Dino Ciccarelli of the Minnesota North Stars...

Dino Ciccarelli of the Minnesota North Stars testified that he was acting in self-defense in an incident during an National Hockey League game for which he was charged with assault.

Ciccarelli said in a Toronto provincial court that he had “definitely no intention” of injuring Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Luke Richardson during the game last January.

Richardson, 19, was not injured, but Ciccarelli, 28, was ejected and later was given a 10-game suspension. Ciccarelli testified that he struck Richardson on the side of his helmet after Richardson cross-checked him in the second period.

Ciccarelli said that he hit Richardson twice more during the incident, which lasted only a few seconds.

But he said the second strike was “a brush blow” that made little contact, and that the third was a blow to Richardson’s face intended mainly to send him a message. He used his glove on the third blow.