Olympic Commentator Makes Light of Domestic Abuse

From Cosmopolitan

Former L.A. Kings hockey player Slava Voynov was convicted of domestic abuse in 2014 and indefinitely suspended from the National Hockey League. However, that didn't disqualify him from competing for Russia at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Since leaving the United States following the conviction, Voynov has played in the Kontinental Hockey League for SKA St. Petersburg, which receives substantial funding from Russian state gas company Gazprom. He rarely speaks in public and did not speak with media in South Korea this week despite repeated requests to team officials.

His teammates spoke out for him, however. "I know that he's a good player and obviously he deserves to be here," teammate Mikhail Grigorenko told The Associated Press after practice at the Games. "He's one of our leaders on defense, so I'm not surprised he's here. The around-hockey stuff, there's people that decide that."

"Slava Voynov is a good defenseman, really good player, and it's good," the former Vancouver Canucks forward Sergei Shirokov added.

And during a match Saturday, NBC commentator Mike Milbury lamented the conviction. "This guy was a special player," Milbury said, and his suspension "left a huge void in the Kings defense."

Milbury continued to argue Voynov's absence cost the Kings trophies, and that the "unfortunate incident left [the team] without a great defenseman."

Of course, that is misogynistic and awful, and Twitter reacted with an appropriate level of disgust.