New York: Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on Thursday for a cross check to the back of an official during a game against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.
The league said in a news release Thursday that the length of the suspension wouldn’t be determined until after the 32-year-old Canadian meets in person with NHL disciplinary officials on Tuesday. The NHL is currently in its All-Star break.
Wideman, who issued an apology earlier Thursday, said he unintentionally cross checked linesman Don Henderson in a confused state while trying to return to the team’s bench halfway through the second period.
Moments before cross checking Henderson to the ground, Wideman was knocked to his knees along the boards by Predators winger Miikka Salomaki. Salomaki did not receive a penalty for the hit.
Part of the league’s probe will be to see if Wideman’s hit on Henderson was in retaliation for the non-call.
“I took a pretty good hit down in the corner and had some pretty good pain in my shoulder and neck,” Wideman said. “I was just trying to get off the ice and kind of keeled over. At the last second, I looked up and saw (Henderson) and couldn’t avoid it. I went up to Donnie and apologised to him on the ice.”
If the hit is determined to be intentional, the minimum suspension would be 20 games.
Wideman has played 11 years, including four with the Flames. He has two goals and 30 penalty minutes this season.
In 1983, Chicago Black Hawks forward Tom Lysiak was slapped with a 20-game suspension for intentionally tripping linesman Ron Foyt, making it one of the longest in NHL history.
After Sunday’s All-Star Game, the regular season resumes Tuesday.
— AFP
