Dennis Earl Wideman (born March 20, 1983) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to ...
who played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL). Wideman was drafted in the eighth round, 241st overall, by the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
in the
2002 NHL Entry Draft
__NOTOC__
The 2002 NHL Entry Draft was the 40th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 22 and 23, 2002 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Two hundred and ninety-one players were drafted in total: 35 from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL); ...
.
Playing career
Amateur
Wideman grew up playing his
minor ice hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...
in his hometown of
Elmira,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, playing for the Woolwich Township Wildcats "B" of the OMHA's Tri-County League and the Guelph Reps AAA Bantams of the OMHA's South Central AAA League in 1997–98. He played in the 1997
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...
with Guelph.
Wideman spent the 1998–99 season with the
Elmira Sugar Kings of the
Mid-Western Junior Hockey League (MWJHL), scoring 18 goals and 48 points in 47 games. He was then drafted by the
Sudbury Wolves of the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...
(OHL).
Wideman began his
junior ice hockey career with the Wolves in the
1999–2000 season. In his rookie season in Sudbury, he had ten goals and 36 points in 63 games. He then added three points in 12 games in the playoffs. Wideman began
2000–01 in Sudbury, scoring seven goals and 18 points in 25 games before being traded to the
London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League. The Knights started out in 1965 as the London Nationals but changed to their cu ...
.
Wideman finished the
2000–01 season with London, earning eight goals and 16 points in 24 games with the Knights. In the playoffs, Wideman had four assists in five games. He exploded offensively in the
2001–02 season, scoring 27 goals and 69 points in 65 games with London, while registering 141 penalty minutes. In 12 playoff games, Wideman had four goals and 13 points. He had another solid offensive season in
2002–03, as Wideman had 20 goals and 47 points in 55 games. He then added six goals and 12 points in 13 playoff games Wideman returned to London as an over-ager in
2003–04, and had another very solid season. He scored 24 goals and had 65 points in 60 games, while posting a +52 rating. In 15 playoff games, Wideman scored seven goals and 17 points to finish his junior career.
Professional
St. Louis Blues
Wideman signed as a free agent with the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
on June 30, 2004. He played his first professional season with the
Worcester IceCats
The Worcester IceCats were a US ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the Worcester Centrum. In 2005 the team was renamed the Peoria Rivermen and moved to Peoria, Illinois.
History
The IceCats ...
of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL) in
2004–05. In 79 games with Worcester, Wideman had 13 goals and 43 points. He then began the
2005–06 season with Blues' new affiliate, the
Peoria Rivermen, also of the AHL, scoring two goals and six points in 12 games. Wideman was then called up to the NHL and appeared in 67 games with the Blues in
2005–06, scoring eight goals and 24 points. In
2006–07, Wideman made the Blues out of training camp, and in 55 games, he scored five goals and 22 points. On February 27, 2007, the Blues traded Wideman to the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
in exchange for forward
Brad Boyes.
Boston Bruins
Wideman with the Bruins
Wideman finished the
2006–07 season with the Bruins, as he recorded three points in 20 games with the team. He broke out offensively in the
2007–08 season, scoring 13 goals and 36 points in 81 games, helping the Bruins return to the
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs (french: Les séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley) is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League (NHL) consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series to determine the league champion and the winner ...
. On December 31, 2007, he scored a memorable goal at 4:40 of the second period against
Atlanta Thrashers goaltender
Kari Lehtonen
Kari Lehtonen (born November 16, 1983) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Atlanta Thrashers and Dallas Stars. He was selected second overall in the 2002 NHL Ent ...
during a
power play
Power play or powerplay or their plurals may refer to:
Sports
* Power play (sporting term), a sporting term used in various games
* Powerplay (cricket), a rule concerning fielding restrictions in one-day international cricket
* Power play (cur ...
— it was the 18,000th goal in Bruins history. In the
2008 playoffs, Wideman had three assists in six games. In
2008–09, Wideman once again had a very solid offensive season, scoring 13 goals and 50 points in 79 games to tie
Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára (; born 18 March 1977) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, and Washington Capitals between 1997 a ...
for most points by a defenceman on the team. Wideman also finished sixth in the NHL with a +32 rating. In 11
2009 playoff games, Wideman had seven assists. He struggled in the
2009–10 season, however, scoring only six goals and 30 points in 76 games. Despite his lower regular season point production, he had a very strong offensive
2010 playoff performance, scoring a goal and 12 points in 13 games. On June 22, 2010, the Bruins traded Wideman, their first-round draft pick in the
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial re ...
and their third-round pick in
2011 to the
Florida Panthers in exchange for
Nathan Horton
Nathan Russell Horton (born May 29, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. During his career, Horton played for the Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets. He was drafted third overall by the Panthers in the ...
and
Gregory Campbell.
Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals
Wideman had a solid offensive season with the Panthers in
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
, as he scored nine goals and 33 points in 61 games. The Panthers traded Wideman to the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
for Jake Hauswirth and the Capitals' third-round draft pick in 2011. At the time of the trade, Wideman was second on the Panthers' scoring list.
![Dennis Wideman Capitals](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Dennis_Wideman_Capitals.jpg)
On December 9, 2011, Wideman was initially credited with the first
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
in his career in a 4–2 victory over the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
.
The following day, however, the play was reviewed and his third goal was officially credited to teammate
Brooks Laich, with Wideman receiving the primary assist. Despite the change, the game remained the first four-point performance of his career.
[
]
Calgary Flames
At the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, as a pending unrestricted free agent, Wideman's rights were traded to the Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
on June 27, 2012, in exchange for Jordan Henry and a fifth-round draft pick. Wideman was then immediately signed to a five-year, $26.25 million contract with the Flames. Wideman recorded six goals and 16 assists during the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, his first with the Flames.
For the 2013-14 season, Wideman switched from jersey number 26 to 6, following the trade of Cory Sarich, who had previously worn the number, to the Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
. During the season, Wideman missed 36 games with various injuries, and saw his goal total drop two to 4 and his point total drop one to 21. The Flames also struggled, finishing in 27th place and missing the playoffs for the fifth year in a row.
Wideman started off slowly in 2014-15, and was made a healthy scratch by coach Bob Hartley in just the second game of the year; however, he quickly heated up and recorded a phenomenal season, setting career highs in goals, assists, and points. He finished tied for sixth among all defensemen in goals, with 15, and finished fourth in points by a defenseman, with 56. He formed a dynamic pairing with Kris Russell
Kris Russell (born May 2, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally drafted in the third roun ...
, and they helped lead the Flames back to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Once there, Wideman led all Flames defenders in points, recording seven assists in eleven playoff games. In the opening round, Calgary dispatched the Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
in six games before falling in five to the Anaheim Ducks in the semi-finals.
Expected to continue his torrid pace into the 2015-16 season, Wideman instead struggled through the opening months of the year. He took 33 games to record his first goal, and only recorded one more for the duration of the season. 33 games into the previous season, Wideman had already recorded 9 goals. However, his poor play was overshadowed by a controversial play in January in which he violently collided with linesman Don Henderson, for which he was initially suspended twenty games. The incident made headlines internationally and a lawsuit filed by Henderson remains unsettled. Upon returning from his suspension, Wideman promptly injured his triceps three games later in a game against the Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
on March 16, 2016, ending his season. Wideman failed to record a point in his last ten games of a disappointing, hectic year in which the Flames missed the playoffs.
Looking to put the previous season behind him, Wideman entered the 2016-17 season with something to prove. Entering the final year of his five-year deal, Wideman was to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Under new coach Glen Gulutzan, he began the year on a pairing with T.J. Brodie, but was quickly shuffled onto the third pairing in favour of fellow right-hand shot Deryk Engelland. Wideman struggled through the season, only posting five goals and 18 points through 57 games, before being benched for much of the latter part of the year after the Flames acquired Michael Stone from Arizona. The Flames qualified for the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, this time as the first Western Conference wildcard; however, Wideman did not play in any of the Flames' four playoff games.
Referee altercation
On January 27, 2016, Wideman struck linesman Don Henderson
Donald Francis Henderson (10 November 1931 – 22 June 1997)Ancestry/Find My Past (his birth was registered in the December 1931 quarter) was an English actor. He was known for playing both "tough guy" roles and authority figures, and is remem ...
from behind in a game between the Flames and Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
. Video footage showed Wideman getting body checked along the boards by the Predators' Miikka Salomaki and getting up slowly. As he skated to the bench, he cross-checked the linesman across his back. Henderson was injured by the hit and left the game. Following the game, Wideman claimed the check was unintentional and that he did not see Henderson until the last moment. Henderson suffered a concussion as a result of the collision and would miss the remainder of the 2015–16 NHL season
The 2015–16 NHL season was the 99th season of operation (98th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). Thirty teams competed in 82-game regular season schedules from October 7, 2015 to April 10, 2016.
The 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs ...
. It was later revealed that Wideman had also suffered a concussion on the Salomaki body check and refused treatment by the Flames' training staff, in violation of the NHL's mandatory head injury protocols.
Wideman was suspended indefinitely the next day, pending a hearing after the All-Star break. On February 3, he was handed a 20-game suspension without pay for the incident, the minimum sanction for deliberately striking an on-ice official under NHL Rule 40.2. Wideman also forfeited $564,516.18 in salary. While the NHL acknowledged that Wideman had been injured, it took the line that any possible disorientation Wideman suffered did not excuse the attack on Henderson.
The suspension was immediately appealed to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who upheld the initial ruling, saying that a lengthy ban was merited given "the severity of the conduct involved." Bettman was also angered by Wideman's lack of remorse, citing a text Wideman sent to a teammate in which he blamed the furor over the hit on "the stupid refs and the stupid media." The National Hockey League Players' Association
NHLPA (french: AJLNH) is the labour union for the group of professional hockey players who are under Standard Player Contracts to the 32 member clubs in the National Hockey League (NHL) located in the United States and Canada. The association re ...
then appealed Wideman's suspension to a neutral arbitrator—the first time that this procedure had been used since the adoption of the renewed collective bargaining agreement. On March 11, arbitrator James Oldham concluded Wideman's attack on Henderson was not intentional and that he should have been penalized under Rule 40.3, thus reducing the penalty to 10 games. Wideman had already served 19 games at the time of the ruling but was refunded half of his forfeited salary.
On April 20, 2017 the CBC reported that Henderson was suing both Wideman and the Calgary Flames for CAD
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...
$10.25 million as a result of the injuries sustained from the hit. On March 2, 2018, the Court of Queen's Bench in Calgary dismissed the lawsuit, reasoning that the dispute should be settled through the NHL's arbitration process.
Post-playing career
After the conclusion of the 2016–17 season, Wideman was an un-signed free agent over the summer and into the following 2017–18 season. On November 23, 2017, he concluded his professional playing career after 13 years by accepting an assistant coaching role with major junior team, the Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL ...
of the OHL.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
See also
*2015–16 NHL suspensions and fines
The following is a list of all suspensions and fines enforced in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 2015–16 NHL season. It lists which players or coaches of what team have been punished for which offense and the amount of punishment th ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wideman, Dennis
1983 births
Boston Bruins players
Buffalo Sabres draft picks
Calgary Flames players
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Florida Panthers players
Ice hockey people from Ontario
Living people
London Knights players
People from Woolwich, Ontario
Peoria Rivermen (AHL) players
St. Louis Blues players
Sportspeople from Kitchener, Ontario
Sudbury Wolves players
Washington Capitals players
Worcester IceCats players