Hartman stood at the end of the bench on Saturday, smiling in disbelief, as the refs announced he'd been kicked out of the game. In his meeting with the league, Hartman claimed he was attempting to use his hand to regain his balance using Stutzle for support and that their fall to the ice was accidental.

The veteran forward received a five-minute match penalty for intent to injure after shoving Tim Stützle’s head into the ice after a faceoff.

Wild forward Ryan Hartman is expected to appeal the 10-game suspension he received for roughing Ottawa’s Tim Stützle. After the NHL Department of Player Safety announced its decision Monday night, handing down the stiffest punishment of Hartman’s career,