Hartman fined by NHL Player Safety, admits that he high-sticked Perfetti on purpose

This just in, Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman has been fined approximately $4,400 for his high stick on Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti.

From NHL Player Safety:

This is the 7th... yes 7th... fine/suspension for Hartman from NHL Player Safety over his 9 year NHL career.

And here's the high stick in question:

It may look accidental but Perfetti himself told reporters that Hartman deliberately high-sticked him in the face as payback for the Brenden Dillon and Kirill Kaprizov play a day earlier. 

More from Jets insider Mike McIntyre:

Wow. Ryan Hartman flat out told Cole Perfetti he deliberately high-sticked him in the face as payback for the Brenden Dillon/Kirill Kaprizov play a day earlier.

Source: Cole Perfetti, just now, AND the microphone he was wearing in game that caught it all.

Rick Bowness just told me Cole Perfetti kept Ryan Hartman’s comments about deliberate high-stick to himself until after the game. Bowness says it would have been dealt with much differently had the team known during the game.

Cole Perfetti on Ryan Hartman high-sticking him:
"It sucks when guys are getting hurt on purpose."

On the mic'd up admission:
"He said it in kind of a respectful way. No disrespect, nothing against you, it had to happen for what happened to Kaprizov there."

"Kind of a weird thing to come out and admit it. He blatantly said it was for what happened (Saturday), even though I didn't even do anything in the play. I had nothing to do with it."

"We caught it all. I was mic'd up. I don't know if he realized that or not."
"We'll see him whenever we play him again down the road. We got the last laugh winning both games."

Mike McIntyre

Are we really surprised here, though?

Hartman has shown his true colors time and time again. And, honestly, I can't even hate him for it. The guy plays an old school brand of hockey and he'll get away with whatever the league and NHL Player Safety head George Parros allows him to get away with. If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'.