Austin Watson's girlfriend, Jenn Guardino, clarifies incident

Jenn Guardino, the girlfriend of Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson and mother of their daughter, took responsibility on Saturday for a summer incident that led to a suspension for Watson.

Guardino prefaced her statement by extending compassion to victims of domestic violence and thanking her friends and family for their support, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"The incident that took place on June 16th, however, was not an act of domestic violence," Guardino added. "Austin Watson has never, and would never hit or abuse me. My behavior and state of intoxication led to the police being involved that day. I have struggled with alcoholism for many years and I am actively involved in (Alcoholics Anonymous).

"I am fortunate to have Austin's continued support with my treatment. We handled matters poorly on June 16th and know that we need to make better decisions going forward. I take full responsibility for my actions on that day. I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone involved for the negative attention that followed this incident, including the Nashville Predators community and the city of Nashville."

Watson was initially suspended 27 games in September, and an independent arbitrator later reduced the ban to 18 contests. He was arrested on a domestic violence charge in June, later pleading no contest.