No suspension for Kings Dustin Brown | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The NHL will not suspend Kings captainDustin Brown, who had been ejected fromMonday night's game against the Minnesota Wildfor what was ruled an illegal check to the head.

That news was confirmed byRon Hextall, the Kings' assistant general manager.

Replays showed Brown struck the shoulder of Minnesota Wild forwardAntti Miettinen, however, and not the head. But refereeWes McCauleyhad called the NHL's new Rule 48, designed to punish illegal checks to the head, and that meant Brown also would be subjected to a suspension. But after closer scrutiny, the league ruled no suspension.

"If I'd hit him in the head, he'd probably be on the ice for a lot longer than he was," Brown said after the game."The league's looking at hits like that. I think that was a clean hit from top to bottom. Shoulder on shoulder. He's shooting the puck— he's in a vulnerable position maybe but I'm not going to not make that."

Brown's ejection came in the second period of what ended up a 3-2 shootout victory for the Kings. More later.

-- Helene Elliott in Chicago

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