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Report: NHL linesman Henderson required neck surgery, friends fear his career may be over

Don Henderson

Nashville Predators’ players look over the bench at linesman Don Henderson after he was hit by Calgary Flames’ Dennis Wideman during second period NHL hockey action in Calgary, Alberta, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

AP

Don Henderson, the NHL linesman knocked to the ice by Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman, has undergone neck surgery to repair damage from the hit and there are fears his career may now be over, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

From Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe:

According to one of his friends in the officiating business, Henderson’s recent surgery was aimed at repairing two ruptured disks in his neck, the result of the hit. Felled in the second period, he dusted himself off and finished the game the night he was injured.

“I know a lot of people are saying stuff like, ‘Hey, Wideman’s not that type of guy . . . that’s not in his nature . . . he’s a good kid,’ ’’ said one of Henderson’s longtime pals in stripes. “And I say, ‘Yeah, so what?!’ That doesn’t make it any less egregious. He attacked him from behind, the puck was nowhere near the two of them, and now Henderson’s career may be finished. I don’t see much difference between what he did and Wayne Maki cracking his stick over Teddy Green’s head.’’

This is the latest development in a saga that has dominated headlines in the NHL since the incident occurred late in January.

Wideman apologized following the incident, saying the collision was ‘completely unintentional.’ The league later confirmed that Wideman had suffered a concussion from a hit just seconds before he checked Henderson to the ice near the bench.

He eventually received a 20-game suspension, but that was reduced to 10 games by a neutral arbitrator, although Wideman had already sat out 19 games when the decision was handed down following an appeal.

Related:

Report: NHL dismisses neutral arbitrator who reduced Wideman’s suspension

NHL sues NHLPA to reverse Wideman’s suspension reduction

NHL Officials’ Association ‘strongly disagrees’ with the decision to reduce Wideman’s suspension