League Suspends Salei for First Five Games

Ruslan Salei was suspended for five games and fined $1,000 on Friday for tripping Daniel Briere of the Phoenix Coyotes in Tuesday’s exhibition, leaving the Ducks’ defensive corps short-handed for tonight’s opener against the Washington Capitals.

Briere suffered a concussion after falling and hitting his head on the ice late in the second period of the Coyotes’ 6-0 victory. Salei, who knocked Briere’s feet out from under him after making a clean check, was not penalized.

“The actions by Salei were reckless and dangerous,” Colin Campbell, the NHL’s vice president of hockey operations, said in a prepared statement. “There can be no excuse for a player delivering this kind of hit on an opponent.”

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Veteran defenseman Doug Houda was traded to the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations.

Tonight

at Washington

4 PDT, Channel 9

Site--MCI Center.

Radio--KOGO 600.

Records (1997-98)--Ducks 26-43-13, Capitals 40-30-12.

Record vs. Capitals--1-1.

Update--Paul Kariya will play his first NHL game since he was sidelined for 28 games because of post-concussion syndrome Feb. 1. Teemu Selanne and Washington’s Peter Bondra, the NHL’s leading goal-scorers last season, meet head to head. Coach Craig Hartsburg makes his debut as the third Duck coach in as many seasons. Goaltender Guy Hebert’s status is uncertain because of a shoulder injury suffered in an exhibition Oct. 3 against Nashville. Washington Coach Ron Wilson, fired by the Ducks after leading them to their first winning season and playoff appearance in 1996-97, took the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup finals last season. The Capitals were swept by the Detroit Red Wings, but still managed to ignite a bit of hockey passion in Washington.