Injured NHL linesman ordered to pay legal costs to Flames, ex-defenceman Dennis Wideman after failed lawsuit
Meghan Grant | CBC News | Posted: April 27, 2018 5:36 PM | Last Updated: April 27, 2018
Don Henderson must pay partial legal costs of $8,000 to the Flames and $3,000 to Wideman
Injured NHL linesman Don Henderson has been ordered by a judge to pay partial legal costs to the Calgary Flames and former player Dennis Wideman after his lawsuit against them was tossed earlier this year.
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Willie deWit ordered Henderson to pay $8,000 to the Flames and $3,000 to Wideman. In March, deWit stayed the NHL official's $10.2-million lawsuit and ordered the case to be heard by an NHL arbitrator.
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In his statement of claim filed a year ago, Henderson said he was still not able to work because of his head and neck injuries, which included a concussion.
In the second period of a game against Nashville in January 2016, as Wideman skated to the bench after taking a hit from Predators' Miikka Salomaki, he cross-checked Henderson, who had his back to the defenceman.
Wideman was ultimately suspended for 10 games.
In his March decision to stay the lawsuit, deWit agreed with the defendants' position that Henderson must abide by the agreement between the NHL and its members — including officials — that says disputes like this fall under the umbrella of employment issues and must be dealt with through league arbitration.
Henderson had argued the case should remain in court because the league and its commissioner, Gary Bettman, showed bias based on prior involvement with Wideman's suspension.
Henderson's lawyers have appealed that decision.