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A former National Hockey League player forced a flight in Russia to make an emergency landing after he allegedly struck an attendant in the head.
According to RT.com, 37-year-old Kontinental Hockey League star Oleg Saprykin was sitting in the business class section of an Aurora Airlines flight between Sochi and Moscow in late December when the incident occurred.
When a flight attendant refused to give Saprykin more alcohol since he was reportedly intoxicated, he got out of his seat in anger and struck the female crew member in the head.
The attendant on the Moscow-bound flight was knocked to the ground and "badly bruised."
Video shared online allegedly showed Saprykin under the influence confronting the flight crew:
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Once Saprykin was taken into custody by police, the plane continued the flight to Moscow.
The attendant who was attacked declined to press charges, which means the former NHL player may only receive a small fine.
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Donald Wood is TravelPulse’s Managing Editor, bringing nearly 15 years of experience to the desk. He currently lives outside Philadelphia with his wife and two children.
