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Wild’s Ryan Hartman To Have In-Person Player Safety Hearing

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Wild forward Ryan Hartman will have an in-person hearing with the league’s Department of Player Safety after he was ejected from last night’s 6-0 loss to the Senators for intending to injure Ottawa star Tim Stützle, per an announcement from the organization Sunday. Hartman is now eligible to be suspended for more than five games.

The incident occurred with 16 seconds left on the clock in the second period. Hartman drove Stützle’s head into the ice following a defensive zone draw, causing the latter’s helmet to come off and creating a cut on his forehead (video link via Sportsnet).

Hartman was given a match penalty for roughing and intent to injure. The Senators scored three times on the ensuing five-minute major power play to begin the third period, including two assists from Stützle.

The pair found themselves on the box score earlier in the second period when Stützle was assessed a minor penalty for slashing Hartman. At the same time, the latter was assessed a double minor for roughing and embellishment. Hartman totaled 19 PIMs in the game, marking the second time he’s earned a match or misconduct penalty this season. The other occurred in a 6-1 home loss to the Panthers in December.

It’s been a disappointing campaign for the 30-year-old, who’s been bumped to bottom-six minutes with the emergence of Marco Rossi as Minnesota’s first-line center. His offensive pace has been harmed as a result, tied for ninth on the team in scoring with 17 points (7 G, 10 A) through 48 games. His 14:45 ATOI is his lowest usage since his first season in the State of Hockey in 2019-20, while his minus-eight rating ranks as the club’s lowest.

Nonetheless, a pending multi-game absence will be difficult to swallow for a Wild forward group that’s already missing top-six wingers Marcus Johansson and Kirill Kaprizov. Johansson remains without a timeline to return following a concussion over two weeks ago, while Kaprizov remains out until at least the end of the month following lower-body surgery.

Central Notes: Klingberg, Hall, McBain

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According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, a few more teams have entered the growing market for defenseman John Klingberg. Dreger mentions that the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars have inquired about Klingberg’s market, but he believes the Edmonton Oilers remain the favorites to sign him.

If Klingberg eventually signs with the Avalanche or Stars it’ll likely be with the latter. Dallas is weak on the right-hand side of their defensive core and while it’s difficult to call Klingberg an upgrade on their options given his lengthy absence, he has a positive history with the Stars. In his eight years in Dallas from 2015 to 2022, Klingberg scored 71 goals and 303 assists in 552 games and was an effective powerplay quarterback for many of those years.

Colorado could use some help on the right side with Josh Manson dealing with a recurring injury but Klingberg doesn’t project as the right option for the Avalanche. The team already gets plenty of offense from their top defensive pairing and Klingberg was never a solid shutdown threat even during his prime years with the Stars. The Avalanche will surely inquire about nearly any defenseman making close to or at the league minimum salary but it would be surprising to see them ultimately sign Klingberg.

Other Central notes:

  • Despite his public desire to sign an extension with the Chicago Blackhawks, veteran forward Taylor Hall is readying for a breakup. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports Hall believes he’ll be traded before the deadline saying, “I came into this year wanting to be a Blackhawk for years to come. I don’t know if that’s going to be the case anymore.” It won’t be the first time the former MVP has been involved in a mid-season swap having been acquired in the 2020-21 season by the Boston Bruins and the 2018-19 season by the Arizona Coyotes.
  • Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain will have more than just a minor penalty for high-sticking in last night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced they’ve fined McBain $4,166.67, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for high-sticking Brendan Gallagher. This is the first time the DoPS has fined McBain in his brief four-year career.

Atlantic Notes: Petry, Bennett, Bryson

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As mentioned yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings’ concerns regarding the availability of veteran defenseman Jeff Petry have unfortunately been realized. According to team broadcast reporter Daniella Bruce, the Red Wings won’t have Petry in the lineup tonight due to an undisclosed injury suffered in the team’s recent game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Petry may be out for longer than just tonight. Head coach Todd McLellan is hopeful it’ll be a shorter-term injury for Petry but did say the team would know more once they get back to Detroit. In the meantime, McLellan will choose between youngster Albert Johansson or recently recalled William Lagesson for tonight’s contest.

There is a valid argument that either option may prove to be an improvement over Petry. He’s experiencing one of the worst offensive seasons of his career, reminiscent of the 2013-14 season when he had only seven goals and 17 points in 80 games with the third-to-last-place Edmonton Oilers. While Petry has performed slightly better defensively this year with the Red Wings, he has not approached the level of the consistent 40-point defenseman he once was.

Other happenings in the Atlantic Division:

  • The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has fined Florida Panthers’ center Sam Bennett $5K for roughing Pittsburgh Penguins’ Drew O’Connor in last night’s contest. It’s the second time Bennett has been issued a fine by the Department of Player Safety and the fourth time he’s faced supplemental discipline. During the incident, Bennett attempted to hit O’Connor behind Pittsburgh’s net and threw his right hand into O’Connor’s face.
  • According to Mike Harrington of Buffalo News Sports, the Buffalo Sabres will be down a defenseman tonight. Jacob Bryson, who has picked up a more consistent role in Buffalo’s bottom defensive-pairing this season, won’t play tonight due to an illness. Dennis Gilbert, seldomly used by head coach Lindy Ruff this season, will draw in for Bryson against the Vegas Golden Knights. Gilbert has tallied one assist in 12 contests this year averaging 10:45 of ice time per game.

Zachary L’Heureux Suspended Three Games

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1/2: The NHL has announced a three games suspension for L’Heureux. It’s the first suspension of his NHL career. L’Heureux built up a long rap sheet while playing junior hockey, ultimately sitting out of 36 games across four seasons in the QMJHL due to suspension. He will be eligible to return on January 11th, when the Predators host the Washington Capitals.

1/1: Predators winger Zachary L’Heureux injured Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon in the second period of Tuesday’s game on a slew-footing incident.  The play (Twitter link via 102.5 The Game’s Nick Kieser) saw the rookie receive a match penalty on the play, creating an automatic review.

Following that review, it was announced that L’Heureux will have a hearing on Thursday about the hit.  Michael Russo of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that it will be a phone hearing.  The maximum penalty for a phone hearing is five games.

L’Heureux was recalled to Nashville’s roster just two weeks into the season and he has been a regular in their bottom six since then, averaging 11:31 a night of playing time.  The 21-year-old has played in 33 games so far, picking up four goals and five assists along with 106 hits and 32 penalty minutes in those outings.

Assuming a suspension comes his way, it will be the first NHL ban of L’Heureux’s career.  However, it’s worth noting that he was suspended nine times in the QMJHL while also receiving a pair of suspensions last season in the minors.  None of those will be taken into consideration here, however, since they occurred at other levels.

With Cole Smith on injured reserve, the Predators are now down to just 12 healthy forwards on their active roster.  With a potential suspension looming for L’Heureux, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Nashville recall a forward or two from AHL Milwaukee before Friday’s game against Vancouver.

Matt Rempe Offered In-Person Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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Rangers winger Matt Rempe got an opportunity to return to New York following the trade of Kaapo Kakko earlier in the week.  He made a big impression in his first game back but not the one he was necessarily looking to make.  The NHL announced today that he has been offered an in-person hearing for a hit made on Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen on Friday; a clip of the hit via B/R Open Ice can be found here.

The hit came in the third period last night, one that saw him receive a five-minute major for elbowing along with a game misconduct.  Notably, the league’s release indicates that both elbowing and boarding are among the grounds being considered for supplemental discipline.

By offering an in-person hearing, the NHL now has the ability to suspend Rempe for more than five games which is the maximum had it been a telephone hearing.  That said, them offering it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll receive six or more games either.  The Department of Player Safety relayed later in the day (Twitter link) that the hearing will be held on Sunday.

Rempe has played in 22 career regular season games and this was the fourth ejection of his young career.  He has been suspended once before, that coming back in March when he received a four-game ban for elbowing.  He will fall under repeat offender status when it comes to determining both the length of suspension and the calculation of forfeited wages where the denominator will be 82 (representing games) instead of the number of days in a particular season.

Evgeni Malkin, Nikita Zadorov Fined By Department Of Player Safety

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Last night’s matchup between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins had plenty of dramatics despite being a modest three-goal event. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety involved themselves this morning bestowing a $5K fine on Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin for slashing and fining Boston defenseman Nikita Zadorov $5K for unsportsmanlike conduct. Both fines serve as the maximum allowable under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Both incidents are a part of the same event and happened relatively early in the game. According to video evidence provided by TSN, Zadorov began poking Malkin from the bench with his stick. Malkin was positioned on the offensive zone blue line and an offside was called on the Penguins shortly after.

Malkin immediately took exception to the poke and violently swung his stick at the Bruins’ bench. His stick made contact with Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei and a scrum between the two teams began.

Zadorov and Malkin were given minor penalties on the play but the Department of Player Safety reasonably didn’t want it to end there. It’s not the first time either player has received supplementary discipline from the Department of Player Safety in their careers.

Timo Meier Receives One-Game Suspension

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1:18 PM: The NHL’s Department of Player Safety didn’t take long to deliberate. They’ve announced a one-game suspension for Meier for his cross-check on L’Heureux last night.

9:29 AM: The National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety has announced that New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier will have a hearing for his cross-check to the face of Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux. Meier will face supplemental discipline for an incident that occurred at the 12:17 mark of the third period of last night’s game. The penalty forced New Jersey to kill off a five-minute major while the team held a two-goal lead. The Devils went on to win the game by a score of 5-2.

Despite winning the game, the Devils were pushed around for much of the night. Before the Meier cross-checks, L’Heureux caught Devils forward Paul Cotter with a hip check that sent him to the New Jersey bench in obvious discomfort. L’Heureux and Meier then engaged in a battle after the whistle where L’Heureux gave Meier a shot in the back and then Meier hit him back with two cross-checks, the second of which caught the 21-year-old L’Heureux up high.

Meier has never missed any NHL games due to a suspension in his eight-year NHL career but has had to pay out some fines. During his rookie season in 2017-18, he was fined for elbowing then Vancouver Canucks defenseman Michael Del Zotto, then in 2019 he was given a $2000 fine for a second offense of Rule 64, which concerns diving and embellishment.

Meier’s hearing will take place today, and although the NHL hasn’t formally announced whether it will be a phone or in-person hearing, the tight timeline indicates that it will be a phone hearing.

Kings’ Tanner Jeannot Receives Three Game Suspension

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5:43 PM: The Department of Player Safety announced Jeannot has been suspended three games for the hit on Boeser last night.

10:30 AM: The NHL Department of Player Safety announced today that Kings winger Tanner Jeannot will have a hearing today for an illegal check to the head against Canucks star Brock Boeser. It’s not an in-person hearing, so his pending suspension will be five games or less.

The incident occurred midway through the first period of last night’s 4-2 road win for Vancouver. Immediately after Boeser completed a neutral-zone pass, Jeannot attempted to lay an open-ice hit on Boeser while crossing the other direction. He led with his shoulder, making contact with Boeser’s head and knocking him out of the game (video via Lachlan Irvine of Canucks Army). Officials assessed Jeannot a match penalty on the play, initiating an automatic league review for supplemental discipline.

Vancouver has yet to give Boeser an injury designation, so he remains uncertain for tomorrow’s game against the Oilers. Hearings that do not result in suspensions are rare, so the Kings are undoubtedly preparing to be without Jeannot tomorrow against the Blue Jackets and potentially for a couple of more games afterward. The heavy-hitting power forward has never been suspended in his 242-game NHL career, but he has been fined once before for kneeing Senators captain Brady Tkachuk in March 2022.

The 15 PIMs assessed to Jeannot last night gave him 36 on the season, the most in the league. Through his first 15 games as a King, the 27-year-old has struggled to produce offensively, with just a goal and an assist while averaging 10:28 per game. So far, it’s not the resurgence L.A. hoped for when they parted ways with a pair of draft picks to acquire him from the Lightning in June. He hasn’t been a legitimate top-nine player offensively since his rookie season when he potted 24 goals and 41 points in 81 games for the Predators in 2021-22.

Three years later, it’s become clear that his play that season was more of a flash in the pan than anything else. In 146 games since for the Preds, Bolts and Kings, he has just 14 goals and 34 points with a -18 rating. Upon completing the two-year, $5.33MM deal he signed with Tampa Bay in 2023, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

East Notes: Rust, Dahlin, Romanov, Motte

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The Pittsburgh Penguins organization didn’t get a positive update on forward Bryan Rust’s injury. The team’s play-by-play commentator, Jeff Getzoff, shared that Rust is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury after evaluations.

Rust suffered the lower-body injury in the team’s most recent game against the Vancouver Canucks after receiving a hit from Nils Hoglander. The veteran forward was quickly ruled out of that game’s action after only 13:18 of ice time and missed the team’s practice yesterday.

The injury could be related to the lower-body injury that kept Rust from the ice at the beginning of the season. He missed Pittsburgh’s first two games of the regular season but has managed three goals and four points in eight straight games. The Penguins only have 12 healthy forwards on the roster meaning Valtteri Puustinen should garner more ice time if the organization doesn’t make a recall from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Buffalo Sabres’ captain Rasmus Dahlin’s two-minute minor for high-sticking and two-minute minor for roughing in last night’s action has turned into more. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced they have fined Dahlin $5,000 for yesterday’s incident, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The play took place with seven minutes remaining of the third period when Dahlin swung his stick into the face of Florida Panthers’ forward Anton Lundell after positioning for the puck at the Sabres’ blue line.
  • The New York Islanders will be without defenseman Alexander Romanov for the second straight game. Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports Romanov is still considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury from one of the team’s recent games against the New Jersey Devils. There hasn’t been any indication up to this point that Romanov will be able to dress in tomorrow night’s action against the Columbus Blue Jackets, either.
  • Ansar Khan of MLive reports the Detroit Red Wings are still without forward Tyler Motte who is suffering from an upper-body injury. His unavailability will have a downstream effect on the roster with the organization keeping the ability to keep prospect Marco Kasper on the roster under emergency conditions for the time being. Kasper has skated in five games for the Red Wings during his emergency recall with one assist to show for it while averaging 15:22 of ice time. Once Motte can return, Detroit must make a roster move to comply with the emergency condition protocols.

Sam Carrick Fined By Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety issued their only punishment from Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, fining Edmonton Oilers’ forward Sam Carrick a total of $2,213.54, the maximum allowable, for slashing Florida Panthers’ defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. Elliotte Friedman of TSN followed up the report by announcing the league would not pass down any additional discipline.

The play in question occurred near the end of Game 2 after Kulikov delivered a hard hit to Carrick. Afterward, Carrick slashed Kulikov in what is best described as his ’nether region’, resulting in a two-minute minor penalty for slashing, and a 10-minute game misconduct. Since Carrick was ejected from the game, teammate Evander Kane served his two-minute penalty.

Expectedly, the Department of Player Safety will expand its leniency throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. Still, it is surprising that this will be the only supplemental discipline from Game 2. Aside from Carrick, defenseman Vincent Desharnais and forward Warren Foegele were ejected from the Oilers bench, with forward Leon Draisaitl delivering a controversial hit to Aleksander Barkov.

Nevertheless, the Oilers organization should view the lack of punishment as a silver lining to their Game 2 loss, as they will not be forced to lose any players for a pivotal Game 3. Managing only one goal through the first six periods of the Stanley Cup Final, Edmonton will need all hands on deck to get back into this series.

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