The National Hockey League has fined Minnesota Wild winger Ryan Hartman $4,250, the maximum allowed under the CBA, for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The incident in question occurred in Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, as Hartman got into an altercation with Oilers winger Evander Kane in the middle of the third period. As they were escorted away by the referees, Hartman gave Kane the middle finger, a gesture that was immediately knocked down by the official. Hartman described the incident as “well worth it“.
Hartman is having a career year with the Wild, with his 29 goals, 27 assists, and 56 points all career highs by a wide margin. Some of that has to do with spending more than two-thirds of his ice time with Karill Kaprisov, who recently set a franchise record for points in a season, but Hartman probably won’t let that take away from his accomplishments this season.
Kane joined the Oilers mid-season after getting his contract terminated by the San Jose Sharks amidst an offseason of controversy from the forward. He finds himself with 16 goals and 29 points in 36 games with the Oilers this season, spending a fair amount of that alongside Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
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