The National Hockey League suspended Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli from being involved with the team after the billionaire pleaded guilty on Monday to lying to federal investigators about his involvement in stock options backdating at Irvine chipmaker Broadcom Corp.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that Samueli had “been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Ducks and the National Hockey League. While Mr. Samueli has been an exemplary owner, we hold NHL personnel to the highest standards and this plea requires the imposition of discipline under league rules.”
Samueli co-owns the team with his wife, Susan. She voluntarily agreed to take a suspension alongside her husband.
The Samuelis are allowed to attend Ducks games, but they may not be involved in any team matters or activities during the suspension, the league said.
The NHL has yet to determine how long the Samuelis are set to be suspended.
The group said that their status is under review until Aug. 18, the date that Samueli’s set to be sentenced by a Santa Ana judge,who can either accept, amend or reject the plea deal outlined on Monday.
Samueli is set to pay more than $12 million in fines to the Securities and Exchange Commission and will serve a sentence of up to five years probation, according to the initial plea agreement.
The NHL said it will also explore “any other action that may be deemed appropriate,” but didn’t specify what those actions could be.
Samueli’s spot will be temporarily filled by Michael Schulman, the team’s chief executive and an NHL alternate governor.
The Samuelis bought the Ducks from the Walt Disney Co. three years ago for an estimated $70 million. They’ve helped restyle the team with its new name, logo, colors and jersey.
The Ducks won their first Stanley Cup championship last year.
Samueli stepped down last month from his post as chairman and took a leave of absence from being Broadcom’s chief technical officer after the SEC charged him and other current and past executives with a “massive fraud scheme” to backdate stock options.
