Ryan Hartman overwhelmed by donations to help him pay fine for flipping off Evander Kane
Anthony Scultore
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Ryan Hartman and Evander Kane each received 10-minute misconducts and a roughing penalty after a scrum that took place in the third period on Tuesday night.
Kane also received a crosschecking minor following his hit on Wild star Kirill Kaprizov, a move that caught the attention of the remainder of the Minnesota players on the ice that led to the altercation.
“He gave Kirill a shot from behind in a very vulnerable spot,” Hartman said of Kane. “It goes to show, we had five guys in there. They didn’t have one guy in there to help him.”
As Hartman was being pulled away, he looked back at Kane and flipped him the middle-finger. That led to the NHL hitting him with a fine of $4,250.
While the fine is the maximum allowable under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, Hartman told reporters after the incident that any fine stemming from his actions would be “well worth it.”
Ryan Hartman gets donations for fine
Since the fine was announced, Hartman started receiving an outpouring of praise and donations to help assist him in paying.
“Wow… overwhelmed by the amount of donations I have received to help pay for my fine,” Hartman tweeted. “You fans are amazing. I will be paying for it with my own money, but wanted to let everyone know that any money sent to me by 7 pm on Friday will be donated to Children’s Minnesota.”
Kane, who was signed by the Edmonton Oilers after having his contract terminated by the San Jose Sharks, has been embroiled in several investigations this season.
His signing hinged on the results of an investigation into an alleged breach of COVID-19 protocol that marked the final straw for Kane’s tenure in San Jose. That investigation concluded without sufficient evidence to discipline Kane any further.
The NHL previously suspended Kane for 21 games for submitting a fake vaccination card and the Sharks assigned him to their American Hockey League affiliate. Then, Kane reportedly traveled from California to his home in Vancouver in December after he tested positive for COVID, in violation of the AHL’s protocol.
Kane was also investigated by the NHL for allegations made by his estranged wife, Anna Kane, which included domestic violence and betting on NHL games. He admitted to a gambling problem but denied those particular accusations, and the NHL did not find evidence to support either claim.
