"Surely that should be a suspension" - NHL fans react to Cole Perfetti's shocking claim that Wild's Ryan Hartman deliberately high-sticked him

The NHL is no stranger to on-ice controversies and a recent incident involving Cole Perfetti of the Winnipeg Jets and Ryan Hartman of the Minnesota Wild has sparked a heated debate among fans.

During a face-off, Perfetti was struck in the face by Hartman's stick, an action that appeared to be accidental at first but now seems to be intentional.

In today's interview, Perfetti told reporters that Hartman himself admitted to intentionally high-sticking him as payback for a play involving Brenden Dillon and Kirill Kaprizov from the previous day.

Also, the microphone that Cole Perfetti had on during the game captured the conversation between them.

This revelation has ignited discussions on social media platforms, with several fans analyzing the play and speculating about its intent.

One fan expressed his opinion by saying, "Surely that should be a suspension."

Ryan Hartman was fined $4,427.08 by NHL Player Safety, which is the maximum penalty allowed under the CBA for high-sticking Winnipeg’s Cole Perfetti. This is the seventh fine in his career.

Here are some fan reactions to this incident:

Ryan Hartman’s performance this season so far

Ryan Hartman has been demonstrating his skills on the ice well this season. In 30 games, Hartman has scored 11 goals and provided six assists resulting in a total of 17 points. He has a +2 plus/minus rating indicating his effectiveness while on the ice.

Hartman has scored two power-play goals and hasn't registered any power-play assists. His disciplined play is evident in his 26 penalty minutes.

With a total of 66 shots on goal, Hartman isn't afraid to take opportunities when they arise. He hasn't scored any short-handed goals or assists, but his average time on ice stands at 15:50 per game, highlighting how important he is to Minnesota's game plan.

Hartman’s point production rate averages out to around one point every 27:56 of playtime. He hasn't scored any game-winning goals this season.