Dennis Wideman

At 41 years old, Dennis Wideman has this physical status:

Dennis Earl Wideman (born March 20, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Wideman was drafted in the eighth round, 241st overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

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Playing career

In 1997–98, the wideman grew up playing his minor ice hockey in Elmira, Ontario, for the Woolwich Township Wildcats and the Guelph Reps AAA Bantams of the OMHA's South Central AAA League. He competed in the 1997 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with Guelph.

Wideman was a member of the Elmira Sugar Kings of the Mid-Western Junior Hockey League (MWJHL), scoring 18 goals and 48 points in 47 games during his 1998–99 seasons. He was then drafted by the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Wideman began playing ice hockey for the Wolves in 1999-2000 season. In his rookie season in Sudbury, he had ten goals and 36 points in 63 games. In 12 games in the playoffs, he has averaged three points. Wideman started 2000-01 in Sudbury, scoring seven goals and 18 points in 25 games before being traded to the London Knights.

In 24 games with the Knights, the wideman completed the 2000–01 season with London, scoring eight goals and 16 points. Wideman had four assists in five games in the playoffs. He exploded offensively in the 2001–02 season, scoring 27 goals and 69 points in 65 games with London, while only scoring 141 penalty minutes. Wideman had four goals and 13 points in 12 playoff games. Wideman had 20 goals and 47 points in 55 games during his second good offensive season in 2002-03. Wideman returned to London in 2003-2004 as an overager and had another good season. In 60 games, he scored 24 goals and had 65 points, while still having a +52 rating. Wideman played seven goals and 17 points in 15 playoff games to end his junior career.

On June 30, 2004, Wideman became a free agent for the St. Louis Blues. In 2004-05, he appeared for the Worcester IceCats of the American Hockey League in his first professional season (AHL). Wideman had 13 goals and 43 points in 79 games with Worcester. He began the 2005–06 season with the Peoria Rivermen, the Blues' new affiliate, who also played in the AHL, scoring two goals and six points in 12 games. In 2005-06, the wideman was called up to the NHL and appeared in 67 games with the Blues, scoring eight goals and 24 points. Wideman led the Blues out of training camp in 2006–07, scoring five goals and 22 points in 55 games. The Blues traded Wideman to the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Brad Boyes on February 27, 2007.

Wideman spent three points in 20 games with the Bruins in 2006–07. In 81 games, he stood out offensively, scoring 13 goals and 36 points, leading the Bruins back to the Stanley Cup playoffs. During a power play against Atlanta Thrashers goaltender Kari Lehtonen at 4:40 of the second period, he scored his first goal in Bruins history on December 31, 2007. Wideman had three assists in six games in the 2008 playoffs. Wideman had a good offensive season in 2008–09, scoring 13 goals and 50 points in 79 games to tie Zdeno Chára for the most points won by a defenseman on the team. With a +32 rating, the wideman also ranked fifth in the NHL. Wideman had seven assists in 11 2009 playoff games. In the 2009–10 season, he struggled, but in 76 games, he only scored six goals and 30 points. Despite his lower regular season point production, he had a good offensive 2010 playoff campaign, scoring a goal and 12 points in 13 games. In exchange for Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell, the Bruins traded Wideman, their first-round draft pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and their third-round pick in 2011, to the Florida Panthers in June 22, 2010.

In 61 games, the wideman had a solid offensive season with the Panthers, scoring nine goals and 33 points. In 2011, the Panthers traded Wideman to the Washington Capitals for Jake Hauswirth and the Capitals' third-round draft pick. Wideman was second on the Panthers' scoring list at the time of the trade.

In a 4–2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 9, 2011, Wideman was first credited with hat-trick in his career. The play was still on the day, with Kevin Laich of Brazil officially credited for his third goal and his third goal being credited to him, with Wideman receiving the primary assist. Despite the change, the game remained his first four-point game of his career.

Wideman's rights were reportedly restricted to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Jordan Henry and a fifth-round draft pick at the end of the 2011–12 season. Wideman was then committed to a five-year, $26.25 million contract with the Flames right away. During the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, the wideman's first with the Flames was he had six goals and 16 assists.

Wideman went from jersey number 26 to six for the 2013-14 season, following Cory Sarich's transfer to the Colorado Avalanche. Wideman missed 36 games due to various injuries, and his goal total dropped two to four and his point total dropped one to 21, which is disappointing. For the fifth year in a row, the Flames also failed, finishing 27th place and missing the playoffs for the fifth year in a row.

Wideman started slowly in 2014-15 and was made a healthy scratch by coach Bob Hartley in just the second game of the year; however, he soon pounded up and had a record-breaking season, securing career highs in goals, assists, and points. He finished sixth in overall defensemen's goals with 15, and ranked fourth in points by a defenseman with 56 points. Kris Russell and the Flames made a dynamic pairing, and the Flames led the Flames back to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Wideman led all Flames defenders in points after being drafted in eleven playoff games. Calgary defeated the Vancouver Canucks in six games before losing in five to the Anaheim Ducks in the semi-finals.

Wideman, who had hoped to be cruising through the 2015-16 season, did not have a rough start in the first months of the year. He played 33 games for his first goal, but he didn't get one more for the remainder of the season. Wideman had already scored 9 goals despite being 33 games into the previous season. However, his poor play was dominated by a turbulent January play in which he violently collided with linesman Don Henderson for whom he was banned twenty games. The incident made international news, but Henderson's court complaint stayed unconstitutional. Wideman immediately strained his triceps three games later in a game against the Winnipeg Jets on March 16, 2016, capping his season. In his last ten games of a tough, tumultuous year in which the Flames lost the playoffs, the wideman failed to gain a point.

Wideman started the 2016-17 season with a strong pedigree in mind. Wideman's fifth year as a footballer, he was supposed to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He began the year with T.J. Brodie as his coach, but was quickly dropped into the third team in favour of fellow right-hand shot Deryk Engelland. Wideman struggled through the season, scoring five goals and 18 points in 57 games before being suspended for much of the second half of the year. For the second time in three seasons, the Flames qualified for the playoffs, this time as the first Western Conference wildcard; however, Wideman did not appear in any of the Flames' four playoff games.

In a game between the Flames and the Nashville Predators on January 27, 2016, Wideman struck linesman Don Henderson from behind. Wideman was seen getting body checked along the boards by the Predators' Miikka Salomaki and then getting up slowly, according to a video clip. As he stepped to the bench, he cross-checked the linesman across his back. Henderson was knocked out by the smash and left the game early. Wideman said the check was accidental and that he didn't see Henderson until the last moment. Henderson sustained a concussion as a result of the crash and will miss the remainder of the 2015–16 NHL season. Wideman was later discovered to have sustained a concussion on the Salomaki body check and refused medical assistance by the Flames' training staff, in breach of the NHL's mandated head injury protocols.

Following a hearing after the All-Star break, the wideman was suspended indefinitely the next day. He was suspended without pay for the incident, which was the minimum punishment for intentionally hitting an on-ice official under NHL Rule 40.2. In addition, the wideman forfeited $564,516.18 in pay. Although the NHL confirmed that Wideman had been wounded, it took the position that no such disorientation had been caused by the attack on Henderson.

The suspension was immediately appealed to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who upheld the initial decision, saying that a lengthy ban was justified considering "the severity of the crime involved." Wideman's lack of remorse had also caused him to break down, citing a text sent by Wideman to a colleague in which he attributed the tumultuous refs and "insidious media" as the cause. Wideman's suspension was appealed to a neutral arbitrator by the National Hockey League Players' Association, the first time this procedure had been used since the adoption of the updated collective bargaining agreement. Arbitrator James Oldham found that Wideman's assault on Henderson was not malicious and that he should have been suspended under Rule 40.3, lowering the penalty to ten games. At the time of the decision, the wideman had already played 19 games but was refunded half of his forfeited pay.

Henderson was suing both Wideman and the Calgary Flames for CAD $10.25 million as a result of the injury sustained by the injury on April 20, 2017.

Post-playing career

Wideman was an unsigned free agent from the start of the 2016-17 season through the 2017-18 season. He ceased playing for 13 years after taking on an assistant coaching role with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL on November 23, 2017.

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