After he was slapped with a 10-game suspension — the longest in Minnesota Wild history — Ryan Hartman is looking for a reduction.
The NHLPA announced Wednesday that it filed an appeal on behalf of Hartman regarding the league’s decision to suspend him for 10 games.
The appeal will go straight to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. If the suspension stands, or remains over six games, Hartman and the NHLPA can bring the appeal to an independent arbitrator.
Hartman received the suspension following an incident in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators. The Wild winger appeared to push Tim Stutzle’s head to the ice following a faceoff and was subsequently given a match penalty for attempt to injure. He was offered an in-person hearing, which allowed the department of player safety to dish out a longer ban.
This isn’t the first suspension — nor second or third or fourth — for Hartman, who is known for his brand of on-the-edge hockey. This is his fifth suspension and fourth in the last two years, and he is considered a repeat offender.
Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin knows this and said in an interview with The Athletic‘s Joe Smith that while he feels for the player, he’ll need to clean up his act to avoid harsh discipline like this in the future.
“No more wiggle room,” Guerin told Smith.
“It affects the team. It affects him,” he continued, per Smith. “This is a big hit for him financially. It’s the other player that gets hurt or possibly could have. Ryan is a good player. Not too many guys play his brand of hockey, but he’s got to do a better job of not crossing the line. He knows it.”
Smith reported that both Guerin and head coach Jon Hynes have spoken with Hartman about keeping his play on the right side of the line going forward.
“I do worry about him,” Guerin said. “He’s one of my players. He’s got to do a better job. He’s worked at it. I know he has. We’ve had a lot of discussions about it.
“Look, he just can’t do it.”
Neither the coach nor the general manager want to see the edge removed from his game, but caution him to find a better balance as the team fights to maintain their playoff position down the stretch. When he slots back into the lineup — in nine games or sooner — he’ll have to find a way to play to his strengths while also making better decisions.
“You go back on the ice, and you second guess yourself,” Guerin said. “You don’t want to do that, so you change your game, but you’re not as effective. … This will pass, and he’ll be back.
“He’ll just have to be better.”
