Slovak Hockey Player Convicted of Murdering Referee, Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison

by Paige Allen on Tue, Jul 17, 2012 at 12:13AM

Former NHL draft pick Ladislav Scurko has been sentenced and convicted in the 2008 murder of referee Marek Liptaj.

Scurko was convicted and sentenced on Monday to eight years in prison, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Scurko originally confessed to the crime, claiming that Liptaj was living in his home and lying about having cancer. When Scurko found out about the lie, he attempted to get Liptaj to leave. The argument that ensued resulted in Scurko stabbing Liptaj multiple times with a kitchen knife. However, Scurko claimed last July that he had been tricked by local police and recanted the statement.

After spending more than two years in prison, the Philadelphia Flyers 2004 draft pick was released earlier this year while pending a new trial. While out of prison, Scurko signed and played with his hometown club HK Slovan Gelnica, a third division team in Slovakia.

Scurko's sentence of eight years is the minimum for such an offense.