Ducks’ Pronger suspended

Two days after it appeared that he would not be punished for stomping on the leg of Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler, Ducks captain Chris Pronger was suspended for eight games by the NHL on Saturday after another review of the incident.

Pronger learned of his suspension during practice at the Honda Center before the Ducks’ home game against the St. Louis Blues. He will not be eligible to play until April 6 at home against Phoenix in the team’s regular-season finale.

The Ducks did well in Pronger’s absence, at least for the first night anyway, as Rob Niedermayer ended a third-period tie with two goals to lead the team to a 5-2 victory over the slumping Blues for their ninth consecutive win at home.

Mathieu Schneider and Teemu Selanne also scored for the Ducks (41-25-8), who overtook Dallas for second place in the Pacific Division.

The incident that prompted Pronger’s suspension took place during the second period of Wednesday night’s 4-1 win by the Ducks. Pronger and Kesler became entangled along the boards behind the Anaheim net and as Kesler was on the ice, he wrapped his legs around the defenseman.

Pronger initially tried to pull his right leg out, but Kesler tightened his grip to keep him from escaping to move back up ice. An instant later, Pronger got his leg free and forcefully stepped on the lower part of the center’s left leg, which was protected by a shin pad.

After reviewing a second videotape Friday that showed a closer angle of the play, Colin Campbell, the NHL’s director of hockey operations, issued his ruling after a telephone hearing Saturday morning with Pronger, Ducks General Manager Brian Burke and Pronger’s agent, Pat Morris.

“In attempting to free himself, Pronger carelessly and recklessly brought his foot down,” Campbell said in a statement.

It is the eighth time that Pronger has been suspended and the longest he will serve in his 14-year career. Most recently, the 6-foot-6 defenseman was suspended for a game twice during last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs because of hits to the head.

After practice, Pronger was apologetic for his actions.

His apologies were to “first, Ryan Kesler. Second, the Vancouver Canucks organization. Third, the Anaheim Ducks organization. And the National Hockey league and the fans. They obviously deserve an apology as well.

“There’s no place for these types of incidents in our game and certainly one that the league does not condone, nor do I. Nor does our team. We may play an entertaining fire-brand style of hockey but there’s a line that needs to be drawn.”

Pronger will be docked $609,756 in salary, which will go to the NHL players’ emergency assistance fund.

Burke said Pronger crossed the line. But Burke also defended the way Pronger plays, which is physical and often on the edge of what is allowed.

“Virtually all of the time, he plays the game the way we want it played,” Burke said. “This particular action does not belong in our game. And he knows that and he’s responded appropriately.

“Does he have to change his game? Certainly this can’t be part of his repertoire or any other player’s. But as far as Chris, he’s a physical presence. He’s an integral part of this game. And I don’t know he can change that, nor should he.”

Defenseman Scott Niedermayer chose his words carefully when asked if he was disappointed in his teammate.

“I don’t think we’re happy about it,” Niedermayer said of the suspension. “It’s not something you want to have happen for sure. But, again, Chris is a guy that plays an intense game. And we know that. I’m sure he’s said this before that he’s not going to change the way he plays.

“I personally think the incident was a lot different than a lot of incidents that happen. It was just a quick reaction that could be viewed in many, many ways.”

Said goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere: “You know Pronger is a competitor and sometimes he gets emotionally involved in the game. These things happen. That’s not to defend what he did. But we’ll have to accept the consequences and move forward.”

Several skate blade incidents have occurred recently, giving rise to the dangerous nature of the sport. Most notably, Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik’s neck was accidentally slashed by a teammate’s skate in a Feb. 10 game against Buffalo.

Corey Perry, the Ducks’ leading scorer, suffered a partially severed tendon in his right leg March 6 when he was cut by the skate of Colorado Avalanche goaltender Jose Theodore.

Kesler was not injured on the play Wednesday and remained in the game.

“A skate blade is the most dangerous part of the equipment,” Kesler told the Vancouver Sun on Saturday before the Canucks’ game at Dallas. “You shouldn’t use it for something like that. I’m just fortunate nothing happened to me and I was able to keep playing.”

Asked by a reporter where deliberately stepping on an opponent with a skate blade ranks among hockey crimes, he said: “It’s top of the list.”

The incident has caused an uproar in Canada where fans have suggested that Pronger should have received a similar suspension to that of Chris Simon, who was hit with 30 games last season, the longest in NHL history, after he stepped on the leg of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu while playing for the New York Islanders.

Burke, the league’s disciplinarian before Campbell, says he believes this incident was ruled on its own merit.

“I think what’s happened here is [there’s] a lot of sensitivity to anything related to skates right now,” Burke said. “And I would have to hope to believe the NHL disregards any kind of outcry when they evaluate these things.”

--eric.stephens@latimes.com