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Former NHLer Nick Ritchie found himself in trouble after getting ejected for repeatedly punching defenseless Markus Nurmi during Thursday's Finnish Hockey League (Liiga) clash between the TPS Turku and Oulun Karpat.
The incident unfolded minutes after Nurmi scored the goal in the early frame of the second period. Nick Ritchie got himself engaged in an altercation with Markus Nurmi near the corner.
Ritchie grabbed Nurmi's neck, dragged him down to the ice, and delivered a barrage of gloved punches. Nurmi, who did not engage, was down on the ice and defenseless.
The officials were quick to end the one-sided scrap and issued Ritchie a major penalty along with the game misconduct.
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The contest ended with the TPS Turku losing to the Oulun Karpat 5-3. Meanwhile, Nick Ritchie clocked 8:54 minutes of ice time and recorded 29 penalty minutes in the matchup.
This season, Ritchie has notched up five points on one goal and four assists in 10 games, including 70 penalty minutes with Oulun Karpat. On the other hand, Nurmi leads TPS Turku in scoring with 25 points (13 goals and 12 assists) in 35 games.
Ritchie has long been known for getting under the skin of the opposition. Before heading overseas, he recorded 26 career fights in the NHL. Following the incident, the former NHL player will get his hearing with Liiga's disciplinary committee.
Nick Ritchie's NHL stats
The 28-year-old 6-foot-2 winger was drafted 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2014 NHL draft. He played four seasons with the Ducks before joining the Boston Bruins, where Ritchie skated for two years.
Ritchie also had stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Arizona Coyotes. Before heading to the Finnish league, Richie played his final NHL season with the Calgary Flames. He appeared in 16 games for the Flames in the 2022-23 season.
Overall, Nick Ritchie, in his eight-year NHL career, played 481 games, recording 186 points through 84 goals and 102 assists.
