Dennis Wideman Suspended 20 Games

[NerveDamage 4,176]

So the NHL is going to have a hearing on Tuesday to review the case of Dennis Wideman cross-checking linesman Don Henderson.

Since the hit happened it sparked a bit of controversy, not only on this forum but on the entire league. I've watch the footage several times and have some conclusions of my own. but let's see what has been said in the media around this issue.

http://calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/nhl/calgary-flames/flames-dennis-wideman-suspended-indefinitely-report

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/14668216/dennis-wideman-calgary-flames-suspended-indefinitely-crosschecking-linesman

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmacramalla/2016/01/28/why-dennis-wideman-shouldnt-be-suspended/#588f54ac902f

I for one believe he wasn't completely out of it since after hitting the linesman he avoids the incoming Nashville player. I wouldn't expect that kind of reaction or level of awareness from someone who is concussed. Wideman did claim he didn't see the ref until the last moment but had just enough time to dodge the other player.

Is it a deliberate hit? Is it worthy of suspension? What are your thoughts?

Edited January 29, 2016 by NerveDamage

[MabusIncarnate 5,359]

I don't feel like Wideman is a classified "dirty player", nor did he really have any motive to want to just go take out a linesman. I feel like if he was skating off in a bit of a daze, and the opposing team was wearing their white jerseys, his reaction was thinking there was a Predators skater in front of him when he put his head up and threw his arms out before he even realized it was a ref and not a player.

He had zero reason to just go viciously attack a linesmen, It wasn't like he was just in an argument with him or disputed a call he made. It was too random to be intentional, and i'd like to believe that his actions were intended to be directed at a Preds skater.

In that video above at 50 seconds, it seems like someone on the bench tells Wideman he just hit a ref and it looks like he had a surprised response of "What?!" which also leads me to believe it was entirely unintended.

[Wings_Toledo 233]

I don't think it was deliberate but people in sports media who don't follow hockey think it was. Looks to me like he instinctively got his stick up at the last second to protect himself and didn't realize it was a linesman.

[MabusIncarnate 5,359]

Even though Wideman doesn't have a reputation, and may very well have been in a fog after getting knocked into the boards - I still feel this warrants 8 to 10 games so the league sets the tone.

I agree, because I feel like the intention of doing that to an opposing player was there, and it would have been a dirty shot IF he had caught the player off guard and he collapsed like the ref did. I honestly feel like though if it was a Pred he did that to and not the ref, that the player would have stayed on his skates and it would have just resulted in a minor penalty with no further escalation. Players in overall size and stature can take a lot more impact and I don't think it would have looked anywhere near as bad had it not been a ref.

I am firm in the belief that he legitimately didn't know it was a linesman in front of him when he did what he did, and that aspect of it was accidental.

[NerveDamage 4,176]

I agree, because I feel like the intention of doing that to an opposing player was there, and it would have been a dirty shot IF he had caught the player off guard and he collapsed like the ref did. I honestly feel like though if it was a Pred he did that to and not the ref, that the player would have stayed on his skates and it would have just resulted in a minor penalty with no further escalation. Players in overall size and stature can take a lot more impact and I don't think it would have looked anywhere near as bad had it not been a ref.

I am firm in the belief that he legitimately didn't know it was a linesman in front of him when he did what he did, and that aspect of it was accidental.

I remember hearing in an ESPN discussion how Don Henderson is 6'4"which is pretty damn big imo. I keep seeing the hit and cannot imagine how devastating that can be. He was skating backwards totally unaware of what was about to happen, without any chance to protect himself. I believe a hit like that would look or be as bad no matter what size of the person on the receiving end.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

I don't believe for a second that he didn't know what he was doing or didn't see the linesman. He was looking right at him and raised his arms to hit him. It's probably something he woudn't have done if he hadn't been knocked loopy, but he did it with intent anyway.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

I don't believe for a second that he didn't know what he was doing or didn't see the linesman. He was looking right at him and raised his arms to hit him. It's probably something he woudn't have done if he hadn't been knocked loopy, but he did it with intent anyway.

I agree, still think he should get 10-15 games. I want the NHL to finally set an example on you can't touch the refs like that. Unacceptable.

[kickazz 5,459]

I think it was intentional. You don't have to have a bad rep to lose it for a second. He certainly walked back to the bench fine and played the rest of the game. I also haven't heard anything about him going through a concussion protocol

Why would you put both hands on your stick (in cross check position) well before approaching the bench? I mean look at the following image. He's no where close to his own bench and he's looking right at the linesman and he already has his stick in an approaching cross-check position.

Edited January 29, 2016 by kickazz

[kickazz 5,459]

He also is completely unphased by the Nashville playing coming towards him at high speed and even slightly moves out of the players way. If he was out of it, he would have reacted to the player skating right towards him too.

Edited January 29, 2016 by kickazz

[kickazz 5,459]

I think we would need the opposite angle camera view to look what his line of sight and see whether or not he was "out of it" or directly staring at the linesman.

[sleepwalker 512]

Meh.

Clearly (to me anyway) he was dazed and thought it was an opposing player, but that won't stop the lynch mob from demanding his head on a platter.

[kickazz 5,459]

I've pretended to be dazed to draw a penalty before lol (if you ain't trying to sell, no one's going to buy). Although I never wrecked a linesman in the process. Speculation is both ways to be honest. I think we'd need a better camera angle to see his actual facial reaction as he's approaching the guy. I'm sure we'll get exactly that when the NHL does a video analysis to the public. They're usually really good about breaking things down with added camera angles.

Edited January 29, 2016 by kickazz

[paulwoodsfan 52]

So if he was dazed and cross-checked an opposing player from behind, it would OK? If he was dazed, why did he stay in the game and not go through the protocol? Guys are responsible for their actions if they are conscious and aware, and this type of cheap shot with a stick is not OK regardless of who was on the receiving end. The fact it was an official makes a suspension almost a requirement. I'd say 10 games.

[kickazz 5,459]

Even if they determine it to be an accident (it really could have been). It should be 8-10 games to stay in line with rules of protecting linesman and refs.

Edited January 29, 2016 by kickazz

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Meh.

Clearly (to me anyway) he was dazed and thought it was an opposing player, but that won't stop the lynch mob from demanding his head on a platter.

Even of he was loopy, he still extended his arms and smoked the linesman like a joint at Willie Nelson's house. He didn't just bump him or skate over him.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

Yep, the lynch mob are out.

[55fan 5,133]

I think he was out of it. I've done things out of it (as in drunk) that I'd never do sober, but a person is responsible for his actions.

I wouldn't give a terribly big suspension as if he had run a ref with the intent to injure the ref, but if a player is responsible for his stick on a high-sticking penalty, he should be responsible for it in this case too.

I'd definitely give a suspension, but not as harsh as someone who intentionally whacked a ref.

Any number in the higher single-digits to low double-digits is good with me. Of course if there is more evidence, such as camera angles, then that would change things.

[kickazz 5,459]

Even of he was loopy, he still extended his arms and smoked the linesman like a joint at Willie Nelson's house. He didn't just bump him or skate over him.

Yeah that's why I can't make a case for his defense as much as I've watched the damn clip probably over 30 times now. His reaction was just too harsh to be "COMPLETELY DISREGARD IT AS AN ACCIDENT SCREW THE LYNCH MOB". There's some responsibility in this. If the NHL didn't do anything about it, it would probably hurt their reputation.

I watched his post game interview and some reports that he apologized quite a bit after the game. 8-12 games sounds maybe fair but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they went with the standard 20 games for hitting an official.

[chaps80 1,591]

I don't believe for a second that he didn't know what he was doing or didn't see the linesman. He was looking right at him and raised his arms to hit him. It's probably something he woudn't have done if he hadn't been knocked loopy, but he did it with intent anyway.

My thoughts exactly. Def looked deliberate. I dunno how anyone could think otherwise..he smoked that guy.

Edited January 30, 2016 by chaps80

[kickazz 5,459]

My thoughts exactly. Def looked deliberate. I dunno how anyone could think otherwise..he smoked that guy.

Change Wideman's name with Raffi Torres and you have an entirely new bandwagon.

Edited January 30, 2016 by kickazz

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Change linesman to Dylan Larkin or Pavel Datsyuk and you have people who say it's no big deal wanting him gone for a year.

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

Like I said in the around the league thread, if he was dazed and did it unknowingly then him staying in the game and not going through the concussion protocol is a problem. Maybe it was a mix of him not getting a call for what he thought was a bad hit+him being loopy from said hit and he made a bad decision, but I would be more inclined to believe it was accidental had he not stayed in the game.

I don't buy that he looked up at the last second and threw his hands up to protect himself because you can see his head up way before he threw his hands up. I doubt it was intentional, but it was more avoidable then he's playing it out to be.

So count me in the "lynch mob" who thinks he should be suspended, whether or not he meant to do it.

If he was out of it, he shouldve went through the concussion protocol, if he wasn't he could have put his arms around the ref instead of winding up to crosscheck him.

[kickazz 5,459]

Like I said in the around the league thread, if he was dazed and did it unknowingly then him staying in the game and not going through the concussion protocol is a problem. Maybe it was a mix of him not getting a call for what he thought was a bad hit+him being loopy from said hit and he made a bad decision, but I would be more inclined to believe it was accidental had he not stayed in the game.

I don't buy that he looked up at the last second and threw his hands up to protect himself because you can see his head up way before he threw his hands up. I doubt it was intentional, but it was more avoidable then he's playing it out to be.

So count me in the "lynch mob" who thinks he should be suspended, whether or not he meant to do it.

If he was out of it, he shouldve went through the concussion protocol, if he wasn't he could have put his arms around the ref instead of winding up to crosscheck him.

Yeah you said it better than me basically. It's just hard to justify it regardless of how you look at it. The lack of concussion protocol, the ability to walk back to the bench and having his head up the entire time, the intensity and accuracy of the hit. A lot of factors are against him at the moment. Forget that it's Wideman (who generally has had a good rep) and pretend like it's some random dude and then make the analysis.

Edited January 30, 2016 by kickazz

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

I don't know for sure if he seen the ref, but he had enough time to raise up, get both hands on the stick,and put some weight behind the cross check motion, so I'd have to believe he could've avoided that outcome..

It's definitely a weird situation, and it's damn near impossible to prove his motive in this situation. Its not a black and white suspension but If you're responsible for your stick accidentally hitting someone in the face, you should be held responsible for cross checking a ref in the back, but doing this to a ref is and should most definitely be more serious than doing it to a player, incidently or not.

Edited January 30, 2016 by jimmyemeryhunter

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

Meh.

Clearly (to me anyway) he was dazed and thought it was an opposing player, but that won't stop the lynch mob from demanding his head on a platter.

Yep, the lynch mob are out.

I mean, there's no way to know for sure what exactly happened or what motivated him to react the way he did, which is exactly why people are just giving their opinions on it. Suggesting you believe he should be suspended bc of this doesn't make those who think that a "lynch mob," its a matter of opinion, we're trying to make up our minds based off of the information available.

I guess I'm just confused as to what makes those thinking he should be suspended a lynch mob?