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New York Rangers' defenseman K'Andre Miller was given a match penalty and ejected from the team's win against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday after spitting at Los Angeles Kings' blueliner Drew Doughty.
Miller apologized for his actions on Monday afternoon, but the incident still earned him a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety for “unsportsmanlike conduct.”
“I wanted to take a moment to address what occurred in last night's game,” Miller wrote on Twitter. “I have all the respect in the world for Drew Doughty and what happened was completely accidental.”
K'Andre Miller has been awarded a match penalty for spitting on Drew Doughty. pic.twitter.com/bNY5fp63Tx
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 26, 2023
The Rangers were forced to play the rest of the game with just four defenseman, but still found a way to defeat the Kings 5-2 on Sunday.
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“I would never intend to do something like that on purpose, it goes against everything I am as a person and a 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,” Miller concluded.
Doughty spoke about the ejection after the game, saying that Miller's actions caught him off guard, although he was unsure of the intent.
“I was just shocked obviously,” Doughty explained, according to TSN. “I don’t even know if I said anything to him after. You don’t want to see things like that in this game. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that. I’m sure it has happened, not that I’ve seen. It’s unfortunate. Whether or not he meant to do it, I have no idea. It’s pretty big loogie on my face, so I was pretty [upset].”
It remains to be seen whether Rangers' K'Andre Miller will get suspended for the spitting, but it seems likely given his hearing this week. The 23-year-old has scored six goals and 30 points in 60 games for the Blueshirts this year.
