Gordie Dwyer of the Tampa Bay Lightning was suspended 23 games in part for abuse of officials during an exhibition game in 2000.
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Wideman had a hearing with the NHL’s department of hockey operations on Tuesday.
The incident happened Wednesday in a game against the Nashville Predators. However, Wideman ends up extending his arms not unlike he would on an opposing player, which knocked Henderson off his feet and to the ice while dangerously close to the boards. Henderson spent the night in hospital with concussion like symptoms.
“I took a pretty hard hit down in the corner and had some pretty good pain in my shoulder and my neck and I was just trying to get off the ice”, Wideman said after the game. If the suspension remains longer than six games after Wideman’s initial appeal, he can then take his case before a neutral arbitrator in an attempt to get it reduced further. Wideman also remained in the game, and was not penalized for the incident. At the last second, I looked up and saw [Henderson] and couldn’t avoid it. I went up to Donnie and apologized to him on the ice. “It was completely unintentional”.
The former Knight is in his fourth season with the Flames and 11th in the National Hockey League.
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Wideman will be able to return March 14 when the Flames host the St. Louis Blues.
