Washington winger Tom Wilson has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head of Pittsburgh’s Zach Aston-Reese. The hit came midway through Tuesday’s Game 3 matchup between the two teams in Pittsburgh.
From the NHL Department of Player Safety offers a great explanation in the video.
“Wilson pivots to deliver the check with his left shoulder, then elevates up and into the hit, making the head the main point of contact and causing an injury. This is an illegal check to the head.”
The league also noted that head contact was avoidable, and that Wilson had sufficient opportunity to deliver a legal body check on the play.
Aston-Reese suffered a broken jaw on the play.
Wilson has a lengthy history of borderline hits. He was suspended twice during the 2017 preseason for separate incidents.
No salary is lost during the suspension, as players do not receive a salary during the playoffs.
