Ryan Hartman Suspension Shortened After Appeal

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Ryan Hartman, Minnesota Wild
Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

If it feels like you haven’t seen Minnesota Wild winger Ryan Hartman in a while, you’re absolutely right. He hasn’t been on the ice since February 1, when the Wild suffered a 6-0 loss to the Senators. That game wasn’t just a loss on the scoreboard for the Wild, either—Hartman was slapped with a hefty 10-game suspension by the NHL. The regular season then took a brief hiatus for the 4 Nations Face-Off, but now the Wild are back in action, still without Hartman.

Even with the NHL’s break, Hartman’s absence was set to stretch on, as Commissioner Gary Bettman had laid down the 10-game punishment. That timeline shifted on Monday, though, when the league trimmed a bit off the suspension.

Minnesota Wild get Ryan Hartman back sooner

All season long, the Minnesota Wild have been plagued by injuries. Still, that hasn’t stopped them from ranking among the league’s best teams. Losing Ryan Hartman to a suspension after a boneheaded play certainly didn’t help the roster, though. On the brighter side, he did manage to shave two games off the penalty following an appeal.

It was a roughing penalty against Ottawa Senators’ Tim Stützle that first landed Ryan Hartman in the sin bin. This particular incident didn’t seem quite egregious enough to warrant such a lengthy absence, but Hartman’s rap sheet played a big role in the punishment.

Ryan Hartman has already served four games, and therefore will just need to finish out the other half. The Wild have contests against Detroit, Utah, Colorado, and Boston during that stretch. They can first activate him on March 4 against Seattle.

Related: Bill Guerin Reveals More Bad News on Kirill Kaprizov Injury

In his sixth season with the Wild, Ryan Hartman has played 48 games so far this year. He has seven goals and 10 assists while averaging 14:45 minutes of ice time per game. A familiar face in the penalty box, Hartman has racked up a modest 60 penalty minutes. Still, it remains well short of the career-high 95 penalty minutes he logged during the 2021-22 season.

Minnesota will need as much talent at their disposal down the stretch as possible, so hartman needs to be on his best behavior. General manager Bill Guerin does not have significant operating room as the trade deadline approaches. And, superstar Kirill Kaprizov is likely to be out longer than initially reported.

Hartman’s fight benefits MN Wild

There’s a possibility that the Minnesota Wild wouldn’t even have had an opportunity for Ryan Hartman’s suspension to be appealed. But, thanks to the timing of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the process worked in both parties favor.

Ryan Hartman, Minnesota Wild
Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Wild veteran noted an intention to appeal on February 5. While the world watched Brock Faber step into the spotlight for Team USA, Hartman got some face time with Bettman. Halfway through his timeout, he gets to return a bit sooner than expected.

Related: MN Wild Forward Named Breakout Star to Watch at 2026 Olympics

This marked Hartman’s fifth suspension, and set a Wild record for longest ban. He’s no doubt thrilled to see those final two games wiped from the slate. Assuming he can keep withhold his frustration next time, hopefully its the last one he has to deal with.

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