Wideman Decision Expected Wednesday

[dino7c]

he stepped aside and put his hands/stick up...linesman is backing right into him

some of you have absolutely lost it he is not getting 20+ games


newsflash its not the ref

[Inferno]

I don't think it was intentional as far as abusing an official but I don't think the NHL lets him get away with nothing.

[JetsFlamesFan]

The NHL loves to defend its referees to the grave, so I'd be surprised if he didn't get something, unless Henderson himself goes to bat for Wideman. He might feel differently once he sees a replay though, who knows?

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by flamesforcup

looking at it again i dont think its accidental, i mean he ddnt even look back

Because he was hurt and just wanted to get to the bench.

It's not like he got to the bench and sat there knowing he just ran over a linesman.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Hockey

I'm so confused by this. To me it looks like he did it on purpose, but I just can't see him or anyone doing that on purpose.

Such an odd play. If it was another team's player who did this, we would all be screaming bloody murder. Deep down I don't think widemam meant to do it. But how can you even begin to justify that??

[sun]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

How? How is it not intentional? I've provided the following points:

1. Wideman skates toward Henderson for a good 30 feet before the check

2. Wideman's looking directly at Henderson the seconds before the check

3. He looked angry, not woozy, after the check

1. He's skating towards the gate. Slaps his stick to signal a change. Brodie jumps on. Ref skates into his path.

2. He's looking at the gate.

3. Err....

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

If he can barely stay on his feet:

a) how does he skate to the bench without tripping

b) how could he hit henderson, 6'0", with enough force to knock him over, without

c) falling over

a) By skating to the bench without tripping.

b) Ref is skating backwards (on ice) and not expecting a collision. Wideman is a 200lb professional athlete. Doesn't take much when you're not expecting it. I backed into an ottoman the other day and fell over. The ottoman could have been a varsity athlete back in the day, but didn't have the makings for it.

c) See b. His eyes were closed or vision was blurry. Suddenly a ref appears out of nowhere. Wideman stops up. Ref falls. Looks really bad.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I fully believe it's possible that he wasn't dazed nor was it intentional.

He lost track of where the linesman was, he happened to have both hands on his stick and didn't remove his second hand from the stick when tried to brace is run in with the linesman and ended up crosschecking him in the back by accident.

He seemed really unconcerned with it on the bench. Which is exactly how I would expect a player to react after accidentally running into a ref at any point during a game.

I also think it's important to remember that Weidman probably believes that it's the refs job to get out of his way. The players typically have the right-of-way on the ice.

[sureLoss]

Kristen Odland @KristenOdlandCH
Dennis Wideman on hitting linesman Don Henderson: “I was just trying to get off the ice. And, at the last second, I looked up and saw him."

Kristen Odland @KristenOdlandCH
"I couldn’t avoid it. I didn’t know where to go or how to get out of the way of him.”

Eric Francis @EricFrancis
Wideman: "Throughout my career I think I've treated every official w the utmost respect & I'd never try 2 intentionally hit a linesman or ref

Eric Francis @EricFrancis
MOre Wideman: "It was completely unintentional and I already apologized to him."

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Such an odd play. If it was another team's player who did this, we would all be screaming bloody murder. Deep down I don't think widemam meant to do it. But how can you even begin to justify that??

I would call it exactly the same no matter the team...look at his skates, he notices at the last second gets his stick and hands up while moving away from the boards...Sutter just said the same thing

maybe he gets a game or two just cause NHL but it wont be a big one

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Kristen Odland @KristenOdlandCH
Dennis Wideman on hitting linesman Don Henderson: “I was just trying to get off the ice. And, at the last second, I looked up and saw him."

Kristen Odland @KristenOdlandCH
"I couldn’t avoid it. I didn’t know where to go or how to get out of the way of him.”

He could have avoided it by stopping, or at least trying to ease the contact. He drilled him.

[sun]

Originally Posted by CGY12

Classic example of a player being frustrated/angry after getting hit hard. I 100% believe that was intentional. Wideman should be suspended.

Classic example? List some more.

[GoJetsGo]

I have a 70inch TV and just watched it a dozen times in slow motion and it's so hard to tell.

He clearly had his bell rung in the corner before skating to the bench but watching it slowed down it's impossible to tell his intent without seeing his face.

He does cut to his right as though he's startled and trying to move out of the way... but, he also seems to consciously raise his hands and thrust the stick forward. Was that just reactionary?

Either way, as usual the handful of blow-hards proclaiming it's definitely one way or the other like they know with 100% certainty are painful to read.

[calumniate]

Pretty embarrassing. Luckily he doesn't have a history of decking linesman!

Suspend the concussion protocol guy and some of our coaching staff including the pp? :-)

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Actually now that I see it, its even more serious then I thought. I say its grounds for terminating his contract.

Criminal investigation.

Jail time.

Public flogging.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Kristen Odland @KristenOdlandCH
Dennis Wideman on hitting linesman Don Henderson: “I was just trying to get off the ice. And, at the last second, I looked up and saw him."

Kristen Odland @KristenOdlandCH
"I couldn’t avoid it. I didn’t know where to go or how to get out of the way of him.”

Eric Francis @EricFrancis
Wideman: "Throughout my career I think I've treated every official w the utmost respect & I'd never try 2 intentionally hit a linesman or ref

Eric Francis @EricFrancis
MOre Wideman: "It was completely unintentional and I already apologized to him."

#greentext: I don't believe it for one second. The internet mob justice league has spoken. GUILTY! For shame Dennis Wideman! For shame!

[Hockeyguy15]

It's rediculous that so many people think Wideman meant to run over the linesman. The biggest goons in the league don't even do that.

Please explain to me why it makes sense that it was anything other than an accident?

[Dion]

nm

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by flamesforcup

looking at it again i dont think its accidental, i mean he ddnt even look back

To me, that makes it seem even more accidental.

He didn't even look like he thought anything strange happened.

Think of when players make dirty hits on other players. They usually don't just skate to the bench and look oblivious. They usually have that "fight or flight" look because they know they just did something wrong.

[Yrebmi]

Intentional act on an unintentional target.
I doubt he gets a lengthy suspension if at all.

Edit- I could see some reaction from the league just to set precedent against official abuse more than any belief Wideman intended to injure the linesman. Still doubt it though.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

He could have avoided it by stopping, or at least trying to ease the contact. He drilled him.

he did, look at his skates...also linesman is skating backwards and top speed not looking behind him