Former NHL Player Puts SportsNet's Top Female Analyst in Her Place

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Rob A.
January 4, 2024 (12:57)

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Jennifer Botterill and Jamal Mayers discussion the Harman High Stick on Perfetti

Photo credit: Sportsnet

This week, Minnesota Wild player Ryan Hartman was fined $4,427.08 for a high sticking penalty against Jets forward Cole Perfetti.

From the NHL Player Safety X page:

Minnesota's Ryan Hartman has been fined $4,427.08, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for high-sticking Winnipeg's Cole Perfetti.� NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 2, 2024

Just for the record, this is the 7th disciplinary action resulting in a fine/suspension for Hartman over the last 9 years.

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This is the high-stick penalty in question:

Cole Perfetti back on the ice for the Jets after taking a high stick to the face by Ryan Hartman off the faceoff during his first shift. pic.twitter.com/LgD6wmMtwo� Dave Minuk (@ICdave) December 31, 2023

Hartman Executes a Planned High-Stick During the Faceoff Against Perfetti at His Own Admission

Looks innocent enough. But as we found out earlier this week when the high stick took place, it was planned. Hartman deliberately high-sticked him in the face as payback for the Brenden Dillon and Kirill Kaprizov play a day earlier.

Winnepeg Jets insider Mike McIntyre:

Wow. #mnwild F Ryan Hartman flat out told #NHLJets Cole Perfetti he deliberately high-sticked him in the face as payback for the Brenden Dillon/Kirill Kaprizov play a day earlier.

Source: Cole Perfetti, just now, AND the microphone he was wearing in game that caught it all.� Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) January 2, 2024

Here is Cole Perfetti talking about the incident being on a hot mic:

Cole Perfetti after Jets morning skate tells us he's was mic'd up for the game against the Wild and Ryan Hartman admitted the stick to the face was intentional.

The proverbial smoking gun.

Full media here: https://t.co/0RBV4mZ4gN pic.twitter.com/GWxULx1ia4� Dave Minuk (@ICdave) January 2, 2024

As Perfetti puts it, Hartman told him "No disrespect, nothing personal to you, it is just something that had to happened."

See Perfetti's perspection below:

Ryan Hartman straight up told Cole Perfetti he highsticked him on purpose because of the Dillon/Kaprizov incident 😬 pic.twitter.com/gkwxbFvOx0� Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 2, 2024

Last night during a panel discussion on SportsNet that was lead by Jennifer Botterill and Jamal Mayers both analysts disagreed on the matter.

Mayers position was that this is part of the player 'code' in the NHL. That if you take out a star player on one team, especially if it is a dirty play, expect some retaliation at some point. The 'eye for an eye' policy that the players play by.

Kaprizov, who is Hartman's teammate and Minnesota's best player, was taken out by a cheap shot so hartman just leveled the playing field. His high stick on Perfetti was dirty, no doubt, that's why he incurred a fine. But that's the cost of doing business in professional hockey. He even told Perfetti it was not personal, just business.

Botterill's position was more in line with player safety as a concern, and marketability of the game.

«To me, Ryan Hartman is sending a message that you're not going to go after our star player. And whether you like it or not, it becomes a question of how I'm going to defend myself, and it's not about fighting you,» Mayers said.

«Some people will say that Hartman should go fight him, right? I think he sent the right message. The fact that everybody knows that he said he was going to do it or not. I'm sorry. I know the game has changed, but there's still an element of fear. There's still an element of being aggressive and sending a message. These two teams could also meet in the playoffs,» he added.

It is safe to say, Botterill did not agree with this take on the situation.

«Both of the terms you guys use, revenge and sending a message, I don't know; you watch the play, and you see Cole Perfetti, a young, great player in your league. Do you think that's what you want to present or succumb to your young, talented players too?» she said. «I don't know. I don't think that's what's selling your game to your biggest stars. Your skilled players just don't care if you're a young player coming up. Be ready because this could happen to you at any point. And you're okay with that? If it's your son out there playing and he takes that two-handed to the face, oh, you know, what a good message to send,» Botterill added.

Here is the exchange below to see for yourself:

The dressing room was the place to be on tonight's panel. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/zqpfHg3xdH� Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 4, 2024

In my opinion, I have to agree with Mayers. You cannot let your star players just get dirty hits or plays without retaliation. It is a rough game, and it is a part of the culture of hockey and what we as fans sometimes do expect to see.

As Read On: Hockey Feed - Sportnet's top female analyst gets put in her place by former NHLer

Previously on HockeyLatest

The NHL is Getting Criticized for Ejecting Toronto's Bobby McMann When a Worse Hit Goes Unpunished

Penguins Star Player Reportedly Has This Canadian Team on His No-Trade List

Rumor: Maple Leafs and Oilers Interested In Bringing Back Former Defenseman

POLL
4 JANVIER \| 89 ANSWERS Former NHL Player Puts SportsNet's Top Female Analyst in Her Place Do you think that the 'eye for an eye' policy between players should still be in the game of hockey?
Yes	58	65.2 %
No	31	34.8 %
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