Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov took to the stand in Denver District Court on Friday after being called to testify in a civil suit filed against him by former girlfriend, Evgeniya Vavrinyuk.
It's alleged that Varlamov kicked, beat, and dragged Vavrinyuk by the hair after a Halloween party on Oct. 28, 2013, and Vavrinyuk testified earlier in the trial that Varlamov said he could have killed her had they not been in the United States.
Varlamov gave his perspective on what transpired on Friday, saying Vavrinyuk complained he didn't pay her enough attention and accused him of having an affair. He also claimed to have restrained Vavrinyuk after she came after him in his apartment following the party, and that he never meant to inflict harm.
"I was scared because I could see she wanted to fight with me," he said during his testimony, according to The Denver Post. "I was not afraid of her, but I was afraid she wanted to fight. I tried to calm her down, but she was waving her hands. I really couldn't listen anymore. I stood up and went to the men's room. She ran after me."
On Thursday, Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy also testified, telling the court that Varlamov told him that when he arrived back at his apartment, Vavrinyuk confronted him and accused him of being with another woman. Roy was told she then began punching him, at which point Varlamov went into a bedroom and locked the door without retaliating.
"When he gave us his side, we were satisfied with his story because he had marks and we felt he was telling the truth," Roy said.
He also detailed his conversation with the goalie following his release from jail, and the coach's call for him to start that night.
"He started crying and said, 'I don't think I can play.' I said, 'Varly, I want you to go in there and lose the game for us.' I wanted him to know we were behind him."
Roy continued: "He said, 'I'm not going to lose the game.' I said, 'Go in and win for us.'"
Varlamov was arrested for kidnapping and assault back in October 2013, but the charges were dropped two months later due to a lack of definitive evidence. The civil suit was launched by Vavrinyuk in October 2014, claiming Varlamov had beaten his former girlfriend for years prior to the arrest.
The netminder missed Colorado's last two games prior to the All-Star break as a result of the trial.
