The Kings said that they "support the NHL's decisive move" to suspend D Slava Voynov for his alleged domestic violence incident, "even though Voynov has not been charged by authorities," according to Elliott & Dillman of the L.A. TIMES. Kings coach Darryl Sutter yesterday said, "Absolutely, it's very appropriate." Elliott & Dillman note the NHL is operating in a "new landscape following the NFL's perceived mishandling of its players' domestic violence incidents." The NHL "charted a new path by immediately suspending Voynov, though he's being paid." His salary "counts against the Kings' cap total." Kings GM Dean Lombardi said that he is "trying to understand the impact" of the ruling, and that he "requested clarity on matters" from the league such as salary cap latitude and how long Voynov's suspension could last. But Lombardi said that the Kings "do not dispute the NHL's action in suspending Voynov, a sanction that might not have been imposed in the past, when some player-related incidents were less likely to become public." Lombardi: "To say I'm surprised that they acted that way, no. Do I think it's inappropriate? No, and the danger of saying that -- he hasn't been proved guilty -- but that's clearly the way leagues are headed right now, that the charge itself is enough to take action, where in the past it wasn't" (L.A. TIMES, 10/22). In N.Y., Billy Witz notes Sutter yesterday was met by a group of "about 20 members of the news media -- far more than typically attend practice." Sutter "answered most questions tersely and revealed little, until the last one, when he was asked if he had spoken to his players about domestic violence." He responded, "I’m sure you talk to your children about things that happen. A lot of these players are like children to me" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/22).
ACTION, OR REACTION? In California, Steve Fryer writes the NHL is "getting serious about this only because of the PR damage the NFL sustained for its inaction." The NHL has "looked the other way on domestic violence for decades" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/22). In Philadelphia, Sam Donnellon writes the NHL "wasn't facing the same kind of PR nightmare" the NFL was. Kings D Drew Doughty in '12 had "sexual assault allegations" in California, but "charges were not brought." The NHL's "tolerance for such behavior is well-documented earlier than that." But that "doesn't make the NHL any worse than the other professional leagues," it just "means that its actions this week are really nothing to applaud about" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 10/22).
