Commish Gary Bettman cuts ban of Wild's Ryan Hartman to 8 - ESPN

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has reduced the suspension of Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman from 10 games to eight games in a ruling published on Monday.

This is the first time Bettman has reduced a suspension from the Department of Player Safety since he dropped Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza's ban from six to four games for kneeing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk in Dec. 2021.

«Although I conclude that an escalation from Mr. Hartman's prior three (3) game suspension to ten (10) games is not proportional here, I find that an eight (8) game suspension is both appropriate and supported by clear and convincing evidence,» wrote Bettman.

The NHLPA appealed the suspension on behalf of Hartman, who has already served four games of the ban that was handed down on Feb. 3 for «using his forearm to violently slam the head of Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stützle into the ice,» as the Department of Player Safety said in its ruling. Specifically, the NHLPA wanted the suspension reduced to eight games.

On Feb. 1, with 16 seconds left in the second period and Ottawa leading 3-0, Hartman and Stützle took a faceoff. Hartman locked up Stützle's stick with his leg, placed his right forearm on the back of Stützle's neck and drove the Ottawa player's head into the ice. Stützle's helmet came off on impact, and he skated to the Senators' bench with a cut bleeding over his left eye that required five stitches.

Hartman was given a match penalty. Stützle returned in the third period and assisted on two Ottawa goals as the Senators prevailed 6-0 at home.

The length of Hartman's suspension was determined in part by his disciplinary history. In 663 NHL regular-season and playoff games, Hartman had been fined seven times and