New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller was suspended for three games for spitting in the face of an opposing player, the NHL’s department of player safety announced Tuesday.
Miller received a match penalty at 16:37 of the first period for spitting on Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty in a game Sunday. A match penalty triggers an automatic review from the NHL, which handed down the suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“Whether or not he meant to do that, I don’t know,” Doughty told reporters after the game. It was a pretty big loogie on my face, so I was pretty pissed.”
Miller apologized in person to Doughty later after the game and posted an apology to social media, adding the spitting was “completely accidental.”
Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant also told reporters Miller “feels bad about it.”
Former Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway was suspended for three games for spitting on then-Anaheim Ducks defenseman Erik Gudbranson in 2019.
The loss of Miller will leave the Rangers, who are already without injured defenseman Ryan Lindgren, shorthanded for a stretch of games that includes a road match against the NHL-best Boston Bruins on Saturday.
The Rangers have also been rumored to be in talks with the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire star forward Patrick Kane before Friday’s trade deadline.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: K’Andre Miller suspended for spitting on Drew Doughty in Rangers game