Wild’s Ryan Hartman faces long suspension; Kirill Kaprizov has surgery

BOSTON — Ryan Hartman could be dealt his longest suspension yet.

The Wild forward was offered an in-person hearing for roughing Ottawa’s Tim Stützle in the Wild’s 6-0 loss on Saturday night, which means Hartman can be suspended for more than five games.

The hearing is scheduled for Monday over Zoom.

Hartman was ejected after the second period for intent to injure.

While Stützle was still bent over the faceoff dot after the puck was dropped between the two players, Hartman pushed Stützle’s back down and Stützle’s helmet flew off as he hit the ice. Stützle was bleeding, with a cut near his left eye.

Hartman was assessed a five-minute match penalty, which automatically gets reviewed by the NHL Department of Player Safety, and the Senators scored three times on the ensuing power play in the third period to stop the Wild’s three-game win streak with a rout that tied for the team’s most lopsided defeat of the season.

Hartman has been suspended four previous times in his 628-game NHL career, including twice last season.

He was punished three games for unsportsmanlike conduct after throwing his stick in the direction of officials while Vegas celebrated a 2-1 victory at Xcel Energy Center on March 30. He also received two games for slew-footing Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat on Nov. 26, 2023.

Two seasons ago, Hartman was shelved one game for interference. Before joining the Wild, Hartman was suspended one playoff game in 2018 for an illegal check to the head while with Nashville.

He’s also been fined seven times.

But potentially losing Hartman for an extended stint may not be the only change looming for the Wild.

Defenseman Jonas Brodin and winger Marcus Johansson will meet the team in Boston, where its road trip concludes Tuesday. The Wild are scheduled to practice Monday at Boston University.

Brodin has missed the past 12 games because of a lower-body injury after blocking a shot from St. Louis’ Colton Parayko with his right skate on Jan. 7. Johansson hasn’t played since getting elbowed by Edmonton’s Connor McDavid on Jan. 15 and suffering a concussion.

To potentially make room for their returns, the team shifted Kirill Kaprizov to long-term injured reserve.

Kaprizov’s surgery on a lower-body injury went well, an NHL source said, and the team’s leading scorer is still expected to be out at least a month.