Moscow, Ak Bars Kazan, and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, where he captained the team to the playoffs in the 2024–25 season.

International play

On 25 June 2025, he returned to Avangard Omsk on a one-year contract. Internationally, he played for Russia at the World Under-18 Tournament, World Junior Tournament, 2014 Olympics, 2016 World Championship, and won a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. He was named to the roster for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Reader's Guide

Voynov's legacy with the Los Angeles Kings is defined by his on-ice success and the abrupt end of his NHL career due to his arrest and suspension for domestic violence. He was a key defensive contributor to two Stanley Cup championships, setting a franchise playoff record for goals by a defenceman in 2013. His six-year, $25 million contract extension reflected his value to the team.

However, his arrest in October 2014 on domestic violence charges led to an indefinite NHL suspension, a felony charge, and ultimately a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor. The Kings attempted to circumvent his suspension by having him attend a team practice, resulting in a $100,000 fine. Voynov's contract was terminated in September 2015 after he chose to return to Russia rather than face deportation.

The NHL later suspended him for the entire 2019–20 season and the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, a suspension upheld by an independent arbitrator but reduced to 41 games. The Kings announced they had no intention of playing him again. Voynov continued his career in the KHL, winning a Gagarin Cup and earning multiple All-Star selections, but his NHL tenure remains a cautionary chapter in league history regarding domestic violence policy.