On Wednesday, the NHL issued commissioner Gary Bettman’s decision regarding ex-Bruin Dennis Wideman’s appeal of his 20-game suspension. It was the third time under the current collective bargaining agreement that Bettman has heard an appeal. Once again, the resulting document did not disappoint.

In 23 pages of clear and crisp writing, Bettman peeled back the curtain on the process to uphold the suspension for cross-checking linesman Don Henderson. This had been done before upon the appeals of Shawn Thornton and Patrick Kaleta. Bettman’s order was simple, powerful, and bulletproof.

Some highlights from the decision:

¦ The hearing took place in New York on Feb. 10. Wideman, Henderson, Bettman, and Flames general manager Brad Treliving were the principal attendees. They were four of 23 individuals in attendance, a number that underscores the gravity of the six-hour hearing.

¦ The NHL Players Association did not argue for a reduced suspension. Instead, the union argued that no suspension was necessary because Wideman had suffered a concussion when he was hit by Nashville’s Miikka Salomaki. The NHLPA believed Wideman’s concussion resulted in an immediate and serious diminishment in his mental and/or physical capacity. As such, Wideman was unable to avoid contact with Henderson.

¦ Bettman referred to the appeal of J.J. Daigneault’s 10-game suspension in 1997 for slashing referee Don Koharski to emphasize the importance of Rule 40, which pertains to physical abuse of officials: “Among the most important rules in the NHL’s Rulebook are the rules which protect the integrity and physical well-being of our officials.’’ This was not about a standard slashing penalty or equipment violation. The reference to Daigneault’s suspension underscored that officials are strictly off limits. Wideman had broken a major rule.

¦ As he approached Henderson, Wideman lifted his stick off the ice, held it in both hands, cross-checked the linesman in the back, and extended his arms. Wideman acknowledged the force of his cross-check could reasonably be expected to cause injury to Henderson. He could not explain why he lifted his stick with both hands before he approached Henderson. The NHLPA presented several cases of players colliding with officials in what were considered hockey plays. Bettman ruled this did not remotely resemble a hockey play.

¦ The NHLPA retained neuropsychologist Paul Comper and neurologist Jeffrey Kutcher to interview Wideman. Four days following the incident, Comper and Kutcher interviewed Wideman via FaceTime while the defenseman was vacationing in Scottsdale, Ariz., during the All-Star break. Comper and Kutcher testified that Wideman’s actions could have been the result of the concussion he had sustained. Bettman, however, noted that neither treated Wideman. Both were retained by the NHLPA, as they had been in previous cases. Both relied on brief and remote interviews with Wideman four days following the incident. These facts did not encourage Bettman to acknowledge that Wideman’s concussed state may have contributed to his actions.

¦ Kutcher testified that because of the concussion, Wideman’s cross-check was a dramatic and rare play that was a result of disorientation, lack of awareness, and impulse control difficulties. Video review and Wideman’s testimony, however, indicated he was aware of both the situation and his surroundings. After the hit, Wideman skated to his bench and signaled with his stick for a change, which prompted T.J. Brodie to roll over the boards. Wideman told Comper and testified during his hearing that he realized he was about to hit Henderson and tried to get out of the way. This undermines Kutcher’s suggestion that he experienced situational unawareness. Wideman did not swerve to avoid impact or put his arms around Henderson. After the collision, Wideman continued to skate past Nashville’s bench before stepping onto Calgary’s. “In these circumstances,’’ Bettman wrote, “the hypothesis that Mr. Wideman lacked ‘situational awareness’ strains common sense beyond the point of credibility.’’

¦ During a postgame interview, Wideman denied being woozy after the Salomaki hit. During his hearing, however, Wideman said he had been instructed to give a misleading answer if asked about his condition. If Wideman was telling the truth in his hearing, this does not reflect well on the party who gave him such instructions: coaches, medical staff, or media relations personnel.

¦ Calgary’s concussion spotter noted Wideman’s motor incoordination and balance problems after the Salomaki hit. According to the spotter’s observations, Wideman should have been removed from the game and evaluated under the league’s concussion protocol. Wideman was not. Bettman did not make a ruling on whether the Flames violated protocol.

¦ Bettman feared that acknowledging a loss of impulse control as an explanation for Wideman’s actions would be a slippery slope for other incidents to cite the same reason. For example, it might absolve a concussed player who struck an opposing coach with his stick. “[To] find on a record such as this one that the Player was not responsible for the consequences of his actions would set a precedent,’’ Bettman wrote, “that could easily be manipulated in the future in a way that would make the game more dangerous for all participants, including players.’’

¦ Bettman classified Wideman’s defense as a total failure to accept any responsibility for his actions. Wideman apologized multiple times to Henderson. But Bettman wrote that the apologies rang hollow because of a text message he sent to a teammate on Feb. 2, five days following the incident: “[The] only problem and the only reason I’m here is ’cause of the stupid refs and stupid media.’’ This is a damning record of Wideman’s state of mind at the time, which was supposedly clear.

Thornton and Kaleta accepted the upholdings of their appeals. Wideman has not. For the first time under the current CBA, a neutral arbitrator will issue a decision. Another appeal may help trim part of Wideman’s suspension. It will do nothing to repair Wideman’s reputation. He has lost that completely.

DOWN TIMES

League thirsting for excitement

If you did not nod off while watching Bruins-Blue Jackets on Tuesday, I commend you for your preferred delivery of caffeine. It was yet another example of no-event hockey: up and down, back and forth, with very little resembling anything of consequence until the winning goal in overtime.

Within this context, it is not surprising that NESN’s ratings are down 19 percent from last season, according to Sports Business Journal. Of the 21 teams included in the publication’s rankings, the Bruins’ drop was among the top five tumblers, after St. Louis (25 percent decrease), the Islanders (24 percent), Arizona (23 percent), and Pittsburgh (19 percent). Overall, the Bruins had the fifth-highest rating (3.43) on regional networks after Buffalo (6.81), Pittsburgh (5.51), Chicago (3.91), and St. Louis (3.5).

Some of this is because of the Bruins’ rebuild. The team still isn’t sure what it is.

Notable players such as Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton are gone.

Another reason is the explosion of entertainment alternatives. Fans can stream games on their devices to get their pucks fix instead of paying for cable. Every year, more viewers will cut the cable cord. There are other things to watch besides hockey.

But I believe the root of the problem is the decline in the game’s entertainment value. This year, I’ve watched way too many 10-minute stretches where nothing of consequence takes place: no goals, no scoring chances, no hits, and certainly no fights. With the way we’re distracted by multiple devices, it does not take much to change the channel.

Offense by itself doesn’t necessarily translate to a good watching experience. There are plenty of 6-5 games that highlight bad goaltending, sloppy defensive play, and indifferent performance in the neutral zone. But goals at least change the way teams play. A coach desperate for points will not loosen his leash if his team is holding on to a 1-1 tie. The coach that falls behind by two goals, however, will let the reins loose. Action might have a chance of happening. The goaltending equipment has to shrink ASAP.

I think another problem is the decline in fighting. It’s a tricky issue. There’s no doubt that fighting is dangerous. But so is racing an 850-hp racecar at 200 miles per hour. People will watch both because the athletes involved are doing things that no mortal could ever consider. Once the scraps go for good, the fight fans will leave the sport. That will not be good. These are among the NHL’s most loyal and free-spending enthusiasts.

The league is headed for a bad spot if the owners and GMs don’t fix it immediately. As the years go by, the hard-core fans will not stand for this kind of vanilla entertainment. If speed and skill don’t produce anything of note, we will miss the sport’s primal characteristic of conflict. These days, tempers barely rise, to say nothing of boil. That doesn’t make for good watching.

ETC.

Marchand excels playing keepaway

Brad Marchand will be due for a big raise in 2017 from his current $4.5 million annual salary. His asking price will start at $7 million annually. The left wing will deserve it, primarily because the essence of his game begins with an admirable quality: He treats the puck like it’s his wallet.

Once the puck is on Marchand’s blade, it does not usually come off until he’s put it in the back of the net. One of Marchand’s assets is how strong he is on the puck and what he’s able to do when it’s on his stick.

“There’s lots of things you can do to work on that, whether it’s your strength or just working on it,’’ said Marchand. “Me and [Gregory Campbell] used to do it a lot after practice, trying to keep the puck from each other and battling down low. It is something I’ve worked on over the years.’’

There are different ways of being strong on the puck. Jaromir Jagr turns his back to opponents, puts his strength to work, and keeps the puck out of reach. Patrick Kane turns the puck into a yo-yo by using his exceptional hands to stickhandle through danger.

What makes Marchand dangerous is how he employs different methods to play keepaway from defenders. At high speed, Marchand can dangle through defenses because of his strength and confidence. When it’s grind time, Marchand can turn around, draw defenders his way, and open up things for Patrice Bergeron.

One of Marchand’s go-to maneuvers in the corners is to invite opponents to hit him.

This wouldn’t work for most players. Brutish defensemen such as Shea Weber excel at flattening forwards and separating them from the puck.

But Marchand encourages contact because his strength allows him to stay on his skates and keep control of the puck. When the check comes, it gives Marchand options. If a defenseman closes on Marchand, Bergeron is good at identifying the real estate that’s left open. This leads to odd-man situations in dangerous areas of the ice.

“When guys come to hit me, I try to use that momentum to push me away from them,’’ Marchand said. “It gives me an extra step or two. I can spin off them. It’s something I’ve learned to do.’’

Wild response after firing Yeo

Minnesota is a new team after replacing coach Mike Yeo with John Torchetti. Since the Jamaica Plain native took over following a 4-2 loss to the Bruins on Feb. 13, the Wild swept their three-game Western Canada trip. They had lost their seven previous games and looked like a flat-lining team. While they’re reenergized under Torchetti, they’re still in a dogfight in the mammoth Central Division. The harder they push under Torchetti, it is more likely that GM Chuck Fletcher keeps Bruins winger Loui Eriksson in his crosshairs. Had they continued their plunge, Fletcher would not have ceded a pick and a prospect for Eriksson, whom the Wild consider only a rental. Now, Eriksson could be the difference between making the playoffs or not.

Jets may ‘C’ a leader in Wheeler

If the Jets trade captain Andrew Ladd before the Feb. 29 deadline, Blake Wheeler should be in line to wear the “C.’’ Wheeler, an alternate captain, has emerged as a go-to right wing and leader. He is Winnipeg’s leading scorer. Off the ice, the ex-Bruin has not shied away from speaking critically about his team after bad games. On Thursday, after Anton Stralman dropped a hunched-over Bryan Little with a hit to the head, Wheeler shed his gloves and stood up for his center. The Bruins considered Wheeler expendable in 2011, partly because they weren’t sold on his competitive nature. He’s answered those questions.

Ducks performing swimmingly

There aren’t many personnel surprised with Anaheim’s rocket up the Western Conference standings. Since Christmas, the Ducks have gone an NHL-best 18-4-2. They concluded a seven-game road trip with a 5-2 win on Thursday against Vancouver. Before the season, one Western executive noted his fear of two teams: Anaheim and Los Angeles. The Ducks have depth in goal with Frederik Andersen serving as John Gibson’s insurance policy. Had the Ducks stayed cold like they were earlier in the season, they might have considered dealing Hampus Lindholm or Sami Vatanen, restricted free agents-to-be. But neither is going anywhere with the Ducks in position for another deep run.

Stamkos isn’t going anywhere

Lightning GM Steve Yzerman made the right move by declaring Steven Stamkos unavailable before the trade deadline. Other GMs may have known this to be true beforehand. But by making his declaration public, Yzerman sent a message to his captain that he can relax and focus on leading the Lightning back to the Stanley Cup Final. On Thursday against Winnipeg, Stamkos scored one of his typical goals. He slipped the coverage of Tyler Myers, hopped on a rebound in front of the net, and powered the puck past Ondrej Pavelec. Expect Stamkos’s production to climb as Tampa gears up for another push. While Stamkos’s price won’t go down, he understands that his odds of winning his first Cup are better in Tampa than in most cities, including his hometown of Toronto. Stamkos is as competitive as they come.

Loose pucks

The Bruins and their fathers will take a road trip to Raleigh, N.C., for Friday’s game against the Hurricanes. This will be the first time Bruins’ fathers will hit the road with their sons during Claude Julien’s time behind the Boston bench. In 2006-07, the Bruins’ fathers went to Florida under ex-coach Dave Lewis’s watch . . . The book is out on Zach Trotman: Pressure the right-side blue-liner as hard as possible. Like most young defensemen, Trotman struggles against an aggressive forecheck. The Bruins’ priority remains back-end reinforcement, partly to give Zdeno Chara a more dependable partner. While a top-pairing acquisition is unlikely given the high price, the Bruins may be best served moving Dennis Seidenberg to Chara’s right side and finding help on the second tandem . . . It does not appear there will be springtime hockey in Montreal. That is a shame. The league is a better place when the Canadiens are rolling, and not just in dirt.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeFluto. Material from interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.