Former NHLer and current Finnish League forward Nick Ritchie was suspended eight games on Friday for “violent conduct” after repeatedly punching a defenseless opponent.
Ritchie, who plays for Oulun Karpat of SM-liiga, the highest level of hockey in Finland, was given a five-minute major and a match penalty after delivering a series of blows to the head of TPS forward Markus Nurmea.
The league found that Ritchie was “guilty of one-sided, deliberate and non-spontaneous violence.”
Through 10 games in the Finnish league, Ritchie has one goal and four assists for five points.
Taken 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Ritchie played 481 games in the NHL, recording 84 goals and 102 assists for 186 points through eight seasons with the Ducks, the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Arizona Coyotes and the Calgary Flames.
During his last NHL season between the Coyotes and Flames, Ritchie had 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 74 games.
Internationally, Ritchie played for Team Canada at the 2015 World Junior Championships, winning a gold medal.
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