This defense may not hold up in court.
On Friday, Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov was formally charged with one count of third-degree assault after being involved in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend last month.
Varlamov now faces a Dec. 2 court date, which will likely dictate if his name will be included on Russia’s roster for the upcoming Olympics, but Team Russia’s general manager seems to believe it will be, citing his play on the ice as an indication of his innocence.
“Semyon’s in good form now, continuing to show that he’s one of the best goaltenders in the NHL and showing with his game that the truth is on his side,” Russian national team general manager Alexei Kasatonov said on the website of the SKA St. Petersburg KHL team, via R-Sport.
When pressed further on the domestic abuse charge, Kasatonov added, “that Varlamov “is not that kind of guy and would not be capable of such a dirty deed.”
Since turning himself in at the end of October, Kasatonov has appeared in nine games for the Avalanche, posting a 2.39 goals against average and a .922 save-percentage while going 5-4 during that span.
If convicted, Varlamov could face up to two years in prison.
