from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet,

The fact that Dennis Wideman’s 20-game suspension will soon become the first in NHL history appealed to a neutral arbitrator is far from the only new ground we’re breaking here.

How about commissioner Gary Bettman citing a text the Calgary Flames defenceman sent to a teammate as evidence that Wideman hadn’t accepted responsibility for hitting linesman Don Henderson? Or the fact that Flames president Brian Burke, a former league disciplinarian and longtime Bettman ally, blasted the appeals process for taking an “incomprehensible” amount of time to complete?

Or even that this whole incident revolves around a veteran player with no prior disciplinary history who claims to have had his judgment clouded after absorbing a big hit immediately before it occurred?

When you remove the emotion, what we are dealing with here is a case that carries a high potential for establishing precedent.

Precedent in the way the wheels of justice spin in the NHL. Precedent, potentially, in how the league treats indiscretions involving concussed players.

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