Avalanche goalie
Semyon Varlamov on Friday was
formally charged by Denver District Attorney
Mitch Morrissey with one count of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident Oct. 30.
If convicted, Varlamov could face up to two years in county jail.
Varlamov was arrested on second-degree kidnapping, a Class 4 felony, and assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend,
Evgeniya Vavrinyuk, at their Denver home. He turned himself in after practicing with the Avalanche that day and spent the night in a Downtown Denver Detention Center cell.
The kidnapping charge was dropped.
Third-degree assault is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Colorado and is defined as such:
A person commits the crime of assault in the third degree if the person knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another person or with criminal negligence the person causes bodily injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon. Assault in the third degree is a class 1 misdemeanor and is an extraordinary risk crime.
Varlamov had a court appearance Oct. 31 during which he was given permission to travel with the team. He was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend and not to have any contact with her. He was released from custody on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Denver County Court on Dec. 2.
The Avalanche released the following statement Friday: "The Colorado Avalanche organization was informed about today's decision from the Denver District Attorney's Office and will have no further comment until the entire legal process has concluded."
The NHL released this statement:"We are aware of the decision made by the Denver District Attorney's Office today to pursue misdemeanor assault charges against Avalanche Player Semyon Varlamov. While we will continue to monitor the situation, we do not expect to take any action or have any further comment pending the resolution of those charges."
The Avalanche is in Los Angeles for Saturday night's game against the Kings at Staples Center.
Varlamov made 41 saves Thursday in the Avalanche's 4-3 overtime win against Phoenix. He has a 11-5-0 record with a 2.23 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.
Varlamov made 27 saves in a 3-2 overtime win in Dallas on Nov. 1, the day after he left court and traveled with the team.
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • 
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