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. The process has already started, with the NHLPA announcing within hours that it had filed an appeal on behalf of the Calgary Flames defenceman.