In Finland’s Liiga, forward Nick Ritchie of the Karpats was suspended for eight games for repeatedly hitting an opponent in the head as they were skating.
In Karpat’s tenth game of the season, former NHL forward Nick Ritchie has been suspended in the Liiga.
Ritchie, 28, was suspended for eight games after hitting TPS forward Markus Nurmi in the head many times.
The Ottawa Senators selected Ritchie in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL draft, and Nurmi engaged in a scrap along the boards with less than two minutes remaining in the second period of Karpat vs. TPS on December 28. Ritchie attempted to maintain puck control. Ritchie was forced to the ice by the neck by Nurmi after Nurmi had trapped him into the boards and the puck had moved elsewhere.
Ritchie then used his gloves to punch Nurmi in the head, switching between his right and left hands, even though he was outside of the action. Ritchie hit Nurmi with at least five blows overall, removing his helmet as he lay on the ice with his head shielded.
In international hockey, including the Finnish Liiga, fighting is already prohibited. Ritchie was also declared the aggressor in the altercation in accordance with IIHF rulebook and league Rule 46.4. He was given a 20-minute game misconduct penalty in addition to a five-minute major. Ritchie was already called for cross-checking and holding early in the contest. He can file an appeal against the eight-game punishment.
The Anaheim Ducks selected Orangeville, Ontario native Ritchie 10th overall in the 2014 NHL draft. With 481 NHL games under his belt, he has played for the Ducks, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Arizona Coyotes, and Calgary Flames, totaling 186 points (84 goals, 102 assists). After playing 74 games with the Coyotes and Flames the previous season, he finished with 13 goals and 26 points.
This season, he signed a PTO with the St. Louis Blues and joined Karpat. He has one goal and five assists in his ten games for Karpat.
Erik Gudbranson, a defenceman with the Columbus Blue Jackets, was given a one-game NHL suspension earlier this season for being the aggressor in a fight with forward Nick Cousins of the Florida Panthers.