When it comes to the NHL, there’s always some kind of controversy. Indeed, it can be on the ice or off of it. But the fans always have something to discuss. This time, Ryan Hartman has gotten a whopping ten-game suspension after the decision from the Department of Player Safety. Indeed, the Minnesota Wild’s forward received it on February 1, 2025, after roughing Ottawa Senators’ forward Tim Stutzle during a faceoff.

This action from Hartman was controversial, as in his career, he has received many suspensions, and at this point, it was just a repeat offense from the ice hockey player. However, a few days later, when the NHLPA issued an appeal on behalf of the Wild’s forward, the statement surrounded itself with a larger controversy.

So what was the statement that triggered so many fans online? “The NHLPA has filed an appeal on behalf of Ryan Hartman regarding the NHL’s disciplinary decision to suspend him 10 games,” wrote the official account of the NHLPA on their X post. Indeed, a suspension for ten games might sound stretched out even for someone like Ryan Hartman, and he has the right to defend himself and his reputation during such incidents.

However, did the Wild’s forward actually break any rules on the rink during his team’s game against the Ottawa Senators? When the home team’s opponents were under pressure at Canadian Tire Centre, with a few seconds to the end of the third period, Hartman and Stutzle were standing against each other for a faceoff. And the moment the puck was dropped by the referee, the Wild’s forward put out all of his body force on the Senators’ center, pushing him down the rink.

Hartman’s force on Stutzle was so intense that even his helmet buckled, causing his face to hit the ice directly. Indeed, it caused him a cut above his eyebrows, and immediately, the match was paused, and the Wild’s forward was given a match penalty. There were discussions that he might be out for a few matches, but not many expected the ten-game suspension for which he will also be losing a whopping $487,805 from his salary. However, watching the NHLPA back up Hartman over his offense was something that the fans on social media weren’t letting go without some bashing.

No one is defending Ryan Hartman for his antics on the ice

Ryan Hartman might be a talented forward for the Minnesota Wild, and no one has ever questioned his goal-scoring techniques. However, the way he acts apart from being a terrific ice hockey player, is kind of questionable. One fan stated, “The guy had like 12 player safety related incidents before this one. Sit it out.” Similarly, another fan called out the NHLPA’s decision for the appeal, stating, “Appeal a play where Hartman used a WWE move and drove an opponent’s head into the ice? Should be 10 games.” One fan wrote, “Give him 20 games.”

At this point, Hartman’s reputation is severely questionable in the community. And why wouldn’t it be? This isn’t the first time he has received a suspension in his NHL career, where he has played over 600 games with many teams. Indeed, this is his fifth time in his time in the NHL, and the fourth time in the span of the last two years. 

The first came in April 2023 for interference, which resulted in a one-game suspension, and the second was in October 2023 for a two-game suspension owing to a dangerous trip on Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat. However, Hartman continued his shenanigans and received a three-game suspension in April 2024 for unsportsmanlike conduct. His last violation before this one was in November 2024, when he received a two-game ban for illegally cross-checking a player on the head.

So the frustration among the fans is understandable. And this user had a question for the NHLPA, stating, “How does the player that he assaulted feel?” Sarcastically, this fan wrote, “Should be actual jail time.” Similarly, another fan stated, “The guy was playing like he was in a UFC match. The 10 games was well deserved.”

For now, the appeal made by the NHLPA on behalf of Hartman will be going to the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. And he’s no stranger to controversies in the NHL, and surely his decision will be something that the community will be waiting for.