NHL Files Lawsuit in Federal Court Over Reduction of Dennis Wideman's Suspension

The National Hockey League filed a lawsuit against the National Hockey League Players Association on Thursday hoping to get the arbitrator’s decision to reduce Dennis Wideman’s suspension overturned. 

Wideman hit linesman Don Henderson during a game on January 27, and the NHL suspended him for 20 games as a result. The neutral arbitrator, James Oldman after hearing arguments by the NHL and the NHLPA decided to reduce the suspension to 10 games on March 11.

In a statement released by the league, NHL Deputy Commission said, “We can confirm that the National Hockey League today filed an action in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking to vacate Arbitrator James Oldman’s arbitration decision to reducing the supplementary discipline suspension to player Dennis Wideman from 20 to 10 games. We believe that Arbitrator Oldman, in reaching his decision, exceeded his contractual authority by failing to properly apply the parties’ collectively bargained standard of review.”    

Daly added, “Today’s action was motivated primarily by our regard for the collective bargaining process and the importance of maintaining and safeguarding the parties’ reasonable expectations arising from the agreements made in that process. The timing of today’s filing was dedicated exclusively by the requirements of the federal rules governing these actions. We do not tend to offer any further comment pending the conclusion of the court’s review.”   

NHLPA spokesman, Jonathan Weatherdon, told Pierre Lebrun of TSN Hockey Insider, “We are disappointed that the NHL has chosen to challenge the award of the Neutral Discipline Arbitrator in court, as the collective bargaining agreement clearly states that the decision of the NDA is final. We are confident that this action is clearly without merit and that the court will agree.”  

Weatherdon added, “The CBA between the league and the union, states that the decision of the NDA shall be final and binding in all respects and not subject to review.”  

Wideman was suspended by the league on February 3^rd without pay for violating Rule 40, Physical Abuse of Officials. He then appealed the suspension, which was heard by Commissioner Gary Bettman who upheld the suspension on February 17^th. The neutral arbitrator then cut the suspension in half on March 11^th.