The NHL Players’ Association announced on Wednesday that an appeal has been filed for Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman after he received a 10-game suspension for roughing.
Hartman was granted a 48-hour window from the league’s decision on Monday night to choose whether to challenge the suspension motivated by an incident where he slammed an opposing player’s head onto the ice with his forearm, marking the longest suspension for on-ice conduct in over six years.

The first step in the appeal process will be addressed to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who has historically supported the rulings made by the Department of Player Safety and its vice president, George Parros. Should Bettman uphold the suspension, Hartman retains the option to take his appeal to a neutral arbitrator.

For this latest suspension, which marks Hartman’s fifth and fourth since 2023, he will lose a significant portion of his salary, amounting to $487,805. If the suspension is reduced at all, Hartman could recoup more than $48,000 for each game that is taken off the total.

For comparison, Washington’s Tom Wilson saw his suspension reduced from 20 games to 14 after an appeal in 2018, allowing him to recover six games worth of salary despite having already completed 16 games of the suspension.

During a recent game against Ottawa, Hartman, now 30 years old, was ejected late in the second period for a roughing incident involving Tim Stutzle.

Hartman has defended his actions by stating that he was merely trying to regain his balance and used Stutzle for support, insisting that their fall was accidental. However, the Department of Player Safety disagreed, stating in a video that “With Stutzle bent low and focused on winning the draw, Hartman chooses to take advantage of a vulnerable player in an unacceptable fashion. Hartman intentionally uses his forearm and body weight to drive Stutzle’s head directly into the ice from a height, which makes this play inherently dangerous and unacceptable.”