New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller is facing a possible suspension from the NHL after he was ejected for spitting at Los Angeles Kings star Drew Doughty.
The Rangers beat the Kings 5-2 on Sunday night, with Vincent Trochek stealing the show with two goals and one assist to end a run of four-straight defeats. But one Rangers star that didn't see out the game was Miller, who was handed a game penalty for spitting at Doughty.
The incident occurred during the first period of the game, and Miller and Doughty came face-to-face while a scrum formed between the two teams. Miller was instantly ejected as it appeared as though he spat in the face of his opponent, and could face further repercussions.
Miller has apologised following the incident and claimed he reached out to Doughty after the game. He also stated that it was purely accidental. He wrote on Twitter: "I wanted to take a moment to address what occurred in last night's game. I have all the respect in the world for Drew Doughty and what happened was completely accidental.
"I would never intend to do something like that on purpose, it goes against everything I am as a person and player. I felt awful about it and I am thankful Drew gave me the opportunity to apologize and explain myself in person after the game."
Fans didn't exactly buy his apology though. "That's inexcusable," one fan said when seeing footage of the incident online. "100 percent intentional. He’s looking right at him," another added amid claims it wasn't done on purpose.
It's out of character for Miller, as the 23-year-old is known for being one of the nice guys in hockey - before this incident came to light. Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant felt bad for his player after the game, but didn't try and play it off as if nothing happened.
"I didn’t see nothing," coach Gallant said when asked about the incident after the win. "Obviously, it happened, I’m not saying it didn’t happen. The kid feels bad about it, and said it was an accident."
Accident or not, Miller may receive further punishment as there is an automatic review by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on all match penalties. Depending on how Bettman sees the incident, he may miss more than just the 43 minutes he was absent for on Sunday night.
In a similar incident, Garnet Hathaway was suspended for three games after spitting in a game in November 2019, while he was at the Washington Capitals. However, this was done during a fight with Erik Gudbranson, with no argument over whether it was intentional.
Hathaway not only sat out for three games, he was suspended without pay and forfeited $24,193 to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. "It's something you just don't do in our game, and he did it," Gudbranson said after being on the receiving end of his antics.
