The NHL Players’ Association announced on Wednesday that it has filed an appeal on behalf of Ryan Hartman after the Minnesota Wild forward was given a 10-game suspension for roughing.
Hartman had 48 hours from the league’s decision on Monday night to decide whether he would appeal the suspension for slamming an opponent’s head to the ice with his right forearm. This suspension is the longest for on-ice conduct in more than six years.
The first appeal will be reviewed by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who usually supports the decisions made by the Department of Player Safety and its vice president, George Parros. If Bettman upholds the suspension, Hartman can take his appeal to a neutral arbitrator.
As part of his fifth career suspension and fourth since 2023, Hartman will lose $487,805 in salary. He will get back more than $48,000 for each game his suspension is reduced, if that happens.
In 2018, Washington’s Tom Wilson got back six games’ worth of salary when his suspension was reduced from 20 to 14 games after appealing to an arbitrator.
Calgary Flames defenseman Brayden Pachal and Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) battle for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey gameHartman, 30, was initially given a match penalty for roughing Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle late in the second period of Saturday’s game.
“Hartman argues that he was trying to use his hand to regain his balance by leaning on Stutzle, and that their fall to the ice was accidental. We disagree,” Player Safety said in a video explaining the suspension. “With Stutzle bent low and focused on winning the faceoff, Hartman intentionally takes advantage of the vulnerable player in an unacceptable way.
He uses his forearm and body weight to drive Stutzle’s head into the ice from a height, which makes this move both dangerous and unacceptable.”
