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Originally Posted by Beatle17
The Kings aren't spinning this. Voynov was suspended by the league, the Kings had no option until he applied for reinstatement. He never applied so the Kings couldn't suspend/cut him if they tried. Voynov realized he was going to be deported by the government so never even applied thru the NHLPA for reinstatement and seems to have accepted his fate and is going home.
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Bull####. They had ample opportunity to make their "position" known over the last couple months. They didn't.
If it was actually the Kings stance to severe ties with Voynov they could have made it known months ago. They may not have been able to go into detail, they could have let media speculation on whether - when the time came - it would be a trade, waivers, sitting him out and buying out the contract at the end of the season, terminating the contract, whatever, but the Kings could have made it known that he played his last game as a member of the Kings. If anything they did the exact opposite after they were fined for having Voynov participate in practice.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/s...actice-update/
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Lombardi initially refused comment to Kings reporters, but the L.A. Times' Lisa Dillman reported that there was no change in Voynov's status and that Lombardi believed it would be beneficial for Voynov to be around his teammates.
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Now this was before he made his no-contest plea, but it very clearly indicates that Lombardi thought of Voynov as part of the team and have every intention of having him play if possible.
Instead they took the most politically correct route of pretty much repeating that domestic violence is bad and they don't like it. They never made any indication that Voynov was no longer welcomed as a member of the Kings...well until it was already established that he would not be returning. Coincidentally the day before they were going to terminate his contract (which is weird because he was still suspended by the league....)
