I'm a Calgary Flames fan, but that was despicable. I have no idea what was going through his mind, what would make someone even consider that being a good move. Have no love for anyone who would do that to someone who couldn't defend themselves, and didn't see it coming. To start a fight with another player is one thing, but this was a joke and he should be sued for everything he has.
he should never play hockey again if you ask me. incidental contact is one thing, but to hit an official that hard, and then to add in account of Henderson's injuries, I believe Wideman should be banned from the league
Wideman had literally been concussed seconds before. In a court of law, he has a genuine defense in that he may have not had the mental faculty to comprehend what was happening. Do some research into the hundreds (repeat: HUNDREDS) of cases of brain injury in leagues such as the NFL and NHL and associated bizarre behavior, which is often uncharacteristically violent. Wideman has a much better case than your opinion suggests.
He knew exactly what he was doing, how many of Scott Stevens victims of the years got up and crossed checked stripes?? He was pissed he didn't get a call after being hit hard (which might have been a penalty) and took his frustration out on a linesman.
Nosmont11 it does matter. Simple as that. His culpability IN THE EYES OF THE LAW depends entirely on his mental state during the incident. Same as it would be for you if you had a psychotic episode and assaulted someone
I hope he get's every penny. If Wideman was concerned about taking care of his family he wouldn't have stepped out and nailed a defenseless official in the way he did. The NHL obviously agrees with as they tried to give him 20 games off. The fact that it was reduced is ridiculous in its own right. The NHL has the responsibility of protecting its players and officals. Now he should pay.
According to Dr. Wayne A. Gordon, chief of rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology at the Mount Sinai Brain Injury Research Center in New York, the notion that a concussion could immediately spark a violent attack is simply wrong. "Violent behavior is not a common short-term consequence of a concussion," he said. This thought that concussed athletes are lethal time bombs is a slippery slope. If this line of thought continues then any time an athlete takes a shot to the head than the game would have to be stopped immediately and the player removed from the game so that they don't have "post-concussion" violence issues and be checked for a concussion so it doesn't happen again.
Thiseus Gaming hahah that reff can't afford to take on wideman , lawsuits are all about who has the better lawyer and wideman makes about 60x what a reff dose ......
Playing a sport doesn't mean consent is given to just be assaulted. The ref is not actively engaging in the play of the sport and isn't expecting to be hit. His life will never be the same now because of this. I am in favor of malicious acts like this, which result in serious injury, being prosecuted civilly and criminally. Wideman shouldn't be able to get away with this.
Wideman had literally been concussed seconds before. In a court of law, he has a genuine defense in that he may have not had the mental faculty to comprehend what was happening. Do some research into the hundreds (repeat: HUNDREDS) of cases of brain injury in leagues such as the NFL and NHL and associated bizarre behavior, which is often uncharacteristically violent. Wideman has a much better case than your opinion suggests.
NHL had a more lax concussion protocol last season where a player had some say on whether he had to leave the game or not. I do agree though, this opens the team and the doctor (and even the NHL) up for liability as well. I highly doubt he was forced to pass by management, though.
Stop tryna make it sound worse by using the word Assault... not saying what he did was right but you're just trying to frame it in the worst possible way
It was intentional, he wanted to hurt him. Just because it happens during a sporting event shouldn't give you a pass. If this happened on the street it would be assault, this is no different. If someone took their stick and used it as a weapon I would be saying the same thing.
they didnt show the whole ciip wideman got hit hard in corner and was trying to get back this is a hard one i bet he didnt know the ref was there he just wanted to get to bench
jdmciviczc Yeah, he got lit up in the corner, but the only thing is he had a long skate to the bench and he moved straight towards it with his head up the entire time. I honestly don't see how he could have not seen the zebra stripes coming down the boards. If he was that impaired, there's no way he could have made it to the bench as well as he did. I'm sure he was goofy, but it's hard to believe it wasn't intentional.
it was good decision. Wideman had a concussion. It was obviously. After he was attacked by defender.He couldn't coordinate his body. It is result of concussion. I think he didn't understand properly what he was doing.
I hope the ref gets a good chunk of change. We've all thought about doing things to a ref at one point or another but actually destroying the guy is just terrible.
@@brandontownsend2756 if making mistakes for a game that doesn’t truly matter deserves brain trauma to you, I think you need to re-reevaluate a few things, perhaps talk to a professional about it. That isn’t a rational conclusion.
@@rawleywilliamson3852 yeah, really? You think attacking someone who’s entirely defenceless and not expecting to be attacked is a tough guy move? Really?? Lol
My brother-in-law had to get neck surgery 4 years ago because of a motorcycle accident. He still is in pain everyday, and still has to go to re-hab every week. Sure the surgery doesn't cost 10 million, but he should be given the opportunity to live comfortably regardless of pain he has to deal with daily. Your entire central nervous system runs through and connects through your neck. A neck injury = Life will never be the same for you.
The NHL should be included in the suit for not properly addressing the behavior in the first place. Wideman got a slap on the wrist for maliciously assaulting an official. The official had to have career ending surgery and in no way brought the assault upon himself.
A lot of people are complaining about the amount of money in the lawsuit, but really there is nothing wrong with it. I would ask for the same if a millionaire committed felony assault, requiring spinal surgery and lowering the quality of my whole life.
I hope Henderson wins the suit. That was a scumbag hit by Wideman. I don't know how he got his 20 game suspension reduced in the first place. He should be kicked out of the league for that.
I see where the guy is coming from saying the NHL possibly letting him go could mitigate the situation, however it is a moot point also as him possibly being let go by the NHL doesn't constitute him being hit from behind and not ever being the same again.
Seems like everyone here is on the refs side... Are you sure its was intentional? He's attempting to hug the boards, and skates suddenly change direction. He was also hit(and its arguable that he hit his head on the boards) just before the collision. Say what you want, 10 million is shady.
Just a strange hit to be honest. Wideman has literally had 0 history of any "dirty" plays like this in his long veteran NHL career. Doesn't make sense that he would just crosscheck a ref like that in a completely sober/clear state of mind
If I'm Wideman, I argue that I was dazed and concussed from the hit and also point out that if I was angry about the non-call on the hit I took, why would I take it out on a linesman who doesn't have the ability to call a penalty in the first place. I think Henderson will have a difficult time proving Wideman acted maliciously.
That is a move where the player should had been arrested. The player should be banned from the NHL for life. So disgusting a player did that. Reps/umpires should NEVER be touched by a player, coach or a fan. NEVER. They must all be respected while on the field of action. If a ref has a performance issue then that is taken care off the ice or field by the leagues main office. I hope this ref gets the money. The NHL and the player should pay this ref what he wants.
Not really, he was ordered to pay 8k of widemans legal fees (legal fees than spanned two years and lawyers generally charge over 700$ an hour so it was likely less than one percent of the legal costs). Canadian courts are corrupt, this case put that on display to the international audience.
Coming from a ref and former college player.... First, Wideman is a total POS for railing the linesman. Second, there's no way Henderson is/was hurt that severe. This is a payment of $$$+eyes. Wideman sucks-payout out 800k and move on. I've seen linesmen and refs get hurt worst in beer league, but nobody has any money left from paying for ice time.:)
The ref asking for 10.5 million is at the advice of his attorney. And, said attorney knows that will get negotiated down significantly. No legal dispute ever ends solely in one parties complete favor. There are offers and counter offers multiple times with any letigated matter. This, like all other high profile cases. Will get settled out of court. With both parties compromising ground. And, eventually meeting in the middle.
Performance of the linesman is irrelevant. The check occured during working hours, was deliberate and from behind (most vulnerable direction). I just learned of this from a news article that stated this must be decided by league binding arbitration. If the linesman cannot perform his job anymore due to injuries, the responsible parties must pay compensation for damages and for loss of future employment. 10 million should cover him for the rest of his days. As for the Calgary player, game suspension isnt appropriate for this. It's too light.
10 million!! that's incredible, I know it's bone head to ever touch a ref, but cleary Wideman wasn't in 100% mental state, I just think the ref has some blame to hold here. Any one ever playing hockey has been told the old cliché "head on a swivel" and a quick check over his shoulder as he skates backwards past the players benches (where arguably it's the most busy and hectic) could have avoid his injuries and trouble.
No matter how much you don't like the officials, they are not targets for malicious violence.Guys like Wideman cannot control their game ......get out before you get someone paralyzed or killed by stupidity!Best wishes for linesman Don Henderson, and hope that this will make the NHL really crack down on this type of abuse and player behavior.
I totally agree with the linesman. He has a fair case against him. I'd sue him too if he put me out of work like that for such an idiotic hit. He can deny it all he wants but you can clearly see wideman drive in to the lineman
As a flames fan, I couldn't be happier about seeing wideman go. What he did was reprehensible and he deserves to be punished beyond the 19 game suspension.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) NHL linesman Don Henderson’s lawsuit against former Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman has been set aside by a judge to be handled by an arbitrator within the league.
I understand that Wideman was hit right before this. Although I don't buy the whole "he was out of it" thing though. I think he knew what he was doing.
I'm a flames fan. Scumbag move by Wideman and I hope something happens with him. But really? 10+ million on that lawsuit? He was about to retire anyway. I'm not defending Wideman in anyway, but I think that 10 million is a bit much
Why would his performance as a ref have any impact on what Wideman did? I don't care if he was the worst ref on Earth, that doesn't make what he did excusable.
Wideman was clocked. Had to go off. Linesman backed into his path and Wideman reacted with surprise and a defensive shot. Neck ....ankle....knee......depression....gimme a break. This is a money grab.
1 - The hit was obviously intentional and the guy should be banned for life. 2 - The ref only deserves money to pay for any expenses he incurred due to this, or if he was really so injured that he couldn't be a ref anymore, then that's where you can make a serious argument for being owed hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. I don't know about 10 million, I would be shocked if an NHL ref made one fifth of that in their lifetime
Get that $$! He doesn't deserve 10 million.. But then again, neither does Wideman. They'll settle for like 1/4th of that. 2.5 mill I can see him getting. Avoid the long drawn out legal proceedings.
That move ended one person passion for the game. That hit should end one person passion for the game. Com on man that was so wrong. If you got a beef about someone you work around it don't take it on by yourself.
They didn't mention that the Province is also a plaintiff. They don't want to cover Henderson's claim/medical bills if the math is to the tune of ten Million $. That is one huge turf war. Factor in Calgary trying to figure out how to grease the Province on money for a new rink, which they will. We're gonna run out of lube folks.
He should counter-sue, claim he sustained an injury (concussion) that was a major cause (lost reaction time) for him running into the official and that the officials had the ability to stop play / call a penalty / blow the whistle earlier but they did not do their job properly. At 0:22 you can clearly see DW turned his skates 90 deg to the right and appeared to "try" to avoid / lesson the blow and the stick coming up could easily be explained as a self protection reactionary movement. After collision 0:23 you can clearly see that DW was looking toward the oncoming opponent not the official so before the collision was DW more focused on another even more speedy threat heading toward him? And it is possible that the majority of the force from speed / movement was from the officials quickness backing toward and into DW, not the other way round. This tunnel vision angle shot of video certainly makes it "appear" DW did it on purpose but if I was a juror I would have serious doubt. Not that this would be tried by a jury, I'm just saying. And how qualified is a Judge whom has never skated in his life able to make an informed decision on this? Guess each side best have their A game when it comes to expert witnesses etc. Besides how are we to know this surgery the official had was not already needed before the incident. Lets put it this way, lets suppose the official was skating backward and hit a player whom was standing completely still and said official obtained serious injury as a result. Is that the Players fault? Or is it only the players fault if the player is facing forward and able to see the official coming, so he's then automatically assessed as at fault because said player is now responsible to get out of the way - that does not sound right to me. To me this is similar to NASCAR, they are racing they are not supposed to crash into each other but they do all the time and you can't tell me that some is not avoidable. I do not see a law suit happening every week in NASCAR cause its really no different than this imo. It's really too bad this occurred and likely it is a very isolated incident. The NHL PA should become involved too imo because it becomes a case of whom has the right of way to be on the ice in a specific direction / circumstance at any given moment. I sound cold and callous but if you think that Hockey Business or anything for that matter is not ever such a way, its the way of the world, welcome to reality.
@@jenh7004 Nice try, but no, I kind of hate Flames, they are the reason Leafs have been so bad so long, Leafs never recovered from Phaneuf-y. Even though Tkachuk is likely a top MVP candidate in the league, I really can't stand them. Calgary is like a Team play of Marchand's. I'm a Hawks fan.
certainly didn't, but he was hit in the head hard (dazed, confused) Also, did he have a motive? Ref didn't call a hit on Wideman? You just never see this in hockey, ever
It was an accident actually. On that shift, Wideman took a big hit and when to the bench with his head down (because he was hurt maybe). I don't like nor hate Wideman/Flames. Just explaining what happened.
Everyone complaining about his price has no clue how negotiations work. And he should have asked for more!! Dudes a punk, hope this lawsuit sinks him in FA. To the point no team wants the baggage that accompanies him. You don't get a call that you think you should of gotten, so let's attack the ref.... ref won't play another NHL game again. Lost discs in his back, now the rest of his life he has to deal with back issues. Countless appointments and more surgical procedures. I'd ask for 13 mil, he took his ability to do his career anymore. People saying 2 mil top.... that barely covers his surgeries. Should he become a Wal-Mart welcomer now??
I watched this game live and it was my opinion at the time that the hit was on purpose. After watching it many times, I have changed my mind. This is how I see it: 1 - 0:07 - Wideman was hit hard into the boards by Salomaki and appeared immediately disoriented. After a hard hit like this, a general feeling of disorientation is likely to remain for another 6 or more seconds, and the collision occurs 6 seconds after this moment. 2 - 0:08 - As Wideman comes out of the hit he is looking down onto the ice and appears to head along the boards to the bench. 3 - 0:10 - At this time, there is no ref or linesman between Wideman and the bench, so it appears unlikely that Wideman is thinking at this point "I'm going to hit that linesman which I predict will get in my way." 4 - 0:11 - As Wideman approaches the bench, the linesman is skating backward not watching where he is going or checking to see what is behind him. This is not Wideman's fault. 5 - 0:11 - Wideman cannot predict the linesman's backward path. 6 - 0:12 - The linesman moves away from the boards. Wideman moves toward the boards in a move that appears he is trying to avoid the linesman. 7 - 0:13 - Wideman lifts his stick vertically blade up shaft down. This is a normal move pretty much whenever any player is about to get off the ice onto the bench. 8 - 0:13 - The linesman changes course now toward the boards and the collision is imminent. Wideman has no time to react. 9 - 0:13 - Wideman does not cross-check the linesman. His stick is vertical not horizontal. The collision looks like Wideman is just trying to brace for impact like anybody would by putting your hands out. He just happened to have a stick in his hands. Unfortunately, the linesman is not looking behind him and is unaware he needs to brace for impact. 10 - 0:14 - The play is now coming up the ice along the boards. It's likely that both Wideman and the linesman were also trying to get out of the way of the play, but as we all know in hockey, there is no way to predict exactly how the puck and the players are coming up the ice which is why both were not skating in straight lines, they were reacting to the play. It seems to me that this was a "perfect storm" that came together to cause a horrible accident. Yes, it seems like Wideman should have been more apologetic at the time if it really was an accident. It could be that he was more preoccupied with the pain that he was in at that moment from his head being hit into the boards. It is a very serious accusation to say that this hit was on purpose. I would be interested to hear an argument that proves it was purposeful.
If Henderson has any sense he will settle ASAP. Take $2.5 million and GTFO - Why? Lawyers. Lawyers will drag this nonsense out for years and demand more and more money in the meantime. Just settle ASAP and actually get paid.
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I'm a Calgary Flames fan, but that was despicable.
I have no idea what was going through his mind, what would make someone even consider that being a good move.
Have no love for anyone who would do that to someone who couldn't defend themselves, and didn't see it coming.
To start a fight with another player is one thing, but this was a joke and he should be sued for everything he has.
he should never play hockey again if you ask me. incidental contact is one thing, but to hit an official that hard, and then to add in account of Henderson's injuries, I believe Wideman should be banned from the league
通り鷹 I like your dog
Wideman had literally been concussed seconds before. In a court of law, he has a genuine defense in that he may have not had the mental faculty to comprehend what was happening. Do some research into the hundreds (repeat: HUNDREDS) of cases of brain injury in leagues such as the NFL and NHL and associated bizarre behavior, which is often uncharacteristically violent. Wideman has a much better case than your opinion suggests.
He knew exactly what he was doing, how many of Scott Stevens victims of the years got up and crossed checked stripes??
He was pissed he didn't get a call after being hit hard (which might have been a penalty) and took his frustration out on a linesman.
Nosmont11 it does matter. Simple as that. His culpability IN THE EYES OF THE LAW depends entirely on his mental state during the incident. Same as it would be for you if you had a psychotic episode and assaulted someone
Lol I still remember the Flames commentators were saying that was accidental.
Well I don’t blame them because your not supposed to do that
Flyers fan here, definitely NOT an accident
I hope he get's every penny. If Wideman was concerned about taking care of his family he wouldn't have stepped out and nailed a defenseless official in the way he did. The NHL obviously agrees with as they tried to give him 20 games off. The fact that it was reduced is ridiculous in its own right. The NHL has the responsibility of protecting its players and officals. Now he should pay.
RIght, because when you are concussed you have full cognitive function. Sorry to break it to you, but that is not the case.
According to Dr. Wayne A. Gordon, chief of rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology at the Mount Sinai Brain Injury Research Center in New York, the notion that a concussion could immediately spark a violent attack is simply wrong. "Violent behavior is not a common short-term consequence of a concussion," he said.
This thought that concussed athletes are lethal time bombs is a slippery slope. If this line of thought continues then any time an athlete takes a shot to the head than the game would have to be stopped immediately and the player removed from the game so that they don't have "post-concussion" violence issues and be checked for a concussion so it doesn't happen again.
Thiseus Gaming hahah that reff can't afford to take on wideman , lawsuits are all about who has the better lawyer and wideman makes about 60x what a reff dose ......
Playing a sport doesn't mean consent is given to just be assaulted. The ref is not actively engaging in the play of the sport and isn't expecting to be hit. His life will never be the same now because of this. I am in favor of malicious acts like this, which result in serious injury, being prosecuted civilly and criminally. Wideman shouldn't be able to get away with this.
He should lost a lot of money. And at the very least never be allowed to play again
Wideman had literally been concussed seconds before. In a court of law, he has a genuine defense in that he may have not had the mental faculty to comprehend what was happening. Do some research into the hundreds (repeat: HUNDREDS) of cases of brain injury in leagues such as the NFL and NHL and associated bizarre behavior, which is often uncharacteristically violent. Wideman has a much better case than your opinion suggests.
NHL had a more lax concussion protocol last season where a player had some say on whether he had to leave the game or not. I do agree though, this opens the team and the doctor (and even the NHL) up for liability as well. I highly doubt he was forced to pass by management, though.
Stop tryna make it sound worse by using the word Assault... not saying what he did was right but you're just trying to frame it in the worst possible way
It was intentional, he wanted to hurt him. Just because it happens during a sporting event shouldn't give you a pass. If this happened on the street it would be assault, this is no different. If someone took their stick and used it as a weapon I would be saying the same thing.
That was a idiot move to hit the ref
it was, but he had just been hit hard in the head so he may have been a little out of it
Mason Elford I
they didnt show the whole ciip wideman got hit hard in corner and was trying to get back this is a hard one i bet he didnt know the ref was there he just wanted to get to bench
jdmciviczc Yeah, he got lit up in the corner, but the only thing is he had a long skate to the bench and he moved straight towards it with his head up the entire time. I honestly don't see how he could have not seen the zebra stripes coming down the boards. If he was that impaired, there's no way he could have made it to the bench as well as he did. I'm sure he was goofy, but it's hard to believe it wasn't intentional.
Mason Elford disoriented I don't think so he clearly knew what he was doing.
To add insult to injury, a judge threw out Henderson's lawsuit and demanded the ref pay legal fees to Wideman and the club. Just wow.
Good.
Hahaha! Good. The way the Flames get Fd by the refs every year it’s the least we can get
Lies
didn't realize this clown was still playing. should go after NHL too.
hes not anymore. He coaches in the OHL now.
The NHL reducing his suspension from 20 to 10 games was sooooo ridiculous!
The NHL never did that
It was a separate arbitration process done with someone not involved with the NHL. They decided 20 games was too much.
And by decided we mean payed off by Wideman
sonpit yeah but he already served 19 of the 20 so.....
it was good decision. Wideman had a concussion. It was obviously. After he was attacked by defender.He couldn't coordinate his body. It is result of concussion. I think he didn't understand properly what he was doing.
Doubt he'll get 10M. It'll probably end up being in the 2-6 range.
Ethan Ryan I thought the exact same thing. I think it'll end up being settled out of court
Which is why you ask for more money. 10M is a start, and it will be negotiated down to a fairer price.
Wow, thank you so much for explaining the process, lol.
He should never be allowed to play again
Captain Canada stfu
I hope the ref gets a good chunk of change. We've all thought about doing things to a ref at one point or another but actually destroying the guy is just terrible.
4 years ago I would agree. Now though it's well deserved
@@brandontownsend2756 if making mistakes for a game that doesn’t truly matter deserves brain trauma to you, I think you need to re-reevaluate a few things, perhaps talk to a professional about it. That isn’t a rational conclusion.
Lol or maybe you’re just soft?
@@rawleywilliamson3852 yeah, really? You think attacking someone who’s entirely defenceless and not expecting to be attacked is a tough guy move? Really?? Lol
The ref had to get neck surgery because of this 10 million is perfectly fine
neck surgery doesn't cost $10M
EoN Attest but most cases will result in permanent restrictions and limitations which may have damaging effects on one's life
The neck surgery and missed salary aren't gonna total 10 million tho... refs dont get paid THAT much
Michael Boland its probably for future pain and medical bills tbh hill prolly get around 3-7 mill
My brother-in-law had to get neck surgery 4 years ago because of a motorcycle accident. He still is in pain everyday, and still has to go to re-hab every week. Sure the surgery doesn't cost 10 million, but he should be given the opportunity to live comfortably regardless of pain he has to deal with daily. Your entire central nervous system runs through and connects through your neck. A neck injury = Life will never be the same for you.
F Wideman,hope he loses court case and never skates again,he wasn't even sorry
I wouldn’t be sorry either that ref was a dbag
not surprising
MSGBlueshirts you say that like this hit didn't happen forever ago
and Henderson still hasn't been able to get back to work.
MSGBlueshirts LGR round 2 time
MSGBlueshirts I hope we beat the Sens
Truth17 *you're
he can lie to the press cameras but the game cameras don't lie.
The worst assault on a ref in the history of pro sports.
Hope he gets every penny.
Jason plus more
Anyone else notice the perfect placement of the RAM add behind the ref? perfect...
it'll settle and we'll never know how much. That hit was BS.
The NHL should be included in the suit for not properly addressing the behavior in the first place. Wideman got a slap on the wrist for maliciously assaulting an official. The official had to have career ending surgery and in no way brought the assault upon himself.
Last I knew was if a player strikes a linesman purposefully it is an automatic lifetime ban from the sport.
This guy still plays in the NHL? Embarrassment!
he never played after that
ThunderHockey TFL yeah he did. He play a whole season after the suspension
A lot of people are complaining about the amount of money in the lawsuit, but really there is nothing wrong with it. I would ask for the same if a millionaire committed felony assault, requiring spinal surgery and lowering the quality of my whole life.
Shows how the preds are good people and good players
I've met some of them and can confirm
I hope Henderson wins the suit. That was a scumbag hit by Wideman. I don't know how he got his 20 game suspension reduced in the first place. He should be kicked out of the league for that.
Matt Armstrong
I completely agree, and hope Henderson gets every penny he's suing for.
is this covered under Workers comp rules? You can't sue under WCB rules. The linesman is working. Pretty touchy.
Look at Steve Moore...and he filed a lawsuit against Bertuzzi for ending his career. But is this the same situation for Henderson and Wideman?
The f#cked up part is that would have also been a penalty if that was against another player instead of a linesman
I've also heard that the Calgary Flame will also be sued via vicarious liability.
I see where the guy is coming from saying the NHL possibly letting him go could mitigate the situation, however it is a moot point also as him possibly being let go by the NHL doesn't constitute him being hit from behind and not ever being the same again.
The hit was from 2016. What is the statute of limitations?
It's incredible how no one ever questioned the possibility of a concussion. Guy just takes a injury to the head and is stumbling off the ice.
Seems like everyone here is on the refs side...
Are you sure its was intentional? He's attempting to hug the boards, and skates suddenly change direction. He was also hit(and its arguable that he hit his head on the boards) just before the collision.
Say what you want, 10 million is shady.
Just a strange hit to be honest. Wideman has literally had 0 history of any "dirty" plays like this in his long veteran NHL career. Doesn't make sense that he would just crosscheck a ref like that in a completely sober/clear state of mind
If I'm Wideman, I argue that I was dazed and concussed from the hit and also point out that if I was angry about the non-call on the hit I took, why would I take it out on a linesman who doesn't have the ability to call a penalty in the first place. I think Henderson will have a difficult time proving Wideman acted maliciously.
Shanahan: After reviewing the play knowing he's a first time offender, we decided 2 minutes for boarding and a $10.5 million fine.
That is a move where the player should had been arrested. The player should be banned from the NHL for life. So disgusting a player did that. Reps/umpires should NEVER be touched by a player, coach or a fan. NEVER. They must all be respected while on the field of action. If a ref has a performance issue then that is taken care off the ice or field by the leagues main office. I hope this ref gets the money. The NHL and the player should pay this ref what he wants.
Wideman should be expelled from the NHL
Good for him .....he should get his salary for 10 years .....sorry what his salary was
Henderson had to pay Wideman's legal fees when it was all said and done.
Not really, he was ordered to pay 8k of widemans legal fees (legal fees than spanned two years and lawyers generally charge over 700$ an hour so it was likely less than one percent of the legal costs). Canadian courts are corrupt, this case put that on display to the international audience.
For everyone saying 10 mil is too much, it is just too make it so he has to address the issue, the payout will probably be much lower.
Despicable. To attack someone who's just doing their job? Should be sued for everything he owns.
Don't see how Henderson's job performance has anything to do with what wideman did. He's a discrace to the sport.
Coming from a ref and former college player....
First, Wideman is a total POS for railing the linesman.
Second, there's no way Henderson is/was hurt that severe. This is a payment of $$$+eyes. Wideman sucks-payout out 800k and move on. I've seen linesmen and refs get hurt worst in beer league, but nobody has any money left from paying for ice time.:)
Someone should have dropped the gloves
Hope he wins the lawsuit. This was uncalled for.
Does this mean the #WidemanEffect disappears once paid?
The ref asking for 10.5 million is at the advice of his attorney. And, said attorney knows that will get negotiated down significantly.
No legal dispute ever ends solely in one parties complete favor. There are offers and counter offers multiple times with any letigated matter.
This, like all other high profile cases. Will get settled out of court. With both parties compromising ground. And, eventually meeting in the middle.
Performance of the linesman is irrelevant. The check occured during working hours, was deliberate and from behind (most vulnerable direction). I just learned of this from a news article that stated this must be decided by league binding arbitration. If the linesman cannot perform his job anymore due to injuries, the responsible parties must pay compensation for damages and for loss of future employment. 10 million should cover him for the rest of his days. As for the Calgary player, game suspension isnt appropriate for this. It's too light.
10 million!! that's incredible, I know it's bone head to ever touch a ref, but cleary Wideman wasn't in 100% mental state, I just think the ref has some blame to hold here. Any one ever playing hockey has been told the old cliché "head on a swivel" and a quick check over his shoulder as he skates backwards past the players benches (where arguably it's the most busy and hectic) could have avoid his injuries and trouble.
No matter how much you don't like the officials, they are not targets for malicious violence.Guys like Wideman cannot control their game ......get out before you get someone paralyzed or killed by stupidity!Best wishes for linesman Don Henderson, and hope that this will make the NHL really crack down on this type of abuse and player behavior.
I totally agree with the linesman. He has a fair case against him. I'd sue him too if he put me out of work like that for such an idiotic hit. He can deny it all he wants but you can clearly see wideman drive in to the lineman
As a flames fan, I couldn't be happier about seeing wideman go.
What he did was reprehensible and he deserves to be punished beyond the 19 game suspension.
I would let somebody beat me down with a hockey stick for 10.25 million dollars. A hit like that is definitely not worth that much
Is this Canadian or US Dollars?
Really hope he wins the lawsuit. Such a despicable act by Widemam. The least shocking part of the hit that he is on the Flames.
Makes me proud to be in the C of Red
Can't wait for wideman to be serving me at the drivethru window
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) NHL linesman Don Henderson’s lawsuit against former Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman has been set aside by a judge to be handled by an arbitrator within the league.
What did the linesman do wrong? Also, Wideman didn't even skate back to check on how he was doing. There is no way he can win this lawsuit.
he should go to prison
No matter how pissed you are at a ref, you should never pull this crap. Good on him for that lawsuit file. Ok edit: 10m wtf?
If you hate a ref in your game. Call Wideman
I understand that Wideman was hit right before this. Although I don't buy the whole "he was out of it" thing though. I think he knew what he was doing.
Instead, Why not sue Bettman. He's the problem here.
Well 4 years later and it didn't turn out to be "really ugly"
It should for the sake of justice get really ugly for Dennis Wideman..
What a despicable act
I hope Henderson won the lawsuit. Where’s can I find the lawsuit verdict?
Imo, as bad as the Bertuzzi/Moore assault
I'm a flames fan. Scumbag move by Wideman and I hope something happens with him. But really? 10+ million on that lawsuit? He was about to retire anyway. I'm not defending Wideman in anyway, but I think that 10 million is a bit much
Why would his performance as a ref have any impact on what Wideman did? I don't care if he was the worst ref on Earth, that doesn't make what he did excusable.
Good, let's hope Henderson gets 100% of that. Hate the refs sometimes, but that's unacceptable.
It's a matter of damages at this point, and the amount is contingent on the variables these guys are talking about
even if he was going to let go, doesn't mean he should have gotten hit.
ref has every right to sue. maybe not for 10 mill but he should get at least 5
So glad there's all these lawyers in this comment section.
Wideman was clocked. Had to go off. Linesman backed into his path and Wideman reacted with surprise and a defensive shot. Neck ....ankle....knee......depression....gimme a break. This is a money grab.
What's a UFA?
1 - The hit was obviously intentional and the guy should be banned for life. 2 - The ref only deserves money to pay for any expenses he incurred due to this, or if he was really so injured that he couldn't be a ref anymore, then that's where you can make a serious argument for being owed hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. I don't know about 10 million, I would be shocked if an NHL ref made one fifth of that in their lifetime
10.2 million... really? That's crazy
Players like Widemen have no place in that league.
Get that $$! He doesn't deserve 10 million.. But then again, neither does Wideman. They'll settle for like 1/4th of that. 2.5 mill I can see him getting. Avoid the long drawn out legal proceedings.
That move ended one person passion for the game. That hit should end one person passion for the game. Com on man that was so wrong. If you got a beef about someone you work around it don't take it on by yourself.
look at the players on the bench reactions
give that man his 10 million dollars
Football to the groin
Judge threw this out of court.
They didn't mention that the Province is also a plaintiff. They don't want to cover Henderson's claim/medical bills if the math is to the tune of ten Million $. That is one huge turf war. Factor in Calgary trying to figure out how to grease the Province on money for a new rink, which they will. We're gonna run out of lube folks.
He should counter-sue, claim he sustained an injury (concussion) that was a major cause (lost reaction time) for him running into the official and that the officials had the ability to stop play / call a penalty / blow the whistle earlier but they did not do their job properly. At 0:22 you can clearly see DW turned his skates 90 deg to the right and appeared to "try" to avoid / lesson the blow and the stick coming up could easily be explained as a self protection reactionary movement. After collision 0:23 you can clearly see that DW was looking toward the oncoming opponent not the official so before the collision was DW more focused on another even more speedy threat heading toward him? And it is possible that the majority of the force from speed / movement was from the officials quickness backing toward and into DW, not the other way round. This tunnel vision angle shot of video certainly makes it "appear" DW did it on purpose but if I was a juror I would have serious doubt. Not that this would be tried by a jury, I'm just saying. And how qualified is a Judge whom has never skated in his life able to make an informed decision on this? Guess each side best have their A game when it comes to expert witnesses etc. Besides how are we to know this surgery the official had was not already needed before the incident. Lets put it this way, lets suppose the official was skating backward and hit a player whom was standing completely still and said official obtained serious injury as a result. Is that the Players fault? Or is it only the players fault if the player is facing forward and able to see the official coming, so he's then automatically assessed as at fault because said player is now responsible to get out of the way - that does not sound right to me. To me this is similar to NASCAR, they are racing they are not supposed to crash into each other but they do all the time and you can't tell me that some is not avoidable. I do not see a law suit happening every week in NASCAR cause its really no different than this imo. It's really too bad this occurred and likely it is a very isolated incident. The NHL PA should become involved too imo because it becomes a case of whom has the right of way to be on the ice in a specific direction / circumstance at any given moment. I sound cold and callous but if you think that Hockey Business or anything for that matter is not ever such a way, its the way of the world, welcome to reality.
😂😂😂😂😂😂 guessing your a flames fan.
@@jenh7004 Nice try, but no, I kind of hate Flames, they are the reason Leafs have been so bad so long, Leafs never recovered from Phaneuf-y. Even though Tkachuk is likely a top MVP candidate in the league, I really can't stand them. Calgary is like a Team play of Marchand's. I'm a Hawks fan.
3-5 mil maybe, but 10mil is way too much
what led to this? need some context
soo, once and for all, was it on purpouse?
Carl Stitzen did that look like an accident?
certainly didn't, but he was hit in the head hard (dazed, confused) Also, did he have a motive? Ref didn't call a hit on Wideman? You just never see this in hockey, ever
It was an accident actually. On that shift, Wideman took a big hit and when to the bench with his head down (because he was hurt maybe). I don't like nor hate Wideman/Flames. Just explaining what happened.
Clearly dazed he didn't even see him until the last second, I think he was trying to protect himself
Anthony H. D. his head is clearly up though, was up almost right after the hit. maybe his vision was impaired?
NHL linesman seems to be a very lucrative occupation.
I probably sound stupid, but why did he do that to the ref in the first place?
Everyone complaining about his price has no clue how negotiations work. And he should have asked for more!! Dudes a punk, hope this lawsuit sinks him in FA. To the point no team wants the baggage that accompanies him. You don't get a call that you think you should of gotten, so let's attack the ref.... ref won't play another NHL game again. Lost discs in his back, now the rest of his life he has to deal with back issues. Countless appointments and more surgical procedures. I'd ask for 13 mil, he took his ability to do his career anymore. People saying 2 mil top.... that barely covers his surgeries. Should he become a Wal-Mart welcomer now??
Why is Wideman still playing?
I watched this game live and it was my opinion at the time that the hit was on purpose. After watching it many times, I have changed my mind. This is how I see it:
1 - 0:07 - Wideman was hit hard into the boards by Salomaki and appeared immediately disoriented. After a hard hit like this, a general feeling of disorientation is likely to remain for another 6 or more seconds, and the collision occurs 6 seconds after this moment.
2 - 0:08 - As Wideman comes out of the hit he is looking down onto the ice and appears to head along the boards to the bench.
3 - 0:10 - At this time, there is no ref or linesman between Wideman and the bench, so it appears unlikely that Wideman is thinking at this point "I'm going to hit that linesman which I predict will get in my way."
4 - 0:11 - As Wideman approaches the bench, the linesman is skating backward not watching where he is going or checking to see what is behind him. This is not Wideman's fault.
5 - 0:11 - Wideman cannot predict the linesman's backward path.
6 - 0:12 - The linesman moves away from the boards. Wideman moves toward the boards in a move that appears he is trying to avoid the linesman.
7 - 0:13 - Wideman lifts his stick vertically blade up shaft down. This is a normal move pretty much whenever any player is about to get off the ice onto the bench.
8 - 0:13 - The linesman changes course now toward the boards and the collision is imminent. Wideman has no time to react.
9 - 0:13 - Wideman does not cross-check the linesman. His stick is vertical not horizontal. The collision looks like Wideman is just trying to brace for impact like anybody would by putting your hands out. He just happened to have a stick in his hands. Unfortunately, the linesman is not looking behind him and is unaware he needs to brace for impact.
10 - 0:14 - The play is now coming up the ice along the boards. It's likely that both Wideman and the linesman were also trying to get out of the way of the play, but as we all know in hockey, there is no way to predict exactly how the puck and the players are coming up the ice which is why both were not skating in straight lines, they were reacting to the play.
It seems to me that this was a "perfect storm" that came together to cause a horrible accident.
Yes, it seems like Wideman should have been more apologetic at the time if it really was an accident. It could be that he was more preoccupied with the pain that he was in at that moment from his head being hit into the boards.
It is a very serious accusation to say that this hit was on purpose. I would be interested to hear an argument that proves it was purposeful.
Sue him for 10M, and then ban Wideman from the NHL ... for life.
Why was he not charged with assault? Clearly hitting a linesman is not part of the game and accepted risk
No room for that in hockey
If Henderson has any sense he will settle ASAP. Take $2.5 million and GTFO - Why? Lawyers. Lawyers will drag this nonsense out for years and demand more and more money in the meantime. Just settle ASAP and actually get paid.
That was not a hockey play. That was assault. Wideman should have gone to jail.
Wideman: Hey man, get outta the way next time.
Yep... this linesmen is definitely not money hunger🤔