Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway was suspended three games without pay Wednesday for spitting on an opponent during a brawl in Monday’s game.
Hathaway missed Wednesday’s loss at the New York Rangers, followed by Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks and Nov. 27 against the Florida Panthers. He is eligible to return Nov. 29 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Hathaway told reporters after Wednesday’s loss that he did not plan to appeal the suspension.
The Capitals prepared for Hathaway to be suspended by moving Carl Hagelin to long-term injured reserve, placing Nic Dowd on the standard injured reserve for the day and called up four players, including forwards Beck Malenstyn and Michael Sgarbossa. Malenstyn is expected to make his NHL debut Wednesday and Sgarbossa will make his Capitals debut.
Hathaway was among up to six players involved in a brawl during the second period of Washington’s win over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. A referee was holding Hathaway and Ducks defenseman Erik Gudbranson to try to separate them when Gudbranson got in a late punch. Hathaway responded by spitting.
He later apologized for doing so, saying “it has no place” in hockey. Gudbranson said it was “about as low as you dig a pit, really.”
“I regret doing it,” Hathaway added Tuesday, before his hearing with the league Wednesday. “That’s the most I can say. My emotions, I was pretty tied up and I felt like there was a third man and a fourth man in and I didn’t have any arms free and made an emotional decision that I wish I didn’t. But right now I am trying to move on from it and there is nothing that I can do but apologize.”
Based on his salary, the spit cost Hathaway $24,193.53, which will be donated to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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