Ryan Hartman makes bold move after NHL slaps him with 10-game suspension

Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman was recently handed a 10-game suspension for his vicious play on Ottawa Senators’ Tim Stutzle, and on Wednesday, he’s decided to file an appeal regarding the NHL’s disciplinary decision to suspend him that long.

The NHLPA confirmed Hartman’s decision to appeal his ban:

On Saturday night, Hartman was involved in a pretty dirty play when he drove the head of Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle hard into the ice, doing so immediately after a face-off between the two men. This one looked pretty bad for Hartman who appeared to intentionally place his arm on the back of Stutzle’s head before driving it down into the ice with the full weight of his body behind it.

Stutzle’s head was busted open on the play, making things look even worse.

In case of the suspension being upheld by the league, 12% of his annual salary, in terms of $487,804.90, will not go towards him, but rather to the player’s emergency fund.

Hartman’s ban is the longest suspension for on-ice conduct since Washington Capitals’ Tom Wilson got 20 games in 2018 for an illegal check to the head. That was reduced to 14 games on appeal by a neutral arbitrator, though Wilson had already served 16.

This is Hartman’s fifth suspension and fourth since 2023.