Max Domi of the Coyotes suspended one game for instigating a late-game fight with the Ducks’ Ryan Garbutt

The NHL suspended Max Domi of the Arizona Coyotes for instigating a fight with Ryan Garbutt of the Ducks in the final five minutes of Thursday’s game at Glendale, Ariz. Domi objected to a hard but clean check Garbutt laid on the Coyotes’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson late in the Ducks’ 5-1 victory. Domi pursued Garbutt and began punching him after catching up along the boards. Garbutt didn’t fight back but was given a fighting major. Domi was penalized for instigating the fight and ejected.

Domi forfeits  $4,641.58, with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Ducks forward Shawn Horcoff talks a little bit more about his 20-game suspension for PED use

Here’s more of what Ducks forward Shawn Horcoff said Tuesday about his 20-game suspension Jan. 26 by the NHL for using performance-enhancing drugs:

“The biggest thing was I wasn’t doing anything to try to enhance my performance. I had a legitimate injury. I think that’s the thing that frustrates me the most. People who are close to me know how much I care about the integrity of the game. This game has given me so much. I have so much respect for it, I would never do something like that. That was the thing I was fearful of the most, people having the wrong perception of what was going on.

“I wasn’t too worried because I knew there was a time when I could tell my story. I should have done my homework. I took it for granted that the stuff I was getting, the person who gave it to me, knew it was gong to be OK. That was my mistake. The league was very clear. They tell us all the time, ‘You’re responsible for what goes in your body.’ I paid the price for it, a steep price for it. You really got to know what you’re doing. It could be anything. Ultimately, it falls on you. You’re the one who’s going to pay the price for it.”

 

Ducks forward Shawn Horcoff returns to practice, takes the blame for his 20-game drug suspension

Ducks forward Shawn Horcoff returned to the Honda Center to resume practicing with his teammates Tuesday, the first day he was eligible to work out with them again after he was suspended for 20 games Jan. 26 under the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

He’s not eligible to play again until March 11, however.

Horcoff, 37, took full responsibility for taking a banned substance he said he used to treat a hand injury suffered in November. He wouldn’t name the substance or the person who gave it to him except to say it was someone outside the Ducks organization who he sought for help in aiding his recovery and rehabilitation.

“It was really hard to grasp the stick,” he said of his injury. “When I went out and got the treatment, I was unaware that the treatment I was getting was not permitted by the league. That was probably the most frustrating thing. That’s where I take full blame and full responsibility. I should have taken the time, personally, to look into what was going on, not just relying on the word of someone else. The league makes it very obviously you’re responsible for what goes in your body, first and foremost.

“I believe in the testing. But the emphasis is on the player. That’s the lesson I’ve learned in this. The league does a good job in educating us. Beware what goes in your body. Make sure who you’re working with that you trust and they know what the rules are. They do a good job. But you never really as a player think it’s going to happen to you until it does. It’s a hard lesson for me. I had to take full responsibility when it happened. I should have done my homework and I should have looked into it personally and known exactly what was going on.”

Horcoff had six goals and 10 points in 45 games before drawing a mandatory 20-game suspension.

Ducks general manager Bob Murray issues statement on Shawn Horcoff’s suspension

Ducks general manager Bob Murray had this to say Tuesday about Shawn Horcoff’s 20-game suspension for violating the NHL’s PED program: “This morning, we were made aware of the situation regarding Shawn Horcoff. The Anaheim Ducks organization fully supports the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. We will will continue to support Shawn as a player and a person throughout this process. We will have no further comment at this time.”

Horcoff, 37, scored six goals and 10 points, averaging 13:37 of ice time in 45 games. The Ducks are his third team during a 12-year NHL career.

NHL suspends Ducks forward Shawn Horcoff for 20 games for violating terms of performance-enhancing substances program

The NHL on Tuesday suspended Ducks forward Shawn Horcoff for 20 games for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. Horcoff also will forfeit $357,526.88 in pay, based on his salary.

The league declined further comment.

Kings left wing Milan Lucic suspended for Sunday’s game against Sharks (Video)

The NHL suspended Kings left wing Milan Lucic for Sunday’s game against the San Jose Sharks for roughing Kevin Connuaton of the Arizona Coyotes during the third period of Saturday’s game in Glendale, Ariz. Lucic was penalized for roughing and given a game misconduct at 6:55 of the third period of the Kings’ 3-2 loss.

In addition, Lucic will forfeit $32,258.06, based on his average salary.

Here’s the link to the NHL’s video explanation: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=799406&navid=DL|NHL|home

NHL suspends Ducks center Nate Thompson for three games

Ducks center Nate Thompson missed the season’s first 25 games after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery. He rejoined the lineup and recorded two assists in four games. Now he’ll be forced to sit out three more contests after the NHL banned him Monday for an illegal check.

Thompson was given a five-minute elbowing major and a game misconduct for a hit to the head of Justin Faulk of the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period of the Ducks’ 5-1 loss Friday at the Honda Center. Faulk was uninjured on the play and returned to the game.

Here’s the video explanation from the NHL: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=900508&lang=en

“I’m disappointed,” said Thompson, who will be eligible to return to the lineup for the Ducks’ game Dec. 22 against the New York Rangers, the final contest on a four-game trip that begins Thursday in Buffalo. “I get it. I understand the league has a job to do to try to protect the players.

“It’s unfortunate I have to sit out three games, but the league has to make their call and it’s a job they have to do. … I’m not going to judge the call they made. It’s a call they have to make. … They made the call and I have to serve the time.”

LA Kings suspend goalie prospect Patrik Bartosak after assault arrest

The Kings on Wednesday said they “suspended the contract of goaltender Patrik Bartosak” after he was arrested and charged with an alleged assault on his girlfriend in Manchester, N.H., on Monday. Bartosak faces one felony assault charge and several other misdemeanor charges, including assault, threatening and stalking. The Kings said in a statement:

“This morning our club suspended Patrik Bartosak for his actions resulting in his arrest in Manchester, N.H., on (Monday). We take this matter very seriously. Our response in this matter reflects our extreme disappointment, particularly given the programs we have instituted internally and the commitment our organization has made to educating our players on the prevention of domestic violence. This in the first step in an ongoing process as we continue to gather information related to this incident and monitoring the legal proceedings.”

The statement referred to a number of counseling efforts the Kings made during training camp in September, some of which are ongoing, after the arrest of three players during a nine-month span last season. Among those arrested was defenseman Slava Voynov, who served a 45-day jail sentence on a domestic violence charge last summer. Voynov severed ties with the Kings and the NHL and returned to his native Russia rather than face a deportation hearing.

 

 

Avalanche’s Tyson Barrie suspended three games for hit on Ducks’ Simon Despres

The NHL on Saturday suspended Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie for three games for charging and interference after a second-period hit on Ducks defenseman Simon Despres. Barrie will serve the first game of his ban Sunday against the Kings at Staples Center. Despres suffered a head injury and could not finish Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Avalanche. He’s also unlikely to play Sunday against the Minnesota Wild at the Honda Center.

Here’s the link to the NHL’s news release and the video: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=783699&navid=nhl:topheads