Ryan Hartman has been given a ten-game suspension for his hit on Tim Stutzle. The suspension is the fifth of Hartman’s 11-year NHL career. That fact didn’t help lessen the length of the suspension for Hartman.
#mnwild Ryan Hartman has been suspended 10 games by @NHLPlayerSafety for smashing #GoSensGo Tim Stutzle’s face into the ice.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 4, 2025
Ryan Hartman Suspended
During the Minnesota Wild’s game on Saturday in Ottawa, Hartman was given a match penalty for intent to injure Tim Stutzle following a face-off draw. After the puck was dropped, Hartman pushed Stutzle’s head into the ice. Referees immediately stopped the game and issued the match penalty to Hartman.
Stutzle was examined by the Senators medical team after the play. Despite a cut above the eye, Stutzle was given clearance to return to the game.
Suspend Ryan Hartman now. Disgusting and clearly intentional. So dangerous. pic.twitter.com/qNB8n4cEe1
— SENS TALK (@senstalk_) February 2, 2025
Due to extreme nature of the penalty, the NHL immediately began reviewing the play to determine the appropriate consequence.
Hartman is a Repeat Offender
As mentioned earlier, Hartman has been suspended four other times before now. The most recent was in 2024 when he was suspended two games for slew-footing Alex DeBrincat.
In 2022, after a fight with Evander Kane, Hartman taunted the crowd by raising his middle finger. Despite being fined for the gesture, Hartman deemed it as “worth it.”
Inexcusable
Given Ryan Hartman’s suspension history and the severity of the injury on Saturday, it is not a surprise to see a suspension of this magnitude. Player safety is a main priority of the league. The intent to injure a fellow player is inexcusable. Hockey is a dangerous game as is, where injuries can happen due to unfortunate accidents. To intentionally try to injure someone will not improve Hartman’s reputation in the league.
Saturday was the final matchup of the season between the Wild and the Senators. As a result, we will not see how the Senators respond to Hartman’s actions until next season. When they do meet up again, however, the gloves are likely to drop.
Main Photo: Ron Chenoy- Imagn Images
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