The NHL has reduced Minnesota forward Ryan Hartman’s suspension to eight games after the NHL Players’ Association appealed the ban.
The league announced Monday that Hartman’s suspension for roughing Ottawa’s Tim Stützle will be decreased by two games after commissioner Gary Bettman heard Hartman’s appeal at a Feb. 14 hearing.
Hartman was originally suspended 10 games on Feb. 3 after he received a match penalty for falling on top of Stützle and driving his head into the ice late in the second period of Ottawa’s 6-0 win over visiting Minnesota on Feb. 1.
In a written summary of his decision, Bettman said an escalation of seven games from Hartman’s prior suspension — a three-game ban for throwing his stick towards an official at the end of a March 30, 2024 game — was “not proportional.”
Ryan Hartman has been suspended for ten games for roughing Tim Stützle. <a href=”https://t.co/hDJJQrMMIl”>pic.twitter.com/hDJJQrMMIl</a>
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Bettman said a suspension of eight games should be a sufficient “wake-up call” for Hartman, who has been suspended five times and fined seven times, to change his behaviour.
Hartman’s contention he was using his hand to regain his balance and brace himself from falling was rejected by Bettman in his assessment posted by the league on Monday.
“There are thousands of faceoffs every NHL season and the fact that no prior incident has involved conduct of this nature confirms my conclusion that this was not simply an accident, but rather intentional conduct on the part of Mr. Hartman,” Bettman wrote.
The reduction in Hartman’s suspension means he should recoup around $96,000 US of the $487,805 in salary he was to forfeit as part of his latest suspension.
Hartman has served four games of his suspension and will be eligible to return March 4 against Seattle.
Hartman’s case was the first time in more than three years Bettman reduced a suspension on appeal. The last reduction was for Jason Spezza in Dec. 2021. That was the only other instance in the previous eight cases in which Bettman did not agree with the suspension length determined by the NHL’s department of player safety.
But he was firm in his stance that Hartman’s history, the vulnerability of Stutzle and the forceful and intentional nature of the contact warranted a long ban.
Ducks’ Zegras suspended 3 games
Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras has been suspended three games without pay for a hit to the head of Detroit’s Michael Rasmussen.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced the suspension for interference Monday after holding a disciplinary hearing with Zegras, saying it was a “late, high hit.” No penalty was called on the play late in the second period of the teams’ game Sunday.
“Players who are not in possession of the puck are never eligible to be checked,” the league said in a video explaining the suspension. “Contact is made outside the window where a check may be legally finished. In addition to the lateness, what causes this hit to rise to the level of supplemental discipline is the significant head contact on this play, combined with the force.”
Rasmussen left with injury and did not return. Coach Todd McLellan earlier Monday ruled the 25-year-old out for the Red Wings’ game Tuesday night at Minnesota, saying Rasmussen would not be traveling with the team.
It is Zegras’ first suspension since making his debut in the league in 2021. It will cost him $89,844 in salary.