Commissioner Gary Bettman upheld Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman's 20-game suspension in a ruling released Wednesday, but a reduction could be in store.
The ruling followed Wideman's appeal last week. Wideman, through the NHL Players' Association, must now decide whether to further appeal the suspension to a neutral arbitrator, James Oldham.
If they do decide to proceed, it would be the first time under the new collective bargaining agreement that a player has gone this far with the appeal process.