K'Andre Miller issues statement after spitting on Drew Doughty.

Miller speaks publicly.

Jonathan Larrivee
Jonathan Larrivee
Published 1 year ago
K'Andre Miller issues statement after spitting on Drew Doughty.
Frank Franklin II/AP

The National Hockey League was home to a very controversial incident on Sunday night, and it seems the fallout from that incident will unfold on Monday.

During a game between the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers, Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller was caught spitting in the face of Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. Not only was Miller caught in the act, but the cameras also caught the spit at Doughty which left no doubt about whether or not Miller had actually committed the infraction.

The NHL officials on the ice would review the incident, and quickly tossed Miller from the game for obvious reasons.

It would appear though that things may not be as cut and dry as they seem, at least that is what K'Andre Miller would like you to believe. On Monday, the Rangers defenseman publicly issued a statement about his actions on Sunday night, taking accountability for the incident but denying that the act had been an intentional one.

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 lam 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.

There was no onus on Miller to make such a statement nor to apologize to Doughty in person following the game, so at the very least it seems that he genuinely regrets what happened. Whether or not fans will be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt however will likely vary greatly based on your interpretation of the video.

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