The Washington Capitals will be without one of its top forwards for the next three games. That is because the NHL came down hard on Tom Wilson, suspending him for three games due to his brutal hit on Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese. The Department of Player Safety ruled Wilson’s check was illegal.
Washingtonâs Tom Wilson suspended three games for an illegal check to the head on Pittsburghâs Zach Aston-Reese. https://t.co/rrZ8Hp3XkE
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 2, 2018
According to the ruling by the league, Wilson lowered his shoulder and launched his body up and off the ice as he made contact with Anton-Reese.
Aston-Reese suffered a broken jaw and concussion off the second period hit of Tuesday’s Game 3, according to Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. Wilson was not penalized on the ice. The game referees consulted as the ice was cleaned up, and ruled the check to be “clean.”
At question was the point in which Wilson left off the ice. His skates did come up and depending on the view, it was debatable if his skates went up before, at or after the point of contact. For the league, there was no debate.
Wilson’s reputation may have played a factor in the ruling in addition to the actual act. Wilson dodged suspension for another brutal hit one game earlier on Penguins forward Brian Dumoulin. While he plays the game hard nearly every tick he is on the ice, having another questionable hit may have drawn the ire of the league more so than the act.
Now, Washington’s head coach Barry Trotz must shuffle the deck along his forwards. Wilson was part of the Capitals’ top line along with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. In nine postseason games, Wilson scored two goals and tallied five assists with a plus-7 rating.
The Capitals lead the best-of-seven second-round series 2-1, but will now be without Wilson for their next three playoff games.
