MOSCOW, December 6 (R-Sport) – A Russian hockey star charged with domestic abuse in the US is sure he will be found not guilty and promised to reveal as-yet-unseen evidence, speaking to Russian newspaper Sport Express on Friday.
Semyon Varlamov, goaltender for the US team Colorado Avalanche, was charged last month in Denver with a count of third-degree assault after his girlfriend Yevgeniya Vavrinyuk alleged he knocked her to the ground, stomped on her chest and dragged her by the hair during an argument.
The Colorado Avalanche netminder, 25, is widely expected to feature on the Russian roster for February’s Olympics in Sochi.
“My lawyer’s the best person to answer this question, but to tell the truth, I’m sure that everything will be fine,” Varlamov was quoted as saying.
“No one’s heard my version yet or seen my evidence. Everyone gets a turn.”
The maximum punishment Varlamov faces if he is found guilty is two years in county jail, according to the Denver district attorney’s office. A separate accusation of kidnapping has been dropped.
The Russian’s next court date is January 22.
