On Wednesday, the NHL put a definite number on Dennis Wideman’s heretofore indefinite suspension: 20 games. It’s an incredibly severe punishment, one of the longest in NHL history, but given the importance of protecting on-ice officials, the desire to inflict such a harsh sentence is understandable.
It’s also wrong, at least under the specific circumstances of this case. This is an overreach by the league, an excessive punishment that is unlikely to survive appeal. That process has already started, with the NHLPA announcing within hours that it had filed an appeal on behalf of the Calgary Flames defenceman.
The key issue here is the “intent to injure” provision of NHL Rule 40. Back when this was an indefinite suspension, I noted that if Wideman was judged as intending to injure linesman Don Henderson, the minimum suspension was 20 games; without that intent, the minimum suspension drops to 10 games. The NHL’s explanatory video makes a point of highlighting how the league determines intent.
"For the purpose of the rule, 'intent to injure' shall mean any ph ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis
Dennis Wideman’s 20-Game Suspension a Punishment That Doesn’t Fit the Crime
February 3rd, 2016 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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