Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman simply had to pay for his crime. And pay he will, to the tune of $ 564,516.20.
While Last Word on Sports reported on the suspension earlier today, this subject is worthy of deeper analysis. Feel free to weigh in below…
Dennis Wideman Suspension: The NHL Got it Right
The NHL got this one right. And on this, there can be no meaningful debate. While Wideman was immediately suspended following the game for an indefinite period of time, the NHL did a very good job by allowing for a “cooling down” period before rendering its verdict, thus avoiding a knee-jerk reaction based on emotional bias. They spent the better part of a week deliberating, discussing, and reviewing footage in order to make the best decision possible in the matter of Wideman’s on-ice actions which led to the unfortunate injury of an NHL official.
Here’s the incident one more time, for reference:
Job one for the league here is to assure the National Hockey League Officials Association that their members will be afforded a safe environment in which to work, and that the league is 100% committed to upholding a zero-tolerance policy with regard to any deliberate action which endangers the safety of it’s officials. If officials need to start worrying about their personal safety during the course of a game, their ability to do their jobs with the degree of efficacy expected of them will be irreparably compromised. The code here is as old as the game itself: You don’t harm, intimidate or manhandle officials, ever. Chirp within reason, argue a bad call, emphatically if you must, just don’t put your hand on them.
The official regulation cited as the premise for Wideman’s 20-game suspension states that any action demonstrating “intent to injure,” which is defined as “any physical force which a player knew, or should have known, could reasonably be expected to cause injury” to an official warrants an automatic 20-game suspension. The league had zero choice here, and the number is neither random nor arbitrary. It’s a matter of cold, hard league policy as agreed upon in the collective bargaining agreement.
Having watched the video numerous times, what I see is a player in pain, but appearing stable on his skates indicating no immediate evidence of head trauma, who is angry about the non-call on the hit he received moments previous, who then proceeds to cross-check an official from behind, while in a vulnerable position. That official is Don Henderson, who has yet to be medically cleared to return to duty.
Ramming an official from behind comes with a reasonable expectation of injury, and there is nothing about Wideman’s actions that indicate this was simply a “wrong place, wrong time” scenario. Henderson didn’t appear out of thin air. He was positioned along the boards at least 55 feet away from Wideman at the time the player began to make his way in the direction of the Flame’s bench. The onus here is on Wideman, as the official is facing the direction of the play. With his head up, Wideman holds the stick above his waist and perpendicular to the ice, and strides directly into Henderson with both fists and (presumably) the shaft of his stick making contact in a forceful manner, right between the shoulder blades, causing the official to fall face-first to the ice. This wasn’t a last minute, split-decision event that went pear-shaped. I would also contend that any player disoriented by a hit and experiencing vertigo heading toward the bench would more than likely have his stick on the ice for stability, not held waist-high.
Wideman appeared frustrated with the non-call, and made no attempt to warn or (better yet) avoid Henderson, nor did he show any concern or remorse after the fact, with Henderson lying face-down on the ice. While shaken up, Wideman was not required by Flames medical personnel to undergo mandatory concussion protocol, yet somehow, the Flames and the NHLPA argued during the 90-minute hearing that there was “medical evidence” that would exonerate Wideman from the consequences of his actions.
Of course, we cannot argue intent. Dennis Wideman is not known as a dirty player, and there is no suggestion here, or elsewhere that he is anything but a respected NHL citizen held in high regard by the league. In eleven seasons, he’s never been fined or suspended. What is indisputable, however, is that he made several decisions which created an event wherein it was a reasonable expectation that an official’s safety would be jeopardized. And for that, he must be held accountable.
The NHLPA will appeal the 20 game suspension for Wideman. Explanation is below. #Flames pic.twitter.com/0h1U6lVbyc
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) February 3, 2016
The NHLPA has appealed the decision, and while they’ll press for a reduction in the number of games Wideman will miss, to expect the league to reverse its position to any significant degree would be met with disappointment. Irrespective of intent, Wideman will be made an example of, in order to uphold an age-old mandate to protect officials and deter players at all levels from contemplating endangering an official, either intentionally, or through a careless act.
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