May is sorry injury occurred

Ducks winger Brad May expressed remorse Thursday for injuring Minnesota Wild defenseman Kim Johnsson with a punch in Game 4 of the Western Conference first-round series, but the veteran did not apologize for his actions.

May was suspended for the next three playoff games by the NHL for hitting Johnsson in the face as a skirmish was developing a few feet away. Johnsson was released from a St. Paul-area hospital Wednesday.

“I hope he’s OK, number one,” May said before Game 5. “We play this game to win the Stanley Cup, to play with passion and emotion for your team. Outside of that, you never want to hurt yourself or an opposing player. You never want to see that happen.”

May would not have played again against the Wild, even if the series had extended to seven games.

Because the Ducks won Thursday night, his suspension will extend into the conference semifinals.

“The league felt that it was a suspendable offense,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said. “We abide by the rules and the penalty that the league hands out. They made their decision.”

It isn’t the first time May, 35, has gotten in trouble with the league. While playing for the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000, the forward was suspended 20 games for a stick-swinging incident against Steve Heinze, then a forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

May said he didn’t know it was Johnsson who was skating over to a pileup that initially involved the Ducks’ Shawn Thornton and Kent Huskins and the Wild’s Adam Hall. Johnsson isn’t considered to have a reputation for fighting.

“I’ve seen situations where guys jump into piles and people get hurt,” May said. “I’ve been a part of that, I’ve been at the bottom of those things. That’s what it was.

“I didn’t hit an unsuspecting player. We were face up. Unfortunately, if I’m guilty of anything, it would be that I threw the first punch.”

When asked whether he regretted throwing the punch, May said, “I’m here to win and do the best for my team. Regrets? I have one regret and it’s not from what I did. People may not read this properly, but I swear this is from my heart. I hope Kim Johnsson is OK. That’s all.”

Minnesota players were livid over the incident and their disdain for May hasn’t subsided.

Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard called May a “mush-head who’s not going to fight me, so he picks on somebody who’s never going to fight.”

May said he realizes he has incurred the Wild’s wrath.

“I respect Kim Johnsson and I respect his teammates,” May said. “I respect Derek Boogaard, who said that I have no respect for people. And I understand their animosity and anger directed toward me. I accept that and I understand it.”

The Ducks say they have put the incident in the past.

“It’s all about winning,” winger Teemu Selanne said. “All that other stuff that happened, it goes away. It’s only hockey we’re thinking about and winning the game. Nothing else.”

Said May, “I never, in one moment, wanted to hurt somebody to take the opportunity of playing from them away.”

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Despite saying that he felt worse after Thursday’s morning skate, Francois Beauchemin returned to the Ducks’ lineup after missing Game 4 because of an illness.

The defenseman is still recovering from being hit with a deflected shot in Game 3 that left him with a missing tooth and several stitches to close a cut near his jaw.

Beauchemin acknowledged he felt weaker Thursday morning than when he skated through a full practice Wednesday.

“I don’t know if it’s because of all the medication I’m taking,” he said.

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Three days after being called up from the minor leagues, Drew Miller made his NHL debut for the Ducks when he took May’s place on the fourth line.

Miller was a sixth-round pick in the 2003 draft. In his first season at the Ducks’ American Hockey League affiliate, he had 16 goals and 20 assists in 79 games.

eric.stephens@latimes.com