[News] Bettman upholds 20 game Wideman suspension. NHLPA files appeal to neutral arbitrator

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Parallex

B: I know for a fact that MLB does it this way,

For example, the common move when a starting pitcher receives a suspension in the MLB, is to immediately appeal, let the starting pitcher play their next start, then drop the appeal, to let the pitcher sit out games they would have been sitting out anyway.

[northcrunk]

So the NHL can subpoena a players phone records but Apple won't provide access to a terrorists phone. Why isn't Bettman running the FBI?

[Gaudfather]

Following this decision, I wonder what communique that Donald Fehr and the NHLPA send out to all players regarding the ability of the NHL to subpoena texts of players involved in incidents.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by OldSam

The uglier the NHL and NHLPA make this, the more chance this becomes an absolute sh.. show for the Flames for the rest of the season. It is open season on the Flames players.

That would be dumb. The Flames organization has no say in what is happening right now.

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by Gaudfather

Following this decision, I wonder what communique that Donald Fehr and the NHLPA send out to all players regarding the ability of the NHL to subpoena texts of players involved in incidents.

Get a burner phone that the NHL doesn't know exists.

[OldSam]

I would be asking how the NHL knew about the text message. I honestly think he deserves a suspension but this not about Dennis anymore.

[Red Menace]

I'd be interested to see the Flames penalty stats before and after this incident.
My impression is that we were one of the least penalized teams in league before, and suddenly we are one of the most....is this accurate?

[saillias]

God help Gary if he tries to come to Calgary again any time soon. "Yeah if you guys could go ahead and approve CalgaryNEXT, that'd be greaaaaat:"

[jar_e]

I'm presuming must be buried in the CBA to allow the NHL to go after intent a la the Bertuzzi/Moore incident would be my guess.

Absolutely ridiculous that the NHLPA would either let that be in a CBA or they wouldn't fight that subpoena. Crazyness.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

There could be a whole string of texts saying how sorry he was and Bettman cherry picked this one. It fits Bettman's narrative so he used it.

Oh FFS. Listen to yourself! You realize all parties involved would have access to these records, and that if context changed anything Bettman wouldn't have highlighted it?

CP needs to let this go in the worst way.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by OldSam

I would be asking how the NHL knew about the text message. I honestly think he deserves a suspension but this not about Dennis anymore.

What is it about then?

[Gaudfather]

And now that this is all public, including the text referring to " stupid refs" I will be curious to see how the game tonight with the Wild is called.

[OldSam]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

That would be dumb. The Flames organization has no say in what is happening right now.

You don't think Bettman is using this to prove a point? The Flames just happened to be the team that are in the middle. I am totally interested in how this will progress. It is fascinating.

[Flash Walken]

Oh god, the Vancouver Canuck persecution complex seems to be transmittable!

[Inglewood Jack]

everything is coming together perfectly for the this year's Flames lottery win. just let it happen guys, it's gonna be worth it.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Oh FFS. Listen to yourself! You realize all parties involved would have access to these records, and that if context changed anything Bettman wouldn't have highlighted it?

CP needs to let this go in the worst way.

Well the text message is pretty stupid. There's obviously a conversation taken place that is missing. Moreover, it doesn't implicate intent or state of mind, only a lack of remorse (which again, context is missing).

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

His narrative is he was concussed and confused; he didn't see the linesman until the last minute and then it was too late. His hands went up as a reaction to something about to run into him.

His text echos this: Since it was just an accident, nothing should have come from it. From his point of view this is just a (social) media witch hunt based on one camera angle that plays for 5 seconds.

I don't know if that's his narrative though. In fact it seems he has had a couple narrative.

When he was talking to his experts after the fact, to get the concussion diagnosis, this was what he said:

Dr. Kutcher testified that he based his opinion, in part, on the fact that Mr. Wideman told him
that he "vaguely remembers skating to the bench. He remembers some incident occurring, but
he does not recall who he hit [or] how he hit the individual. "

That's an extremely different narrative than he accidentally ran into someone after looking up. I mean, either he lied to his doctor to get a favourable diagnosis, which is shady as ####. Or he lied about remembering the event to give himself a favourable narrative. Either way, he deserves the 20 game ban as far as I'm concerned... at least.

Also, whoever told Wideman to lie should be fired on the spot.

Mr. Wideman testified at the hearing that he had been instructed to give a misleading answer if asked about his
condition and that he followed that instruction.

[Looch City]

When was the last time Flames were in the midst of this much player-drama? This is fascinating.

[united]

As discussed in greater detail below, the conclusions expressed by Dr. Comper and Dr. Kutcher were not based on what Mr. Wideman's capacity actually was at the time in question but about what his condition might have been. Those conclusions were based on little more than Mr. Wideman's own subjective report of concussion symptoms that he may or may not have actually experienced.

This part stuck out to me, specifically the second sentence. But what do I know.

[Hyde]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

When was the last time Flames were in the midst of this much player-drama? This is fascinating.

H1N1 scare and the team getting the vaccine in the states.