NHL lifts suspension, reinstates Henry Samueli as owner of Anaheim Ducks

Henry Samueli leaves the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif. after a hearing Monday, June, 23, 2008. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Nick Ut)

NEW YORK - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reinstated Henry Samueli as owner of the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, lifting a ban imposed two summers ago after the billionaire philanthropist's guilty plea to a felony count of lying to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Samueli's wife Susan also returned to active status as co-owner of the Ducks. She had relinquished her role to "avoid any possible improper appearance."

Ducks CEO Michael Schulman ran the club in their absence.

"We welcome Henry and Susan Samueli back as fully reinstated owners and members of the NHL community," Bettman said in a statement.

Samueli was suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Ducks and the NHL on June 24, 2008.

Samueli, co-founder of the chipmaker Broadcom Corp., entered the guilty plea after a U.S. federal probe into illegal stock option backdating at Broadcom.