I just can't see how anyone can think Wideman did this on purpose. I have never seen anyone purposely strike a referee. The only things that have ever come close are usually the result of a player falling while skating towards them.
I've watched old time hockey, new hockey, played, coached kids, never once have I seen this happen. And that's forgetting that this is a linesman. There's literally no reason to ever intend to do this unless you have a mental health issue that is causing you to perceive a different reality. Even on the most egregious of offside calls, no player ever has thought "Hmm, I'm gonna body check that guy." And there wasn't even a linesman's call that made any game impact. It just makes zero sense from every possible angle except a frame of video that shows him looking up moments before impact.
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