The NHL announced on Saturday that Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov has been suspended for three regular season games, without pay, for what the league is calling “inappropriate conduct.”
In late August, Kuznetsov was given a four-year ban from the IIHF after testing positive for cocaine at the 2019 World Championships. That ban came just months after a now-deleted social media video surfaced that included Kuznetsov in a hotel room with white powder on a nearby table.
Kuznetsov met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman this week to discuss the failed test. That meeting resulted in the three-game suspension.
The NHL also announced that Kuznetsov informed the league he will not be appealing the suspension.
Kuznetsov released a statement, via the Capitals:
Kuznetsov will miss games against the St. Louis Blues, New York Islanders, and Carolina Hurricanes.
He will be eligible to make his 2019-20 debut on Oct. 8 against the Dallas Stars.
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.