Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov is being sued by his ex-girlfriend, Evgeniya Vavrinyuk, according to a recent report from TMZ Sports.
Vavrinyuk claimed in her lawsuit that Varlamov terrorized her for years and attempted to kill her last year while in a drunken rage.
Varlamov was arrested last October for allegedly assaulting Vavrinyuk, but charges were eventually dropped after prosecutors believed they couldn't prove the case at trial, according to The Denver Post.
"That's not to say we don't believe our victim," district attorney spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough said at the time, per the Post.
As the investigation continued, stories began to change and events became cloudy.
"Most of the time, additional investigation strengthens our case. This time ... it became clear we didn't have a belief we could prove it beyond a reasonable doubt," Kimbrough explained.
Now, Vavrinyuk has filed a lawsuit in Colorado claiming that Varlamov first attacked her in 2012 in what she deemed a "drunken animal rage," and that the abuse continued for years afterward.
In her suit, Vavrinyuk said some of the abuse occurred when they were living in Russia - but even when neighbors called police, "they refused to file any report or press charges due to Varlamov's celebrity hockey player status in Russia," according to TMZ.
"The officers even shook his hand and wished him the best of luck the following season after speaking to the beaten and bruised Vavrinyuk," her lawsuit claimed.
The final straw for Vavrinyuk apparently was the attack last year, when Varlamov allegedly came home from a party drunk and beat her mercilessly. Vavrinyuk claims a friend saw the resulting bruises and contacted police, which led to Varlamov's arrest, TMZ reported.
Vavrinyuk is seeking $1 million in damages, according to TMZ.
