400 votes and it's still a 55/45 split. When I went to bed last night it was almost exactly 50/50. Amazing.
Not expecting to change anyone's mind but I'll add a couple of quick comments based on some screen shots I've uploaded:
Notice that Wideman is approaching the linesman either directly to his back, or slightly towards his inside shoulder. If he continues in this path he likely hits him square in the back or slightly off-center (i.e. on the "9").
Instead, he notices him at the last second and tries to sidestep him (he won't make it around him against the boards, so he instinctively goes the other way). Unfortunately, rather than hitting him square in the back and pushing him forward, he effectively angles him directly into the boards.
Look at where Wideman is looking in photos 2 and 3. Not at the linesman, but at the bench/door and possible the oncoming Predators player who is rushing up ice with the puck -- see #20 in the photo below:
My best guess at his "intent" was that he was trying to get off the ice on the long change and was feeling the effects of the hit (either head related or neck/shoulder related or both). That is why he didn't bear hug the linesman (as Kerry Fraser suggests and what might have happened if the situation was different); he knows he has to get off the ice and is using whatever gas is left in the tank to do it.
P.S. The video of the Canuck player hitting the same linesman just goes to show he's not very careful on the ice and probably should do a better job staying out of the way next time