Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson has been suspended six games for high sticking Noah Gregor of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Wilson and Gregor were battling along the boards when Wilson whipped his stick across his opponent’s face. Refs Dan O’Rourke and Brandon Schrader issued a double-minor penalty to the Caps winger for high-sticking.
The Capitals will miss their gritty winger as they battle for a playoff spot. Washington is currently three points back of the second wild card spot with two games in hand. Wilson will be sidelined for key games against the Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres.
“That’s a huge impact,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery told NHL.com. “I don’t need to go into length about what he provides our team from a leadership standpoint, veteran presence standpoint, what he does on the ice. So, huge absence in our lineup.”
While he may not be a ‘repeat offender’ for salary purposes, Player Safety considered his entire rap sheet, which is lengthy.
Player Safety ruled that Wilson is “accountable for the dangerous result of the play which is the direct and forceful blow to an opponent’s head via a player with a substantial track record of supplemental discipline.”
Wilson has been previously suspended five times:
- March 2021 – Seven games for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo
- October 2018 – 20 games for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis Blues’ Oskar Sundqvist. Later reduced to 14 by an arbitrator.
- May 2018 – Three playoff games for an illegal check to the head of Pittsburgh Penguins’ Zach Aston-Reese.
- October 2017 – Four games for boarding St. Louis Blues winger Sammy Blais
- September 2017 – Two preseason games for interference on Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues.
He has also been fined for three incidents:
- May 2021 – $5,000.00 for roughing Pavel Buchnevich.
- April 2016 – $2,403.67 for kneeing Conor Sheary
- March 2015 – $2,000.00 for diving/embellishment
Wilson forfeits $161,458.32 as a result of the suspension. Between fines and forfeited salary, Wilson has lost over $1.8MM over the course of his career as a result of DOPS rulings, all of which goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Appeal Forthcoming?
Since his suspension is six games or longer, Wilson has the right to appeal his suspension. He’ll first have to go through Commissioner Gary Bettman, and, if not satisfied with the commish’s ruling, can bring his case to an outside arbitrator. He did this successfully back in 2018, when his 20-game ban was cut by six games. Expect the NHLPA to challenge this ruling.
This is the third in-person hearing held by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety this season, following meeting with Detroit’s David Perron (six games) and Toronto’s Morgan Rielly (five games).
