Wideman Decision Expected Wednesday

[Fan in Exile]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Have you actually paused the video when contact is made? If you do so you can clearly see Wideman's right hand, which is behind the shoulder. If you follow the angle of the stick which you can clearly see it points to exactly where his left hand is. I know that's where his left hand is because he is holding the stick with it.

For an "objective observer" you're pretty quick to dismiss.

Maybe you have better resolution than I do but I find it tough to say it is clear exactly where the stick struck the linesman. I think the fact that Wideman moved the stick from one of his hands into both of his hands, raised it and struck an official who has his back turned and does not wear protective equipment in the upper-back or neck area (both of which contain vertebrae), is more important than whether he hit him in the neck or slightly below it.

[Fan in Exile]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Have you actually paused the video when contact is made? If you do so you can clearly see Wideman's right hand, which is behind the shoulder. If you follow the angle of the stick which you can clearly see it points to exactly where his left hand is. I know that's where his left hand is because he is holding the stick with it.

For an "objective observer" you're pretty quick to dismiss.

Maybe you have better resolution than I do but I find it tough to say it is clear exactly where the stick struck the linesman. I think the fact that Wideman moved the stick from one of his hands into both of his hands, raised it and struck an official who has his back turned and does not wear protective equipment in the upper-back or neck area (both of which contain vertebrae), is more important than whether he hit him in the neck or slightly below it.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by Fan in Exile

Maybe you have better resolution than I do but I find it tough to say it is clear exactly where the stick struck the linesman. I think the fact that Wideman moved the stick from one of his hands into both of his hands, raised it and struck an official who has his back turned and does not wear protective equipment in the upper-back or neck area (both of which contain vertebrae), is more important than whether he hit him in the neck or slightly below it.

I doubt it's a resolution issue, I am on my phone. If you look in the space above Wideman's right shoulder you can see where his stick is in the air. If you draw a straight line down the shaft you can map where the stick is.

If I knew how to post a picture I would show you. Maybe some kind soul would be able to do it for me.

Also fun fact: when you are going for a line change you generally put the stick in both hands and raise it vertically to get on the bench. If you don't use 2 hands you usually raise it vertically as well.

[Phanuthier]

Video of Denis Wideman's comments (probably already seen)

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/...oments-earlier

(I guess I'm probably spamming this thread too much now, I'm kind of intrigued now since this is a inter-national phenomena now)

Is that the comment that made everyone upset for not showing enough empathy? When asked if he'd be surprised if he heard anything from the league, he response "uh... yeah..."

LOL. Poor Denis, he's in for a surprise. Thank you to Fox news and Good Morning America. Probably will be on Maury too or something soon, or at least he'll have time for afternoon TV with a impending 100 game suspension!

[Mike F]

I know you can't judge the whole event by a single image, but for those hanging onto the "He had his bell rung and was too woozy to register the linesman" defense, this is a pretty damning shot:



Wideman is fully upright, with his head up, looking straight at the linesman, and is gliding balanced on one skate. A guy who has his bell rung would not be skating like that, which accords with Wideman's own assertion that he'd wrenched his shoulder but did not have any cognitive issues.

FWIW, I think Kerry Fraser's take is probably closest to the truth - Wideman thinks he can get between the linesman and the boards, and by the time he realizes he can't, he's unable to get fully out of the way.

Having said that, looking at the video I can't see how he was ever going to get between the linesman and the boards, and when you have an official in a vulnerable position you have to be sure you avoid contact. To use a legal term, Wideman was completely negligent in how he approached the linesman, struck him high when he was in a vulnerable position, and skated away with no show of concern. For that, I'm fine with anything up to 5 games. The league is justified in ensuring its officials are protected.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Have you actually paused the video when contact is made? If you do so you can clearly see Wideman's right hand, which is behind the shoulder. If you follow the angle of the stick which you can clearly see it points to exactly where his left hand is. I know that's where his left hand is because he is holding the stick with it.

For an "objective observer" you're pretty quick to dismiss.

I'm done with this thread until the hearing, but I had to log in just to say that this is bullocks. You cannot "clearly" see anything you describe in the video.

[icarus]

I can't believe this was reported in the Guardian in the UK and it has 87 comments!

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by Mike F

I know you can't judge the whole event by a single image, but for those hanging onto the "He had his bell rung and was too woozy to register the linesman" defense, this is a pretty damning shot:

Wideman is fully upright, with his head up, looking straight at the linesman, and is gliding balanced on one skate. A guy who has his bell rung would not be skating like that, which accords with Wideman's own assertion that he'd wrenched his shoulder but did not have any cognitive issues.

FWIW, I think Kerry Fraser's take is probably closest to the truth - Wideman thinks he can get between the linesman and the boards, and by the time he realizes he can't, he's unable to get fully out of the way.

Having said that, looking at the video I can't see how he was ever going to get between the linesman and the boards, and when you have an official in a vulnerable position you have to be sure you avoid contact. To use a legal term, Wideman was completely negligent in how he approached the linesman, struck him high when he was in a vulnerable position, and skated away with no show of concern. For that, I'm fine with anything up to 5 games. The league is justified in ensuring its officials are protected.

One problem, we still can't see his eyes. Where are they looking? Are they even open? It would seem he's looking straight ahead but there's no way to tell.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

One problem, we still can't see his eyes. Where are they looking? Are they even open? It would seem he's looking straight ahead but there's no way to tell.

Theres a preds player looking right at him from the bench, wonder what he would say. Cant make out the number. Jarnkrok or Rebeiro maybe.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Mike F

For that, I'm fine with anything up to 5 games. The league is justified in ensuring its officials are protected.

Prepare to be not fine then. The minimum he gets imo is 10.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

One problem, we still can't see his eyes. Where are they looking? Are they even open? It would seem he's looking straight ahead but there's no way to tell.

There are actually quite a few more issues than just the 'where are his eyes?' with that post. Regardless of the final ruling on intent and even what Wideman's intent truly was, if any, a screenshot from 5s prior to the collision determines nothing and provides no evidence one way or another.

[Bingo]

Sometimes in a situation like this you have to drop all the details and just ask yourself what makes sense?

Why would Wideman look up and then target a linesman from 100 feet away? It doesn't make any sense.

He is however, a pissy guy from what I've gathered so I do think it's possible that he lost sight of where he was, skated himself into a tight spot, was surprised with it, and still annoyed from getting plastered, reacted badly by shoving the guy out of his way.

So he gets suspended, but tracking his eyes etc seem like a waste of time to me.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Sometimes in a situation like this you have to drop all the details and just ask yourself what makes sense?

Why would Wideman look up and then target a linesman from 100 feet away? It doesn't make any sense.

He is however, a pissy guy from what I've gathered so I do think it's possible that he lost sight of where he was, skated himself into a tight spot, was surprised with it, and still annoyed from getting plastered, reacted badly by shoving the guy out of his way.

So he gets suspended, but tracking his eyes etc seem like a waste of time to me.

Nailed it.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

One problem, we still can't see his eyes. Where are they looking? Are they even open? It would seem he's looking straight ahead but there's no way to tell.

Seriously?!? In order to absolve Wideman you're going to suggest that he was gliding around on one skate in the middle of an NHL game with his eyes closed??

[Bingo]

^I think the last second jig of his skate direction to the right essentially proves that he didn't see him. I think that's all he's saying.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by Bingo

^I think the last second jig of his skate direction to the right essentially proves that he didn't see him. I think that's all he's saying.

Or maybe he thought about it and did it exactly the way he wanted. Doesn't prove anything. Like others have said you can't know what Wideman is thinking but we do know what he actually did and it wasn't good.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Or maybe he thought about it and did it exactly the way he wanted. Doesn't prove anything. Like others have said you can't know what Wideman is thinking but we do know what he actually did and it wasn't good.

So he intended to hit the official and tossed in a last second look of shock by having his skates jig right to make it look accidental?

Sure ...

I don't know, you're right, but I think I can feel pretty comfortable in eliminating the two extremes in this argument; 1) completely accidental 2) the plan all along

Hell maybe he was possessed by an evil spirit for 10 seconds, can't prove he wasn't!

[browna]

Originally Posted by icarus

I can't believe this was reported in the Guardian in the UK and it has 87 comments!

Dennis Wideman is the new "Hardman" of the NHL, ala Vinnie Jones.

I think the timing of this, just before the all star break and thus 6 days for a hearing, with 3 days of nothing else going on in hockey until today to talk about this and have it be digested and discussed all over the league and in social media etc, IMO lessens it over what it may have been if the hearing was a day or two after. Because there has been so much ridiculousness bantered about regarding 20+ games and intention etc., that it's reanalyzed in that light and swung the benefit of the doubt the other way.

Becuase of non game misconduct, and so the fact the league can pick any number and not have to stick to the letter or the rules, I think it will be 3 games. Reason will be that there was no flagrant intention, but there was excessive force used on an official that can't be tolerated.

[ricosuave]

kinda surprised that there hasn't been alternate angle footage released by anyone, least of which, the flames...

[FiveSeven]

All I have to add is, have you ever been body checked into the boards and ended up hurting yourself? Probably not.

Have you ever been in a great deal of pain? Maybe.
Your eyes are either going to be squinting or closed or teary.

We can't see it through his eye's so I'm not sure why people are so certain of what he is looking at.