Remembering the time Jaromir Jagr was suspended for skating into a ref
Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman could be facing a suspension for bumping a linesman on Wednesday. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened. Just ask Jaromir Jagr.
By
Adam Gretz
•
2 min read
Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman could be facing a lengthy suspension for an incident during Wednesday's game when he ran into a linesman on his way back to the bench and appeared to shove him to the ice.
According to the NHL's abuse of officials rules, he could be suspended for a minimum of 10 games.
40.3 Automatic Suspension – Category II - Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner (excluding actions as set out in Category I), which physical force is applied without intent to injure, or who spits on an official, shall be automatically suspended for not less than ten (10) games.
If he does get suspended for that action, it wouldn't be the first time it has happened. He wouldn't even be the most noteable player to be hit with a suspension for it.
Oddly enough, the Wideman incident happened nearly 24 years to do the day of an incident involving a very young Jaromir Jagr during his early days with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Jagr, then in his second year in the NHL, was ejected from a 6-4 gong show of loss to the Washington Capitals on Jan. 26, 1992 for skating into referee Ron Hoggarth. After discussing the incident, Hoggarth and the two linesmen in the game determined it was an intentional act on Jagr's part and ejected him.
It was all part of a chaotic final minute that saw Jagr, Mario Lemieux and Kevin Stevens, three of the best players in the NHL at that time, all get ejected at the exact same time.
Lemieux and Stevens were ejected for angrily confronting Hoggarth after a Kelly Miller goal in the final minute that put the game out of reach. It was after that play that Jagr skated into Hoggarth.
The Penguins were furious with the officiating on the play that resulted in the goal as Jagr and Lemieux were both hauled down with no penalties called, with the non-call on Lemieux directly leading to the turnover that resulted in the odd-man rush where Miller scored.
Finding footage of Jagr actually bumping into Hoggarth is nearly impossible, but there is a YouTube video of the play itself as well as the aftermath.
And you thought neutral obstruction was bad in today's game? Along with the non-calls on the Capitals, check out the stick work from Stevens (also uncalled!) on Miller as he skated the other direction before the goal. Comical stuff.
Jagr said after the game that he didn't try to hit Hoggarth because "I'm no idiot."
Ron Francis said he hadn't seen three players get ejected like that since the Hanson Brothers in Slap Shot.
The criticisms did not stop there. Lemieux called the NHL a "garage league" after the game and blamed people like Hoggarth for the league's inability to get a national TV contract (via the Washington Post -- credit to @MisterMcJacob for finding that). Hoggarth was an official in the NHL between 1971 and 1994.
Jagr was suspended 10 games, a stretch that saw the Penguins go just 2-6-2. They went on to win the Stanley Cup later that year for the second straight year.
Daniel Carcillo was given a 10-game suspension for an abuse of officials violation during the 2014 playoffs when he was involved in an altercation with a linesman during the Eastern Conference Final.
Carcillo appealed that suspension and later had it reduced to six games.
