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Charges will reportedly be pressed against KHL brawler

KHL

KHL club Red Star Kunlun will reportedly press charges against Astana Barys defenseman Damir Ryspayev, after Ryspayev went on what can only be described as a rampage during a preseason game in Kazakhstan on Monday.

Ryspayev has already been suspended indefinitely by the KHL. An update from the league’s English website:

The conflict was triggered by a snide punch by Barys forward Damir Ryspayev on Red Star’s Tomas Marcinko, which resulted in the Slovak forward requiring hospital treatment, and the disorder was exacerbated by continued aggressive behavior from Ryspayev toward members of the opposing team.

The League imposes the strictest punishments in cases of serious foul play, particularly of the kind which results in injury to opposing players, and also notes that Ryspayev has been a serial offender in this regard, in spite of previous disciplinary sanctions from the League and a stern warning issued to the player in January of this year.

As a result of yesterday’s events, Damir Ryspayev is provisionally banned from participating in any game held under the auspices of the KHL, including preseason friendlies. A final decision on Ryspayev’s fate will be taken in due course, after the League has received and scrutinized all material and evidence related to the incident.

Red Star Kunlun -- based in Beijing, China -- only just joined the KHL for the 2016-17 season. It remains to be seen what will come of the team’s decision to press charges against Ryspayev.