Ex-Kings defenseman Slava Voynov signs with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL

"Los Angeles Kings' Slava Voynov, of Russia, handles the puck during the second period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the St. Louis Blues, Wednesday, May 8, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)"

Slava Voynov signed a three-season contract Thursday with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, according to news reports from Russia. Voynov, a former Kings defenseman who severed ties with the team and the NHL after serving jail time last summer on a domestic violence charge, faced a deportation hearing when he returned to his native Russia voluntarily in September.

The Kings still hold the rights to Voynov and the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement would have to clear him before he could return to play in the NHL. He could join Russia in the World Cup of Hockey next fall, however. The games will be played in Toronto and Voynov would not need to pass into the U.S.

He remains suspended by the NHL, which banned him indefinitely after his arrest Oct. 20, 2014. He won Stanley Cup championships with the Kings in 2012 and ’14, and the team was prepared to terminate his contract before training camp in September. Voynov then departed for Russia voluntarily.

Voynov will begin practicing with SKA on Oct. 31, according to reports. The team’s next game is Nov. 10 against Dynamo Moscow.