Ducks’ Enforcer Ewen Gets Three Games for Misconduct

The Mighty Ducks’ Todd Ewen has drawn an automatic three-game suspension for his part in a brawl against San Jose on Sunday, the NHL confirmed Monday.

The suspension was assessed because Ewen received his fifth game-misconduct penalty of the season. He has been suspended twice before by the league this season, for a total of three games.

The league issues an automatic one-game suspension after a player gets his third game-misconduct penalty, and increases the suspension by one game with each additional game-misconduct penalty.

Ewen served a one-game suspension Feb. 26 against Colorado for his third game-misconduct Feb. 25 against San Jose. He then served a two-game suspension in March after getting his fourth game-misconduct March 10 against the Kings. Game-misconduct penalties are called for such offenses as instigating a fight or joining a fight already in progress.

The Ducks acquired Ken Baumgartner at the trading deadline in part because of Ewen’s precarious position, which Coach Ron Wilson described as being “on the razor’s edge.”

Coincidentally, Ewen was going to Baumgartner’s aid Sunday as a fight between Baumgartner and Dave Brown spread. Ewen will sit out three of the Ducks’ final seven games, against Edmonton on Wednesday and Detroit on Friday, both at the Pond of Anaheim, and at San Jose on Sunday. In addition, the team was fined $1,000.

“This is why having two players in that role becomes valuable,” Baumgartner said. “It’s the heat of the battle. You often don’t have rational thoughts. That’s primal instincts coming to the forefront.”