New York — Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway has been suspended three games for spitting on Anaheim’s Erik Gudbranson toward the end of a second-period brawl during Washington’s 5-2 win over the Ducks on Monday night.

Hathaway received a match penalty for spitting after he thought Gudbranson threw a sucker punch at him while the two were being held apart by an official. All match penalties carry an automatic suspension, pending review by the league office.

Players have been disciplined for spitting, or similar offenses such as licking or making threatening gestures in the past, but there wasn’t much precedent.

Hathaway had his hearing over the phone with the league Wednesday morning and the announcement came 6 1/2 hours before the Capitals’ game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

After Monday’s game, Hathaway admitted “spit came out of [his] mouth” after he got punched and it “went onto” Gudbrandon. He said he regretted the incident and said it had “no place in the game.”

“I regret doing it,” Hathaway said after the team’s Tuesday optional skate. “That’s the most I can say.

“I was pretty tied up and I felt like there was a third man and a fourth man in. I didn’t have any arms free and made an emotional decision that I wish I didn’t. But right now I am trying to move on from it and there is nothing that I can do but apologize.”

Hathaway’s match penalty occurred after Brendan Leipsic’s massive hit on Anaheim’s Derek Grant behind the Ducks’ net, which started a melee. Hathaway took on multiple Ducks players in the aftermath.

The NHL rule book states that “spitting on or at an opponent or spectator” could result in a game-misconduct penalty, and the NHL commissioner then has full power to impose any further penalty.

Without Hathaway for three games, including Wednesday night, the Capitals made a flurry of roster moves Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning to account for the looming suspension and a handful of injuries.

With Carl Hagelin (upper body) placed on long-term injured reserve, Nic Dowd (hand) on IR and Nicklas Backstrom (upper body, day to day) ruled out against the Rangers, the Capitals called up center Michael Sgarbossa, forward Beck Malenstyn, defenseman Tyler Lewington and goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek was assigned to the AHL affiliate in Hershey, Pennsylvania.