Slovakian hockey player and 2004 draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, Ladislav Scurko, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Monday for murdering a hockey referee.

The prosecution in this case were looking for a minimum of 15 years, but instead Scurko was sentenced eight years, the minimum for such an offense.

Referee Marek Liptaj was found with multiple stab wounds on his body. Scurko claimed that Liptaj moved in with him after he lied about having cancer. After Scurko unraveled Liptaj lies, an argument ensued and ended with Scurko pulling out a kitchen knife and stabbing Liptaj multiple times.

Last year, Scurko claimed that he was tricked my local authorities into confessing to the crime.

Scurko had been playing for HK Slovan Gelnica and HK Trebisov in Slovakia. He also spent three years playing in the Western Hockey League with the Tri-City Americans and Seattle Thunderbirds. Scurko also played for Team Slovakia at two U18 and U20 World Championships.