The Hartman saga continues: Offender disagrees with punishment, case moves to NHL commissioner.

ST. PAUL/NEW YORK – The NHL Players’ Association has appealed on behalf of Minnesota forward Ryan Hartman regarding his 10-game suspension. Hartman received the suspension for an attack on Tim Stützle shortly after a faceoff during a game against Ottawa.

The NHL classified the hit as an attempt to injure the opponent. This marks the longest suspension for an on-ice incident in the league since October 2018, when Minnesota’s Tom Wilson was handed a 20-game ban for a hit to the head of an opponent. For the 30-year-old Hartman, this is his fifth suspension in his career and the fourth since 2023, which the disciplinary committee also took into account when determining the length of the punishment.

During the suspension, Hartman will also forfeit nearly $490,000 in salary. His first appeal will be directed to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman’s office. If Bettman upholds the suspension, Hartman can further appeal to an independent arbitrator. This information was provided by the Associated Press.