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A 'drunk' sports star allegedly floored an air stewardess when she refused to top up his whisky - sparking an emergency landing.

Former Russian ice hockey player Oleg Saprykin jumped out of his seat on the flight from Sochi to Moscow, screamed at the attendant, before striking her on the head as she tried to calm him, it has been claimed.

She then fell to the floor and was "badly bruised", according to a report.

As a result, the pilot made an emergency landing in Voronezh, Russia, where 37-year-old Saprykin was detained.

In a video released by the Russian Interior Ministry, the sports star can be seen in only his underwear banging on a cell door and throwing broken furniture through the bars.

(Image: MIA/east2west news) (Image: MIA/east2west news)

He was later fined and released before flying back to Moscow with his wife and children on another flight.

The player - who had seven seasons in the NHL in North America and has homes in Phoenix and Moscow - was reported to have been intoxicated after New Year festivities in the Black Sea resort city.

On board an Aurora Airlines flight, he had demanded a top-up of whisky during the flight but the flight attendant refused, say reports.

Another video, released by the Russian Interior Ministry, then shows him shouting at flight crew in a foul-mouthed rant.

(Image: MIA/east2west news) (Image: MIA/east2west news)

A source at Voronezh airport told Interfax: “The passenger attacked the flight attendant with such force that she collapsed on the floor.

“The pilot then took a decision to interrupt the flight.

“As soon as the drunk man was detained, the plane continued the flight to Moscow.”

Reports say the flight attendant declined to file a complaint against the famous passenger - who has both Russian and Canadian citizenship.

“For this reason he could not be charged with hooliganism,” said a source.

(Image: Dmitry Petrov/Wikipedia) (Image: Sergei Bobylev/TASS)

Instead he paid a "small fine", say reports.

“It is unclear why she or the airline refused to file an official complaint for behaviour that warranted an emergency landing.”

One report said he had boasted to the airline crew and arresting officers of his "friends in Moscow".

Saprykin formerly starred for the Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes and Ottawa Senators.

The airline is a subsidiary of state carrier Aeroflot.