Wideman Decision Expected Wednesday

[Gaudfather]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

I think with the length of the meeting, the # of games is going to be more than 10.

Agree - the fact that the Flames brass were there means they were attempting to mitigate the damage. I am bracing for 20 games.

[Brick]

Call up Nakladal.

[BigFlameDog]

Originally Posted by Buff

When you're dealing with atheletes who make boat loads of money and consider the pressure to get players back into the lineup quickly and counter that with doctors not wanting to be sued for malpractice... the doctor is going to be careful and say the pro athlete was concussed.

Respectfully disagree, presumably highly competent, doc's know a concussion from not a concussion, they will not just go ahead and call it a concussion for some hypothetical butt covering.

Either your bell is rung and then it is no longer rung and you have no concussion symptoms therefore no concussion....or you have concussion symptoms and you are out. They are not as easy to hide as everyone thinks....as a bunch of people on here know, maybe even you.

In my experience there was no "I think I may have a concussion"....It was obvious once the cobwebs cleared that I was in trouble.

Flip side, I hit a rut and rang my bell really good at Christmas and once the cobwebs cleared I was able to let me breath out and relax because I was OK.

Anyway (not directed at you) some folks are going to think a head shot automatically means concussion so I should leave them be....better to be on the safe side I suppose.

[Locke]

Thats fine, Wideman will just heal up and be well rested for the stretch drive.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Locke

Thats fine, Wideman will just heal up and be well rested for the stretch drive.

And good luck to whichever team he's playing for at the time.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Gaudfather

Agree - the fact that the Flames brass were there means they were attempting to mitigate the damage. I am bracing for 20 games.

In my opinion and understanding, 20+ requires deliberate contact with an official with intent to injure. I don't think they come close to that.
While I don't agree with 10, I could see them saying there was deliberate contact without intent to injure, thus hit the 10.

I still think he should get 0, can understand why he would get 3-5, and would not be surprised to see him actually get 8-10. Disappointed, but not surprised.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by getbak

And good luck to whichever team he's playing for at the time.

My money is on the Washington Capitals.

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by Locke

Thats fine, Wideman will just heal up and be well rested for the stretch drive for Boston.

Fixed your post.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by getbak

And good luck to whichever team he's playing for at the time.

Stockton Heat?

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I'll be honest I'm not sure why the length of the meeting will matter or why it hints towards one ruling or another.

Maybe it took the Flames a long time to beat the league and the idiot ref union into form and admit it is clearly accidental...

[Buff]

Originally Posted by BigFlameDog

Respectfully disagree, presumably highly competent, doc's know a concussion from not a concussion, they will not just go ahead and call it a concussion for some hypothetical butt covering.

Either your bell is rung and then it is no longer rung and you have no concussion symptoms therefore no concussion....or you have concussion symptoms and you are out. They are not as easy to hide as everyone thinks....as a bunch of people on here know, maybe even you.

In my experience there was no "I think I may have a concussion"....It was obvious once the cobwebs cleared that I was in trouble.

Flip side, I hit a rut and rang my bell really good at Christmas and once the cobwebs cleared I was able to let me breath out and relax because I was OK.

Anyway (not directed at you) some folks are going to think a head shot automatically means concussion so I should leave them be....better to be on the safe side I suppose.

Unless there is some other head trauma diagnosis I assume the doctors would just say "Yup, concussion" because of all the attention concussions in pro sports are getting right now. There is a movie out about it.

Five years ago or more, sure, they would be more comfortable in saying "Youre fine, go play". but now, I bet most doctors would not want the negative backlash that could come their way and just err on the side of caution.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I'll be honest I'm not sure why the length of the meeting will matter or why it hints towards one ruling or another.

Maybe it took the Flames a long time to beat the league and the idiot ref union into form and admit it is clearly accidental...

If it was a short meeting, I think it would indicate that it was a decision that the Flames/Wideman were OK with. If it was a long punishment, then there would likely be a lot more discussion.

[dino7c]

he was going to defend himself no matter what the suspension

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

If it was a short meeting, I think it would indicate that it was a decision that the Flames/Wideman were OK with. If it was a long punishment, then there would likely be a lot more discussion.

I really don't think it points in any direction.

The league can make any decision they want regardless how the Flames feel, and they don't even have to say what that was in the meeting.

More than likely it took so long because they wanted all the information available to them before they made a decision.

[powderjunkie]

More related to a few pages ago, but the term 'woozy' has been thrown around a lot (by me a few times too), but there has never been any reason beyond total speculation to use it.

Wideman has said that his neck and shoulder were sore. Anytime you hurt/injure yourself you can be 'unsettled' (for lack of a better term) for 10-60 seconds. Wincing/blinking and not thinking totally straight. Obviously necks are relevant to concussions, but he could have been just as 'out of it' if he'd blocked shot with his foot, broken his cup like hendricks, been slashed across the forearm or taken a high stick. I think it is very possible to claim 'disorientation' (for lack of a better term) from the hit without the Flames being negligent with respect to a concussion. Otherwise players would be going to the back every single time they get up from a hit slowly, which we know doesn't happen.

For the record I think it should be 1-3 games, but I think Weber, Lucic and Joseph deserved the same.

[AcGold]

You can talk about concussions and whether he was woozy or not, the video still shows him see the ref about .4 seconds before contact. You just need to watch it on high def at stable framerate to see it, the flinch reaction of a surprised player is obvious.

If the league conjects that he was a mastermind pretending to not see the ref and jump at the last second on purpose they are massively overestimating his level of intelligence.

[CaptainYooh]

I find it hard to believe that the Officials side of the hearing table is going to be vindictive for no reason. What would be the message they'd want to convey - that the consequences of an accidental contact with an official would be devastating financially to a player? Wideman just is not the type of a player to suspect a vicious hit and to warrant a stern and firm response. His after-game explanation was very logical and the linesman agreed with him on ice, obviously, as they were both laughing about it right there (I was at the game and saw them talking).

"No suspension, warranted" should be the message, hopefully. If they give a 10-game suspension resulting in Wideman forfeiting over $600,000, that's just mean and unreasonable in these circumstances.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

I find it hard to believe that the Officials side of the hearing table is going to be vindictive for no reason. What would be the message they'd want to convey - that the consequences of an accidental contact with an official would be devastating financially to a player? Wideman just is not the type of a player to suspect a vicious hit and to warrant a stern and firm response. His after-game explanation was very logical and the linesman agreed with him on ice, obviously, as they were both laughing about it right there (I was at the game and saw them talking).

"No suspension, warranted" should be the message, hopefully. If they give a 10-game suspension resulting in Wideman forfeiting over $600,000, that's just mean and unreasonable in these circumstances.

Because unions, that's why.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

If it was a short meeting, I think it would indicate that it was a decision that the Flames/Wideman were OK with. If it was a long punishment, then there would likely be a lot more discussion.

I think a long meeting simply means that the various sides don't agree. Maybe Wideman and the Flames camp are fighting tooth and nail. Or maybe its the NHLOA that isn't happy and is digging their feet in.

Lengthy only means disagreement - it doesn't necessarily mean longer.

(though I am personally concerned that the NHL is going to cave to the pitchforks on this one - regardless how long the meeting lasted)

[Locke]

Perhaps Wideman has to duel Bettman at the saloon at High Noon.

In which case Bettman has the clear advantage as he represents a much smaller target. Much more difficult to hit.