[News] NHL suspends Wideman 20 games. UPD: Bettman could take to next week to decide appeal

[St. Pats]

Typical NHL. They make stuff up on the fly to appease whatever winds are blowing. They have a player with zero record of any kind of misbehavior in literally hundreds of games. He is obviously smoked beforehand and yet that does not matter cause hey he hit an official. But to keep some of their employee's happy they disregard both the players record and the obvious ramifications of him being hit.

NHL = Joke!

[jar_e]

Originally Posted by JJ1532

But what are clubs supposed to do when a player refuses to leave the bench? Get some guys to drag him away? Tell the coach and then have him not play a shift until the end of the period?

If the league is serious about concussion protocol and player safety, this would result in a substantial fine whether financial or picks and would definitely be worth the team's and player's interest to restrict him playing.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Suspension video (embedding nhlvideos no longer works since they updated nhl.com)

https://www.nhl.com/news/dennis-wide...ed/c-278258934

The NHL said Wideman did not take steps to avoid the collision.

That's not true. He clearly made a last minute stutter step that everyone in the NHL community has identified.

[MarkGio]

Is there any alternative angles than the one we keep seeing?

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

The NHL said Wideman did not take steps to avoid the collision.

That's not true. He clearly made a last minute stutter step that everyone in the NHL community has identified.

Its a propaganda piece. As was mentioned earlier they don't even include all angles of the video. Their determination doesn't include all the facts.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Is there any alternative angles than the one we keep seeing?

Watch this one (need to watch the whole thing). I wish there was a way to sticky this because everyone who is so certain about Wideman's guilt needs to watch the alternate angle. It sheds a totally different light on the incident IMO.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/did-wide...purpose~796476

[hummdeedoo]

Originally Posted by getbak

Ekblad was concussed in Edmonton a couple of weeks ago and didn't undergo the concussion protocol, then he missed 4 games.

Clearly, the stricter protocol isn't strict enough.

I think this reveals the insidious nature of concussions - sometimes there are no early symptoms. Severe symptoms can appear well after the initial injury.

I've experienced it myself - headache, feeling tired and spaced out the next day.

[Zach]

15-20 seems about right. Obviously not seen as an accident. Blessing in disguise for the Flames since he's been a joke this season.


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[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Having watched the NHL ruling video, there is one thing that I really, really dislike about it. They admit at the 1:40 mark that the hit lead to a concussion. After that, they go on to trot out all the old tropes about what a concussion should look like and how Wideman didn't manifest the signs because.... He skated! Took a half dozen strides! Demonstrated "awareness" by tapping his stick on the ice!

I don't disagree with Wideman getting suspended. However, this video makes the NHL seem as if they believe the only manifestations of a concussion are being out cold on the ice or falling face first after taking a stride. It's retrograde thinking that doesn't bode well for the league's internal mindset about player safety and the concussion issue.

Brutal message by the NHL, in my opinion.

[MBates]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

The crux of the appeal will be whether being concussed mitigates any of the responsibility and/or intent Wideman had for his own actions.

The NHL doesn't believe it does, the PA disagrees.

The NHL can do what it wants I suppose, but its analysis in the video is truly bizarre. By conceding that Wideman was suffering from a concussion, they undermined the entire rest of the analysis.

Here is link to a seemingly legitimate study that by my assessment shows athletes suffering statistically significant impairment (measured in reduced scores on a standardized concussion test) even at 15 minutes after the incident.

http://scholar.google.ca/scholar_url...m8QgAMIGigAMAA

The hit on the linesman is closer to 15 seconds after the incident.

None of the study results are all that surprising based on basic concepts of brain function, but there it is all the same.

Referring to his 'awareness' as evidenced by his stick slapping demonstrates an embarrassingly weak ability to comprehend brain injury on the part of the NHL. If I was counsel for former players suing I would be downloading that video and rejoicing. I am surprised they didn't also detail how he was fully with it because he purposefully moved his diaphragm and squeezed his heart ventricles throughout the entire incident.

(Seriously, why not? They also rely heavily on the fact that the concussed individual repeatedly turned down getting medical treatment...sort of like relying on a slobbering drunk guy to decide if he is ok to drive...generally not seen as a reliable yardstick).

I would counter by saying that an incredibly hard to believe check to the back of a linesman by a player with an exemplary career is much better evidence of just how unaware and afflicted he was at the time of the hit...by the concussion they concede he was suffering from.

Then the ultimate conclusion that Wideman cannot be excused for his conduct regardless of whether he was in the acute aftermath of a traumatic brain injury? What?!

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...n/con-20019272

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions

Were they all concussed when they made the video?

Interestingly, the review by the Commissioner is required to determine "whether the decision was supported by clear and convincing
evidence" and he can "consider any evidence relating to the incident even if such evidence was not available at the time of the initial Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct decision."

How can it be either clear or convincing once you concede the concussion? Time for the NHLPA to hire a prominent neurologist to explain to the Commissioner what a concussion is I guess (and I happen to know where they could find a defence lawyer if they want one).

And for the record my post here has nothing to do with being a Flames fan or a Wideman fan or a hockey fan. I am, however somewhat partial to logic and fairness.

By conceding the concussion, both of those principles command a complete dismissal of the whole thing.

[bigtmac19]

How is a player allowed to refuse medical treatment?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

Having watched the NHL ruling video, there is one thing that I really, really dislike about it. They admit at the 1:40 mark that the hit lead to a concussion. After that, they go on to trot out all the old tropes about what a concussion should look like and how Wideman didn't manifest the signs because.... He skated! Took a half dozen strides! Demonstrated "awareness" by tapping his stick on the ice!

I don't disagree with Wideman getting suspended. However, this video makes the NHL seem as if they believe the only manifestations of a concussion are being out cold on the ice or falling face first after taking a stride. It's retrograde thinking that doesn't bode well for the league's internal mindset about player safety and the concussion issue.

Brutal message by the NHL, in my opinion.

Players play whole games with concussions for crying out loud.

[Phanuthier]

^ Great post MBates. When I watched that video, I was thinking "what the hell? do you guys (NHL) want to get sued?"

[CASe333]

Originally Posted by MBates

Referring to his 'awareness' as evidenced by his stick slapping demonstrates an embarrassingly weak ability to comprehend brain injury on the part of the NHL. If I was counsel for former players suing I would be downloading that video and rejoicing. I am surprised they didn't also detail how he was fully with it because he purposefully moved his diaphragm and squeezed his heart ventricles throughout the entire incident.

Great post!

The NHL needs to get its act together and form an independent committee to handle suspensions. Hopefully some sort of consistency could be achieved.

Furthermore they need to make the concussion spotters independent. It should not be the players decision or someone paid by the team to decide if the player is ok.

[HOWITZER]

Really think that Wideman winds up with 6-10 games at the end of this saga. NHL throws the book at him to give the PR impression that they're tough on crime". Flames/Wideman appeal and Bettman plays the role of the bad guy by letting him "off the hook". That way the NHL as an organization doesn't look as bad and Bettman shoulders most of the bad blood which he is good at.

[Enoch Root]

wrong thread

[FlamesAddiction]

I love the headline on NHL.com as well.

"The Flames Move On After Suspension"


Like this was the worst thing to ever happen... Good grief, talk about over blowing the situation out of proportion because of social media outrage.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

> 90 per cent of fans and hockey watchers outside Calgary think Wideman's hit was intentional. Please give me some rational explanation why that figure would be any different for Calgary fans if Wideman was playing for the Hurricanes.

Perhaps the numbers would be different in Calgary because the people who follow the Flames will have looked at it more closely, seen the other angles, know the kind of playe Wideman is, etc, way more than fans of other teams?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

It was actually only the fourth longest in NHL history for abuse of an official.

And the league can justify it because the parameters set by rule 40.2 say 20 games for contact with intent, and the league has decided there was contact with intent.

I had the wrong info from global news

League will try and justify it but in the end they will lose IMO and it will be reduced

[Gaudfather]

NHLPA appeals.
Gary Bettman is the arbitrator for the NHL. He hears the appeal, but will then uphold the 20 game suspension. (No way he overrules Colin Campbell on this).
The NHLPA will then appeal again to a third party professional arbitrator. This may result in a reduced suspension, but best we see I think is 15 games.
Not sure how long this all takes but likely 2-3 weeks.