On Monday night (Feb. 3), the Minnesota Wild‘s Ryan Hartman was assessed the NHL’s longest suspension since 2018. Due to both the illegal act he committed and his status as a repeat offender, the 30-year-old forward was suspended for 10 games.
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
As the final moments ticked off the second-period clock amidst a 3-0 deficit, Hartman’s frustrations got the best of him. He drove Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle’s head into the ice off of a face-off, which could have resulted in serious injury. It was not a hockey play, as deemed by the NHL Department of Player Safety (DPoS).
Hartman wasn’t suspended for 10 games because of the hit alone, though. “Players who repeatedly violate league playing rules shall be more severely punished for each violation,” states the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
While the extent to which the “more severely” rule applies is more so up to the discretion of the DPoS in each case, we can figure that Hartman’s penalty was significantly heftier due to his history. Across the 663 games he has played in both the regular season and playoffs, Hartman has received supplementary discipline on 11 occasions (seven fines, four suspensions). Since April 2023, this is his fourth suspension.
Considering the recklessness of the play and Hartman’s numerous run-ins with the NHL DPoS, they were forced to put the hammer down. He will forfeit $487,804.90 in salary.
The Wild, who are still without superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov due to a lower-body injury and subsequent surgery, will miss Hartman, too, for 10 of their remaining 29 games. They find themselves third in the Central Division standings despite having the league’s best record on Dec. 6. An 18-4-4 start has turned into a 13-14-0 record ever since—losing Hartman serves as another setback.
With the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off upcoming, Hartman’s return to hockey won’t come for a while. He’s eligible to come back on March 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xcel Energy Center.
