from Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald,

Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman broke his silence Thursday, issuing a public apology to linesman Don Henderson and saying he is “disappointed” with the 20-game suspension he was handed by the NHL after his ugly collision with the official last week.

Reading from notes, Wideman addressed the media after practising with his Flames teammates at the Saddledome, his first skate since the incident.

With the NHLPA currently appealing the suspension on his behalf, the 32-year-old did not answer questions.

“Firstly, I want to apologize to Donnie Henderson,” Wideman said. “I feel awful about what happened. Hopefully, he’s recovering and he’s going to be back on the ice soon, but I feel really bad about the whole situation. The last seven days have been tough.

“Never in my career have I ever disrespected or done anything like this to an official. I think I’ve prided myself on having a great working relationship with the officials, and I hope to continue that when I get out there. But again, I just want to apologize to Donnie. I feel awful about what happened.

continue for more from Wideman...

added 3:37pm, Watch Wideman's statement below via Sportsnet.