Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman was suspended for 10 games Monday for roughing Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle by driving him face-first into the ice following a faceoff.
Hartman was assessed a match penalty for intending to injure Stutzle on the play during Minnesota’s 6-0 loss at Ottawa on Saturday. The action left Stutzle bloodied with a cut above his eyebrow.
On Sunday, the NHL offered Hartman an in-person hearing, which indicated it was weighing a suspension of six or more games. The league said Hartman had his hearing Monday via Zoom.
In part because Hartman is a repeat offender — four prior suspensions and seven fines — he incurred the longest suspension for an on-ice incident since Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals was banned 20 games in 2018, later reduced to 14 by an arbitrator.
“Hartman contends that he is attempting to use his hand to regain his balance using Stutzle for support, and that their fall to the ice is accidental,” a Player Safety official said in an explanation video. “We disagree.”
The department determined that Hartman tried to “take advantage of a vulnerable player in an unacceptable fashion,” intentionally using his arm and body weight to drive his opponent’s head into the ice.
The Player Safety official noted that counting regular season and playoffs, Hartman averaged one supplemental discipline every 60 games of his career.
Hartman has 48 hours to appeal the suspension. If it stands, he won’t be eligible to return until March 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the NHL will pause for the 4 Nations Face-Off for two weeks in February.
Hartman has 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 48 games this season. In 11 NHL seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks (2014-15 to 2017-18), the Nashville Predators (2017-18 to 2018-19), the Philadelphia Flyers (2018-19) and Minnesota (2019-20 to present), he has 135 goals and 160 assists in 628 games.
–Field Level Media
