Dennis Wideman is facing a 20-game suspension for cross-checking an official on the ice on January 27, and many are saying the punishment does not fit the crime, but the suspension could have been even more severe.
After taking a hit along the boards against the Predators in his own defensive end, Wideman slowly came to his feet and started making his way to the bench for a line change.
What happened next is among the ugliest scenes we have seen in any sport for quite some time.
Watch video of the events unfolding
Wideman appeared to be a bit woozy as he made his way to the bench, but that did not stop him from plowing into the linesman for no reason whatsoever.
Let’s ask some questions before we move to the suspension hearing:
Did Wideman hit the ref from behind with a hardy cross-check because he thought one of the four officials on the ice missed a call that should have been made in his favor?
Did Wideman hit the ref on his way off the ice simply to get out some frustration from being hit just seconds before?
Does the fact that Wideman had not had any type of similar incidents over his 755 games played in the league matter?
Did Wideman not recognize that he was about to plow over a referee from behind because he instantly was dealing with concussion issues?
Is the 20-game suspension too harsh or not severe enough, or is it fair and what it should be?
On a personal note, I know that I might have been too harsh towards Wideman myself, because I ripped into him on Twitter for being an asshole. This is a guy who supposedly does work off the ice helping to stop bullying in the youth ranks, but yet when I saw the hit, bullying was the first thing I thought of.
Let’s take you back to last year in a different sport all together. Clint Dempsey of the Seattle Sounders was handed a two-year suspension from the U.S Open Cup for his actions against the ref as the game was nearing the final whistle last year against Portland. Dempsey had been riding the ref for 10 minutes before the well-documented incident in which he tore up the referee’s book and got sent off the field with a red card. This eventually led to a 2-year ban and a 3-game suspension from the MLS as well.
Here is how that went down. Watch the video by clicking here … Dempsey Suspension
Dempsey did not even touch the referee, short of ripping the score card out of his hand and into pieces before being sent off the field. Now granted, his suspension only amounts to about 10 games max, because Seattle starts playing in the U.S Open Cup at the latter stages of the tournament. In all actuality, he could just miss 3 or 4 games if Seattle doesn’t advance deep in the event in the next two years.
So back to Wideman. Now the NHLPA and the NHLOA (National Hockey League Officials’ Association) will have to meet in New York and decide if the punishment fits the crime.
Wideman said that he wasn’t aware of his actions, but the biggest mark against him came later when he declined treatment and continued to play. There is no such thing as a five-second concussion, and Wideman was clear enough to tap his stick on the ice to alert the bench he was coming off the ice for a change.
So my question is, if he was aware enough to skate off and alert the bench he was coming off the ice, why was he not aware enough to know that the linesman had his back to him before he took his stick in both hands and jacked up an official on his way there? And if he remained in the game saying he was fine and didn’t need attention for a head injury, than why now is he using concussion protocol as an excuse for what he did?
Immediately after the game, Wideman stated that he had his head down, and didn’t see linesman Don Henderson until it was too late, but you have to be a complete idiot to buy any of that if you watch the video or caught the incident when it happened.
Another question I have is why was he able to remain in the game after the hit?
As they say, the video does not lie, and the only one lying about the incident seems to be Dennis Wideman. He clearly saw the linesman, and he clearly put both hands on his stick to intentionally deliver the hit, so we can expect he may have a different story to tell as time goes by.
I personally think it is not severe enough, and we have seen suspensions for similar incidents with player vs player cross-checks, but this is not one of those circumstances. The linesman was looking up ice, and didn’t do anything to deserve the hit. If Wideman thought a penalty should have been called for the hit that he took against the boards, it is not the linesman’s responsibility to make that call.
Linesmen do not call penalties and, if Wideman was trying to take out his frustration on an official who he thought missed a call, that is not how you go about dealing with it.
Naturally, we all have our own feelings on these types of plays that lead to players being taken off the field/court/ice if you will, and yes the linesman also stayed in the game and did not start a fight or an argument with anyone. What if Dom Henderson was seriously hurt? If he was any closer to the boards and went face first into the rail, would a 20-game suspension than be considered not enough?
The ‘what if?’ questions matter, because Wideman could have separated Henderson’s shoulder, given him whiplash, or worse, of course. He also could have ended Henderson’s career. We have seen many players lose years of their careers in similar incidents and this is not even a player vs player discussion.
So, after seeing the video my first emotional reaction was that his punishment wasn’t harsh enough. After looking at the video and evaluating the situation, I now think that 20 games off the ice is fair.
What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them!
