BOSTON — Ryan Hartman was suspended 10 games Monday night by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for roughing.
The veteran Wild winger had a Zoom hearing with the league Monday after being assessed a match penalty for pushing Ottawa Senators’ Tim Stützle’s face into the ice after a faceoff during Saturday’s 6-0 loss.
The fact Hartman was offered an in-person hearing meant the NHL had the option to suspend him for six or more games. This is Hartman’s fifth suspension and his history played a part in the length of the ban. Additionally, Hartman has also been fined seven times — the last being a cross-check into the teeth of the Jets’ Cole Perfetti off a faceoff last season in retaliation for Brendan Dillon cross-checking and hurting Kirill Kaprizov a game earlier.
With the 4 Nations break coming up next week, Hartman won’t be eligible to return until Mar. 9. He’s losing $487,804.90 in salary.
Hartman has 48 hours to decide whether he wants to appeal to commissioner Gary Bettman. If he does and Hartman still receives a suspension of six or more games, it would go to an independent arbitrator. It is still being discussed tonight and tomorrow whether he will appear, a source lose to Hartman told The Athletic.
“It’s important to note that this is not a hockey play,” the NHL Department of Player Safety said in a video. “Hartman contends he’s attempting to use his hands to regain his balance using Stutzle for support and their fall to the ice is accidental. We disagree… (Hartman) takes advantage of a vulnerable player in an unacceptable manner.”
As for reasoning behind the large suspension, the NHL Department of Player Safety noted that players who repeatedly violate league rules should be more severely punished. They bring up how Hartman has been fined seven times and suspended five times, “assessed discipline roughly every 60 games,” and that this is his fourth suspension since April 2023.” That means Hartman has been considered a repeat offender for three straight suspensions.
Hartman plays the game with an edge, it’s part of what’s made him successful, but coach John Hynes hopes there’s something to be learned and taken away from this latest experience.
“I think just understanding the moments you’re in,” Hynes said. “Understanding that, when you get into some situations where emotions get high. The game is emotional. It’s hard. It’s a difficult thing to be able to do, especially for a guy like him. He’s pretty competitive. And I think when you can get caught in sometimes, you’ve got to remain competitive and play on the edge and bring what you bring as a player. But sometimes you’ve got to take a deep breath too, try to do the right thing.”
Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman has been suspended for ten games for roughing Ottawa’s Tim Stützle. https://t.co/BlPfYB9dqo
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) February 4, 2025
What happened?
The Wild were already losing 3-0 in Saturday’s game, and Hartman had issues with Stützle earlier in the game. The Senators star gave him a double-hand slash, which ended up being a penalty, but Hartman was also called for embellishment on the play.
On a faceoff at the end of the second period, Hartman shoved Stützle’s face into the ice. The Senators forward returned to the game and played 4 minutes, 10 seconds in the third period.
“What happened is that I just hit my face off the ice,” Stützle said after Saturday’s game. “We were going at it there before. Yeah, I don’t know, I didn’t see the replay yet.”
Senators coach Travis Green said, “you never like to see a play like that. It’s not a lot of place for that in the league.
Ryan Hartman was given a match penalty for attempt to injure on this play with Tim Stützle 🫣
pic.twitter.com/n0rqC1yx47— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) February 2, 2025
The Hartman penalty put his team in a bind, as the Senators scored three times in the five-minute major en route to their blowout win.
What’s next for Hartman, Wild?
Hartman further puts himself on the radar of the NHL Department of Player Safety and makes him open to even longer punishments the next time he crosses the line.
Hartman’s last suspension was in April 2024. He sat for three games for tossing his stick in the direction of a referee. That also hit him in the wallet, as it put him in “repeat offender” status, meaning his lost salary for the upcoming suspension will be per game rather than per day.
I’m guessing this was the comparable that doomed Ryan Hartman. Not same play, but knee to head, “not a hockey play,” and NHL similarly showing they were tired of dealing w Burrows
Burrows suspended 10 games for altercation with Taylor Hall https://t.co/PNYqzq5lc9 via @YouTube
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 4, 2025
Hartman is in the first year of a three-year, $12 million contract. He carries a $4 million cap hit and makes $5 million this season. It’s been kind of a down season for Hartman, who has seven goals and 10 assists in 48 games, including a minus-8. He was even dropped to the fourth line for a game a week ago in Chicago, so this no doubt won’t help him get out of Hynes’ doghouse.
Hartman’s cap hit must remain on the books and he has to be part of the 23-player roster, so the Wild won’t have as much flexibility once Marcus Johansson returns from a concussion. Johansson and Jonas Brodin (lower body) rejoined the team for practice Monday in Boston and there’s a good chance they return Tuesday, Hynes said. Once Brodin and Johansson are ruled in, the Wild will have to make a roster move Tuesday. They’d likely put Travis Dermott waivers to make room or reassign Ben Jones.
Hartman said entering the season that he realized eyes would be on him and he had to be smarter in certain situations. But he also didn’t plan to fully change his game.
“I’m still going to be myself and continue to play hard,” Hartman said. “I’ve got to defend guys on our team. I’m not going to let guys take liberties with Kirill. A lot of issues I’ve had with player safety have to do with Kirill. A lot of those are defending our best player, and I’m not going to change that whatsoever.
“I want to be on the ice. I don’t want to be getting suspended and being out of the lineup and losing money. All of that sucks. I can’t let that deter me. Maybe I can be smarter in areas. The incident of throwing the stick on the ice after the loss, that’s very preventable. I’m going to play the same way, but maybe not be too out of control.”
(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
