HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Hotstove: How Many Games Should Dennis Wideman Be Suspended?

I don't think he should be suspended at all to be honest. I see it as an accident, but im sure ill have people disagree

You are all homers! He should be gone for the year!!!!

I don't think he should be suspended at all to be honest. I see it as an accident, but im sure ill have people disagree
- Oilfan19

I feel the same.

Wow. Pretty light punishment proposals. I think Wideman would be ecstatic with any one of those.
He may be a nice guy, but I have watched that clip several times and it doesn't look good.

It's hard to tell wether or not he truly meant to hit him. After the incident he looked pretty okay on the bench but concussions are a tricky thing to notice at face value. I agree with the middle ground of 3-5 games. If nothing is done it could leave things open for a similar incident to happen and maybe the player hitting the ref isn't concussed at all this time.

One thing we will never know is if he looked up and saw a red Flames jersey would he have cross-checked the player? avoided him? bearhugged to avoid collision?.....

My theroy is he got smoked, was dazed for sure, went along the Nashville bench and saw all Predator jerseys brought his head up and cross-checked what was in front of him. I really think he thought it was Nashville player in that micro-second....

All of that considered, history or not, it should be 10 games as the league has to stand behind its officials. If they did zero games I wouldn't be shocked if the linesman and refs didn't show up to work !

10 games , message sent...it wasn't a collision it was a cross-check.

Seriously though I agree with what Tanner said. As a vet of over 750 games with zero track record of anything like this towards players even (let alone officials) I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. I honestly still believe he wasn't paying attention and was caught off guard. But at the same time I think this has been a bit of a black-eye for the league, and they don't want to be seen by the "casual" fan to not be protecting their referees. Unfortunately I think Dennis is going to get 10 games, I think he should get 0.

Wow. Pretty light punishment proposals. I think Wideman would be ecstatic with any one of those.
He may be a nice guy, but I have watched that clip several times and it doesn't look good.
- 67hawks

For sure it doesn't but you need to consider everything that's going on at the time. Also, nobody can see his face, which would probably tell the whole story. I saw an overhead angle and it doesn't look nearly as bad, not even close actually.

I fully believe that it was an accident. That he didn't see him. However it is the reactionary follow through, which was probably instinct, that causes the problem.

While I think it is definitely more than is deserved, doesn't the rules say that in this situation, where there is not intent, that the minimum is 10 games.

I really do think that 10 games is more than deserved, but that is what the rules dictate and that is what should be followed. Especially with this being a first suspendable offence of any kind by the player. This does not need to be a message sending situation. The message sent should be that they are going to follow the rules as they are written.

10 games minimum.

The rules are clear, and so is prior precedent, the intent might factor in a bit but the fact is that nobody else forced his movements (i.e. pushed him) and he crosschecked an official to the ice.

Not saying that i agree completely, buts that's what he'll get.

One thing we will never know is if he looked up and saw a red Flames jersey would he have cross-checked the player? avoided him? bearhugged to avoid collision?.....

My theroy is he got smoked, was dazed for sure, went along the Nashville bench and saw all Predator jerseys brought his head up and cross-checked what was in front of him. I really think he thought it was Nashville player in that micro-second....

All of that considered, history or not, it should be 10 games as the league has to stand behind its officials. If they did zero games I wouldn't be shocked if the linesman and refs didn't show up to work !

10 games , message sent...it wasn't a collision it was a cross-check.
- jjonah

Yeah this is probably the version I would believe most. If you see the overhead angle first contact is actually made when widemans hands are down, then the follow through, which I think was just a natural split second reaction.

Yeah this is probably the version I would believe most. If you see the overhead angle first contact is actually made when widemans hands are down, then the follow through, which I think was just a natural split second reaction.
- The-O-G

I dont care about any of the angles if you have been rocked before you know you arent in control of what you do. After a game I have tried to get in to a car that wasnt even mine

One thing we will never know is if he looked up and saw a red Flames jersey would he have cross-checked the player? avoided him? bearhugged to avoid collision?.....

My theroy is he got smoked, was dazed for sure, went along the Nashville bench and saw all Predator jerseys brought his head up and cross-checked what was in front of him. I really think he thought it was Nashville player in that micro-second....

All of that considered, history or not, it should be 10 games as the league has to stand behind its officials. If they did zero games I wouldn't be shocked if the linesman and refs didn't show up to work !

10 games , message sent...it wasn't a collision it was a cross-check.
- jjonah

It wasn't a cross check, he put his hands up to protect himself as he tried to move his feet last second to get around him.

Lifetime ban and death by immolation

this is where people differ right? reaciton yes 100% intent probably not at all... but an official got hit, hit hard. League has no choice is my guess

I dont care about any of the angles if you have been rocked before you know you arent in control of what you do. After a game I have tried to get in to a car that wasnt even mine
- mauryballstein

Preach brotha. I think the biggest problem is most of the people who are yakking about this hit don't understand what it's like to have your bell rung. Not an excuse you still have to control yourself, but it explains the confusion/awkwardness of this whole scenario. I don't know how many times I have heard "what we he thinking"...........HE WASN'T.

5 Games.

On one hand, the league has to stand behind its officials. On the other hand, there's absolutely no way this was anything beyond accidental. The guy was clearly not in the right state of mind after getting obliterated earlier in the shift and I don't know that he had any idea what he was doing.

I played high school and a little major junior. I have been hit like that and what you feel is primal, it's probably best you have a stick in your hand and not a gun LOL... Again I give him a pardon on intent, you have to protect the officials in any sport. To let this go would be unacceptable.

The right state of mind argument is interesting to me.....to what level of accountability should the Flames organization be held? Wideman says "I'm good" and plays 16 minutes after the hit......how can he be both?

The right state of mind argument is interesting to me.....to what level of accountability should the Flames organization be held? Wideman says "I'm good" and plays 16 minutes after the hit......how can he be both?
- jjonah

I think that's why Burke and Treliving are going to the hearing...it's a dangerous line.

You are all homers! He should be gone for the year!!!!
- The-O-G

You need a blue pot leaf for your avvie and cheer for the Leafs...

agree, the question will be how does your player cross check an official and not miss a shift? tough one to answer but Burke will have his tie down, shirt unbuttoned and an empty coke bottle ful of chewing tobacco spit. Should be fine!

15 games. He's gotta pay the crime.

agree, the question will be how does your player cross check an official and not miss a shift? tough one to answer but Burke will have his tie down, shirt unbuttoned and an empty coke bottle ful of chewing tobacco spit. Should be fine!
- jjonah

The training staff does the quick concussion protocol and its negative. He says he's fine and goes out and plays. I don't think we are dealing with a grade 2/3 but got his bell rung. As much as the suspension makes news the whole concussion spotters/ training staff protocol comes into question.
Stupid split second reaction but there's no intent. You live with your actions and he dropped a linesman, intentional or not... 10 games.