Chris Wideman will have to sit out the next Montreal Canadiens game.
The Habs defenseman was suspended one game by the NHL Department of Player Safety after a hearing Thursday for his head-butt of Boston Bruins center Erik Haula on Wednesday.
The incident happened in the third period of a chippy game, which the Bruins won 5-1. With a bunch of players tangled up in a scrum, Wideman clearly drove his head into Haula, who understandably became incensed and started fighting Wideman.
Head-butting is not something overly common in the NHL, so it’s not something that the DoPS has to deal with often. Some head-butts have gone unpunished, while others have gotten fined and even suspensions up to four games.
It appears Wideman will be right in the middle, and is due to miss Friday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.