Minnesota Wild's Ryan Hartmam favored by the NHL Commissioner, reduces suspension from 10 games to 8

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman sustained the penalty against Minnesota Wild's Ryan Hartman, who had driven Ottawa's Tim Stutzle to the ice floor, leaving them with cuts and bruising. But Bettman trimmed the initial 10-game penalty down to 8 games following Hartman's appeal.

The commissioner found the revised sanction to be the wake-up call Hartman badly needed to address his on-ice actions as he cited this one as the more appropriate alternative compared to the original three-game suspension against him.

NHL Commissioner reduced Ryan Hartman’s 10-game suspension to 8

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reduced Minnesota Wild center Ryan Hartman's 10-game suspension to eight games following his review of the appeal. Hartman was suspended for hitting Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle in the back of the head with his right forearm during a faceoff on February 1.

He pushed Stutzle onto the ice, giving Stutzle face cuts requiring five stitches. Consequently, Hartman got a match penalty and a face-to-face hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety, who handed down the suspension.

The 30-year-old Hartman did not dispute that his play broke the rules but argued against the duration of the suspension. Bettman reduced the penalty after taking into account the severity of the incident and Hartman's earlier three-game suspension.

The commissioner believed the realigned eight-game suspension would act as a good message for Hartman to reflect on his actions on the ice and make corrections to prevent them from happening in the future.


Bettman compared Hartman's suspension length to his history of supplemental discipline, as he's been fined seven times and has been suspended five times. "This is, to say the least, an unenviable record and a pattern of malfeasance," Bettman wrote.

This marks Ryan Hartman’s fifth career suspension and his fourth in the past 22 months. With seven goals and 10 assists in 48 games, Hartman will be eligible to return to the Minnesota Wild lineup on March 4 against Seattle.

Also Read: Anaheim Ducks' Trevor Zegras suspended for 3 games without pay for interference on Detroit Red Wings' Michael Rasmussen

Bettman’s decision to reduce Hartman’s suspension was the first time in over three years he had lowered a penalty on appeal, with the last reduction occurring in December 2021 for Jason Spezza. Despite this, Bettman stood firm on the need for a lengthy suspension due to Hartman’s history, the vulnerability of Tim Stutzle, and the intentional, forceful nature of the hit.

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