The NHL threw the book at Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman on Wednesday.Wideman was handed a 20-game suspension for his hit from behind last week on linesman Don Henderson. Although Wideman never received a penalty on the play, he was suspended indefinitely last week and met with league officials in Toronto on Tuesday for a lengthy appeal hearing before the league came down with the decision the following day.The 11-year veteran, who will forfeit $564,516.20 in salary if he in fact misses 20 games, can appeal the suspension to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. If Bettman rules that Wideman must serve six or more games, the 32-year-old Ontario native can make another appeal to a neutral arbitrator, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.Wideman insisted the contact with Henderson was accidental, and said he apologized to him right away. The incident came a moment after Wideman took a big hit from Nashville's Miikka Salomaki and appeared to hit his head against the boards. He looked woozy when he skated back toward the Flames' bench before dropping Henderson to the ice with a hit from behind.Wideman has 19 points in 48 games, a season after scoring a career-high 56 points in his third year with the Flames.