Whatever set him off, it must have been something serious, because he was clearly really upset. A former top-10 NHL pick will likely be suspended long-term after an attack on an opponent.
Ruthless Attack Likely to Lead to Long-term Suspension
Nick Ritchie, who currently plays for Karpat of the Finnish Elite League, was booted from a game yesterday after pinning an opponent to the ice and repeatedly punching him in the head. He received 5 and a game for his actions, and Liiga's disciplinary committee is now looking into the incident.
"Liiga has checked the situation from Thursday's #HCTPS – #Kärpät match in time 38:40, where Kärpat's Nick Ritchie punches TPS's Markus Nurmea in the head area with a glove in his hand. Ritchie was sentenced to 5+ a Game for the situation.
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➡️ The situation proceeds to #Liiga 's disciplinary delegation"
Nick Ritchie Facing Lengthy Suspension After Losing his Head in Finnish Elite League
There is no word at the moment on what set Ritchie off. It won't matter a whole lot in the eyes of the disciplinary committee as I can't imagine much would warrant these actions.
Ritchie was drafted 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2014. Besides the Ducks, he also played for Boston, Toronto, Arizona and Calgary before leaving the league for Europe this year.
Ritchie, who is now 28, had his best seasons with the Ducks, when he put up 31 points in 2018-19. He never lived up to the hype of being a top-10 pick, hence why he's playing in Finland right now. Fans are reacting to his actions with disbelief.
"This attack is unconscionable. Nick Ritchie has 483 career PIM in 481 games. This goon should be banned from the league. It's a 5 game suspension and referral for discipline. I, and others in the comments, hope that he is charged with assault and put in jail."
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