Hockey Linesman Knocked to Ice Sues Player for Millions

An NHL linesman who hasn't been able to work since he was knocked to the ice from behind by Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman last year is suing the player and the team for $7.5 million. Wideman cross-checked Don Henderson as he was returning to the bench during a game against the Nashville Predators on Jan 27, 2016, CTV reports. Wideman said afterward that it was unintentional and he felt "awful" about it. He received a 20-game suspension, the second-longest in NHL history for an attack on an official, though it was later reduced to 10 games by arbitrators.

In a lawsuit filed in Calgary, Henderson claims he suffered a concussion from being "violently struck," along with injuries to his head, neck, shoulder, and right knee, reports TSN. He says he has also suffered depression and still hasn't been cleared to return to the ice. The linesman, who's suing for medical expenses and loss of future earnings, says that before the hit, he had officiated at more than 1,200 NHL games without missing a single one due to injury. (More Calgary Flames stories.)