{allcanada} Expert weighs in on Dennis Wideman's hit, concussion

 

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Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman is expected to again argue that the concussion he sustained moments before he checked an official should be considered as he meets in the coming days with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and, potentially, an arbitrator during the appeals process.

That line of reasoning didn't work initially with the NHL's department of hockey operations as the league suspended Wideman for 20 games Wednesday.

But there has been some research that show cognitive abilities can be hindered in the immediate aftermath of a concussion.

"There are obviously some immediate effects," Jacob Sosnoff, an associate professor University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has studied concussions, told USA TODAY Sports. "One of the things you can lose is impulse control, which is the ability to stop your actions. We know that is impacted by traumatic brain injury."

Wideman suffered the injury on a hit into the boards by Nashville Predators forward Miikka Salomaki on Jan. 27. He appeared to be disoriented when he got to his feet and then skated to the bench area, where he blindsided linesman Don Henderson.

The defenseman spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since his suspension and issued an apology to Henderson.

"Never in my career have I ever disrespected or done anything like this to an official," Wideman told reporters. "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."

Wideman did not receive a penalty and stayed in the game. He was placed in the league's concussion protocol afterward and was cleared on Thursday.

The NHL Players' Association filed the appeal Wednesday, saying, "The facts, including the medical evidence presented at the hearing, clearly demonstrate that Dennis had no intention to make contact with the linesman."

While much of the focus academically and in the news media has been on the long-term effects of concussions that can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), short-term effects have also been researched.

A 2007 study in the Journal of Neurotrauma showed those with mild traumatic brain injuries had diminished impulse control. A 2009 study that ran in the journal Neuropsychologia showed those diagnosed with a concussion had diminished cognitive control — and the cognitive control was worse if the subject studied had a history of concussions.

"It's within the realm of possibility that you can sustain a concussion and not be able to control your actions," Sosnoff said.

If Bettman doesn't reduce the suspension to less than six games, a neutral arbitrator would hear Wideman's case.

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