(Reuters) - St. Louis Blues forward Chris Stewart has been suspended three games for a "reckless" hit from behind during a recent game with the Detroit Red Wings, the National Hockey League (NHL) said on Wednesday.

Stewart was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for shoving Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall into the boards during the first period of Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Red Wings.

"The onus is on Stewart to avoid this hit completely or at the very least, minimize it," league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan said in a video posted on the NHL's website.

"This reckless shove is a clear violation of the boarding rule."

Shanahan said the league took into consideration that Stewart had no prior history of supplemental discipline during his four-year NHL career and Kronwall suffered no apparent injury on the play.

Stewart, who has five points in 17 games this season, will be eligible to return for the Blues' November 23 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Julian Linden)