Commissioner Bettman upholds Dennis Wideman's 20-game suspension

— --  Commissioner Gary Bettman upheld Dennis Wideman's 20-game suspension in a ruling released Wednesday, following the defenseman's appeal last week, but a reduction could potentially be in store.

It's up to Wideman now via the NHL Players' Association to decide whether to further appeal the suspension to a neutral arbitrator, James Oldham.

If they do decide to proceed, it would be the first time under the new collective bargaining agreement that a player went this far with the appeal process.

The league originally suspended the Calgary Flames veteran 20 games for his hit on linesman Don Henderson in a game against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 27.

Bettman issued a strong statement in favor of upholding the suspension Wednesday, saying: ``I am left with the firm view that a significant suspension is appropriate. On-ice officials simply cannot be made the target of a player's frustration or anger. As noted above, the NHLPA observed that a reduced suspension is within the realm of possibility, though the Union did not suggest one. I do not see a basis for a lesser penalty, particularly given the severity of the conduct involved."

The commissioner also said he was troubled by Wideman's "total failure to accept any responsibility for his actions."

Bettman said in his statement that although Wideman made much at the hearing about the apologies he had already made to Henderson, "the sincerity of those apologies rings somewhat hollow given the text message he sent to a teammate on February 2 -- after the conclusion of the hearing before Mr. Campbell -- that 'the only problem and the only reason I'm here is cause the stupid refs and stupid media.' "

A league source told ESPN.com that the text was produced as part of the discovery process in the league's investigation.

Bettman said that in light of Wideman's prior exemplary disciplinary record, he declined to increase the suspension.

Wideman's appeal hearing with Bettman on Feb. 10 lasted six and a half hours. A key part of Wideman's defense in that hearing, according to sources, was the fact that he was concussed and therefore not fully aware of his actions. The NHLPA had two concussion experts speak in the hearing.

Wideman was hit hard by Predators forward Miikka Salomaki moments before the incident with Henderson.

The NHL in its video explaining the 20-game suspension to Wideman accepted the notion that Wideman was potentially concussed but still felt it didn't excuse his actions.

Wideman said after the game that he was distracted after the Salomaki hit and unintentionally collided with Henderson. "I took a pretty good hit down in the corner and had some pretty good pain in my shoulder and neck," Wideman told reporters in Calgary that night. "I was just trying to get off the ice and kind of keeled over. At the last second, I looked up and saw [Henderson] and couldn't avoid it. I went up to Donnie and apologized to him on the ice.

"I didn't see him. I didn't know where to go and how to get out of the way. I've been around for a few years, and I think I've treated every official with the utmost respect, and I would never intentionally try to hit a linesman or a ref. It was completely unintentional, and I already apologized to him."

At the next stoppage, Wideman skated over to where the officials were gathered and apologized.

In October 2008, Mike Peca's 10-game suspension for grabbing the arm of referee Greg Kimberly while protesting an opposing goal was reduced to five games by Bettman.