Today, an Opinion by independent arbitrator James Oldham saw the 20-game Dennis Wideman suspension cut in half. It was the first such case to go through the arbitration process for discipline handed down by the National Hockey League. The NHL immediately decried the decision, saying it “strenuously disagreed” with Oldham’s Opinion, and that it would be “reviewing the Opinion in detail”.
NHL statement on Wideman suspension. pic.twitter.com/gGOJ9pWFIz
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 11, 2016
Wideman was initially suspended for Rule 40 “Physical Abuse of Officials” for his actions on January 27 in a game against the Nashville Predators. He did not receive a penalty on the play.
The NHL immediately reinstated Wideman, who is now eligible to rejoin the Calgary Flames ahead of Friday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes in Glendale, AZ.
Wideman was initially concussed on a hit by Miikka Salomaki. As Wideman skated to the bench, he brought up his stick and crosschecked linesman Don Henderson. Henderson has not returned to officiate a game since the incident.
The NHL Players Association wasn’t pleased with the Opinion either, but did release the following statement:
“Given that it was undisputed that Dennis suffered a concussion mere seconds prior to his collision with linesman Don Henderson, we felt strongly that there should have been no discipline. Nonetheless we are pleased that Arbitrator Oldham found that the collision was not intentional and that the suspension was reduced to 10 games. We respect the process and the decision and we look forward to Dennis returning to the ice tonight with his teammates.”
Wideman has already served 19 of the initial 20 game ban handed out by the NHL and later upheld by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. He will receive back $282,258 of salary originally lost to the 20 game suspension.
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