Ryan Hartman suspension: Minnesota Wild forward will miss one game for interfering Nikolaj Ehlers

Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman has been suspended for one game by the NHL's Department of Player Safety following a hearing on Wednesday for a hit on Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers. The incident occurred during Tuesday's game, which the Jets won 3-1.

Ryan Hartman's open-ice hit on Ehlers in the final minutes of the third period led to an altercation between Ryan Reaves and Adam Lowry. Hartman was given four minutes of penalties on the play- two for interference and two for roughing.

After the game, he stated that he was reacting to a hit Ehlers had made on Kirill Kaprizov earlier in the shift and said:

"They seem to target him sometimes so sometimes you've got to make a statement.”

This is the second suspension of Hartman's career. He was suspended for one game in 2019 as a member of the Nashville Predators for a hit on Colorado Avalanche forward Carl Soderberg.

Hartman, who has 15 goals and 22 assists in 59 games this season, will miss the Wild's regular-season finale against the Predators on Thursday night.

The 28-year-old Hilton Head Island, SC native is in his ninth NHL season and fourth with the Wild after having previously played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Predators, and Philadelphia Flyers.

The team has already clinched a playoff spot, but will have to make do without Ryan Hartman's services for their final game of the regular season. However, they will hope to have him back for the playoffs as they aim to make a deep run in the postseason.

Ryan Hartman's ingenious plan: Importance of strategy in sports

Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman's clever plan to get St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington ejected from a game in the month of March, highlights the importance of strategic thinking in sports.

He let Binnington's spear on Sam Eker slide during the first period but waited for the right moment to strike back. When the Wild scored three goals to take the lead, Hartman approached Binnington during a timeout and encouraged him, which made Binnington lash out at the Wild bench.

Ryan Hartman informed the referee to watch out for Binnington during the next shift and even stood in front of him, expecting him to take the bait, and true to his prediction, Bennington received a penalty that led to his ejection from the game.

Hartman's quick thinking and calculated move made a difference for the Wild, who went on to win the game 8-5. The incident serves as a reminder that the mental game can be just as important as the physical one in sports.