Slava Voynov skated with the LA Kings on Tuesday. That is a problem.
Voynov on Monday pleaded not guilty on felony domestic abuse charges. He'd been suspended by the league since his arrest in late October.
In a previous email to the Orange County Register, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Voynov working out with a Kings assistant coach was “permissible under the terms of the suspension. He is prohibited only from participating in team activities (practices and other mandatory or optional team functions).”
In other words, involving Voynov, in any capacity, seems to have violated the terms of his suspension. The team apparently considered the practice optional, even though every player took part.
Kings’ defense for Voynov skate is basically, “It was optional and he just went on a little earlier than usual.” We’ll see if NHL agrees.
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) December 2, 2014Coincidental or not, based on Daly's email, it's irrelevant. Nothing mandatory, nothing optional.
Let's look at the ramifications on two different fronts.
First, the NHL on Nov. 21 ruled, after lobbying from the Kings and GM Dean Lombardi, that Voynov's $4.1 million cap hit could come off the books. That provided the team with financial flexibility it seriously needed; while carrying Voynov's salary, the Kings were forced to play shorthanded solely to avoid reaching the salary limit.
That provision has to be in jeopardy right now; no other part of Voynov's original suspension was altered, and the league didn't technically need to give LA any relief whatsoever. Letting Voynov skate, especially if they didn't clear it with the league, is a tactical error. A potentially brazen one, at that.
Just got on the ice early - DL thought it would be good for Voynov to be around teammates for the day
— lisa dillman (@reallisa) December 2, 2014UPDATE: The league fined the Kings $100,000. They apparently keep the cap relief. The last $100,000 fine came in 2013, when the Sharks GM Doug Wilson criticized the league's decision to suspend forward Raffi Torres during the playoffs for an illegal hit against, coincidentally, Kings forward Jarret Stoll. The team, not Wilson, picked up the tab.
Secondly, it shouldn't have happened at all. He was suspended for a reason. Voynov, again, has been arrested and charged with felony assault. Both he and his wife have said he didn't deliberately injure her back on Oct. 20, and that's worth noting. Also worth noting: It's far less simple than that.
There's an obligation on everyone involved in professional sports — teams, leagues, players, media, fans, whoever — to treat all instances of domestic violence with extreme care. The situation is certainly a lot bigger than Voynov, the Kings and the salary cap.
The NHL's initial response — suspending Voynov immediately — was a great start, as was the team's support of the decision. On Tuesday, whether by oversight or not, the Kings took a step back. Whether the league makes them pay or not remains to be seen, but it was a disappointing mistake, no matter what.