Chris simon wasn’t someone I ever enjoyed seeing on the Isles. I greatly preferred eric cairns, he was just as tough without the mentally unstable aspect simon brought.
- Isles_since_6

Just checked, he was suspended 7 times, he has both the first & second longest ever NHL suspensions on his resume, both occurring in the calendar yr 2007.

Just checked, he was suspended 7 times, he has both the first & second longest ever NHL suspensions on his resume, both occurring in the calendar yr 2007.
- B2B76

yeah he was a nutter.

not that in a small way it wasn't kind of satisfying given who he decided to assault, but what he did was so far over the line you wouldn't even see that in a bar fight.

If the contact was accidental, you don't extend your arms through the person with the exact same timing as when it's deliberate.

Ah, but you do. If you are walking down the street, and someone you did not see cuts into your path, you would instinctively raise your hands in front of your face to protect it from the perceived impending threat.

If you watch, he doesn't see the linesman until he's almost on top of him, and he puts up his hands, holding his stick, in a defensive measure, protecting his head.

Defense of the head is hard wired into our subconscious. If you think a hockey player, after just getting his head rattled off the glass, is in control of his perceptions of his environment, you'd be wrong.

If the contact was deliberate, the linesman would not have been able to get up. If you cross check an unsuspecting person, in the back, with deliberate intent, the person being cross checked would end up with something broken. Or be badly injured.

If you accidentally run into an unsuspecting person, albeit with a cross check, said person would be stunned, then get up, brush himself off, and go about his business, which is exactly what the linesman did.
- scottak

Are you being intentionally dense? How many cross checking penalties are there every season? How many times is the offended injured? Not very many.

Edit: Look at the Sydney Crosby Brandon Dubinsky cross checking incident. Dubinsky cross checked Crosby in the back of the neck. Crosby was not injured and missed no time to injury.

He was skating back to the bench in a woozy state. Suddenly the linesman appears in front of him, and he reflexively put up his hands to protect himself from the impact. His hands were both on the stick at the same time, hence the 'cross-check'.

Additionally, maybe the linesman should be a little more aware of where he is on the ice, especially when in front of the players bench. He didn't notice a large man approaching him out of the corner of his eye?

The contact was clearly not deliberate, it was accidental. And in this instance, those terms are mutually exclusive.
- scottak

Suddenly?

Suddenly?
- Habby67

That's 1 point out of about 8 he was off his rocker on in that post.

Paul, that's a great story.

My theory is that Wideman may have mistaken the ref for a player on the other team who wouldn't get out of his way.

Great read Paul. Thanks

Maybe Wideman had watched this game earlier in the day.

Explain how refs get respect after this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmEtDX41qSM

Great stories Paul, good blog as usual!

Maybe Wideman had watched this game earlier in the day.

Explain how refs get respect after this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmEtDX41qSM
- powerenforcer

Morel got into a heap of trouble with the NHL. Not a proud moment for anyone.

On the other hand, for you to make such a ludicrous statement about an entire profession not deserving respect for a gaffe by an official that happened 23 years ago is a joke. By that "reasoning," please explain how goaltenders get respect after this (and in the Stanley Cup Finals, no less):

https://youtu.be/IHcBGTmqBuc


What's that you say? Isolated, fluke incident? Not even close to current? Totally irrelevent to what happened with Wideman and Henderson? Yes, yes, and yes. Exactly the pont.

Oh, and NOTHING ever justifies physically striking an official. Nothing.

Morel got into a heap of trouble with the NHL. Not a proud moment for anyone.

On the other hand, for you to make such a ludicrous statement about an entire profession not deserving respect for a gaffe by an official that happened 23 years ago is a joke. By that "reasoning," please explain how goaltenders get respect after this (and in the Stanley Cup Finals, no less):

https://youtu.be/IHcBGTmqBuc


What's that you say? Isolated, fluke incident? Not even close to current? Totally irrelevent to what happened with Wideman and Henderson? Yes, yes, and yes. Exactly the pont.
Oh, and NOTHING ever justifies physically striking an official. Nothing.

- Paul Stewart

When players make mistakes, they have to face fans, media, players, coaches, and even the occasional demotion, publicly. How that even is still relevant today is that the referees and video review people still do not have to face anyone publicly when they make mistakes. The same mistakes are being made with video review today as was back in that time. Sorry if you took it personally, but as a fan the phrase "the officials do not decide games" is a total lie! They can, and sometimes do.

My theory is that Wideman may have mistaken the ref for a player on the other team who wouldn't get out of his way.
- James_Tanner

Very plausible as he was clearly shaken up. That doesn't exonerate him though. While he didn't "go after" the linesman, he did check him. As he has no history of problematic behavior, 10 games is what he should get.

Very plausible as he was clearly shaken up. That doesn't exonerate him though. While he didn't "go after" the linesman, he did check him. As he has no history of problematic behavior, 10 games is what he should get.
- Scoob

Has to be at least 10 games and if that's his defense, the flames and the league will be in a bad place for not checking him for a concussion before sending him back on the ice.

Has to be at least 10 games
- Isles_since_6

Yes

and if that's his defense, the flames and the league will be in a bad place for not checking him for a concussion before sending him back on the ice.

I'm sure that will be looked in to, but often concussion symptoms don't show up right away. It's entirely possible that they tested him and he passed.

When players make mistakes, they have to face fans, media, players, coaches, and even the occasional demotion, publicly. How that even is still relevant today is that the referees and video review people still do not have to face anyone publicly when they make mistakes. The same mistakes are being made with video review today as was back in that time. Sorry if you took it personally, but as a fan the phrase "the officials do not decide games" is a total lie! They can, and sometimes do.
- powerenforcer

Just because they don't face the same level of public scrutiny does not mean they don't have to face serious scrutiny in private.

My theory is that Wideman may have mistaken the ref for a player on the other team who wouldn't get out of his way.
- James_Tanner

That is exactly what I believe he was thinking, and not because he was woozy. More so because he was filled with rage.

No excuse, as we all know.

When players make mistakes, they have to face fans, media, players, coaches, and even the occasional demotion, publicly. How that even is still relevant today is that the referees and video review people still do not have to face anyone publicly when they make mistakes. The same mistakes are being made with video review today as was back in that time. Sorry if you took it personally, but as a fan the phrase "the officials do not decide games" is a total lie! They can, and sometimes do.
- powerenforcer

exactly. the only reason we know Morel got in trouble is because Stewart just said so. no public admonishment.

and for a tough guy, Stewart takes everything personally.

He extends his arms and basically finishes his check, case closed watch his arms.

exactly. the only reason we know Morel got in trouble is because Stewart just said so. no public admonishment.

and for a tough guy, Stewart takes everything personally.
- Fountain-San

And what kind of trouble was it?

Good read Paul, thanks!

And what kind of trouble was it?
- powerenforcer

like, a heap?

My theory is that Wideman may have mistaken the ref for a player on the other team who wouldn't get out of his way.
- James_Tanner

That's what it looked like to me.

Maybe he was woozy or maybe his eyes were a little teared up after getting hit in the face, saw someone in a black helmet in his way and hit him.

Good read Paul, thanks!
- joegreif17

Yes, those are some great stories with the perspective of both a player and a ref.