Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman has been suspended for 20 games without pay after checking linesman Don Henderson from behind and sending him to the ice during a game against the Nashville Predators, the NHL said Wednesday.
The league said Wideman violated Rule 40 (Physical Abuse of Officials). Wideman will forfeit $564,516 in salary, which will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) said an appeal had been filed on his behalf late Wednesday afternoon.
“We strongly disagree with the League’s decision to suspend Dennis Wideman. Dennis has played in 11 NHL seasons and almost 800 games without incident,” an NHLPA statement said. “The facts, including the medical evidence presented at the hearing, clearly demonstrate that Dennis had no intention to make contact with the linesman.”
During the second period of the Flames’ game against Nashville last Wednesday, Wideman got up after being hit and was skating toward the Flames’ bench when he cross-checked Henderson, who had his back to the defenceman.
WATCH: Flames Dennis Wideman sends linesman to ice with hit from behind
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Wideman said he was in pain after taking a hit from the Predators’ Miikka Salomaki moments before and was just trying to get off the ice, adding that he couldn’t avoid Henderson.
WATCH: Flames Dennis Wideman sends linesman to ice with hit from behind
At the next stoppage in play, Wideman skated over to where the officials were gathered and apologized.
“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 and I was kind of keeled over and at the last second, I looked up and I saw him and I couldn’t avoid it,” Wideman said.
READ MORE: Flames rally behind Dennis Wideman regardless of suspension ruling
Watch below: Global’s ongoing coverage of the fallout from Wideman’s hit
Brian Burke, Calgary Flames President of Hockey Operations released this statement Wednesday in response to Wideman’s suspension:
“We were informed earlier today that our player, Dennis Wideman, was suspended for contact with an official in last Wednesday’s game against Nashville. We disagree with the severity of today’s suspension ruling and maintain that Dennis’ collision with the linesman was unintentional and accidental. We agree that our officials’ safety and well-being is of extreme importance in order to allow them to perform their duties. They perform an invaluable but underappreciated role in our game. We support sanctions against players who make deliberate contact with any official. However, unintentional and accidental contact does occur at times in our game. We will have no further comment on the matter at this time.”
In a video explanation of the ruling on their website, the NHL said that Wideman reportedly suffered a concussion during the Salomaki hit, “however, that fact-even accepted as true-cannot excuse Wideman’s subsequent actions.”
With files from Lisa MacGregor
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