Tom Wilson has once again drawn the ire of his opponents and hockey fans for a controversial sequence. The Washington Capitals enforcer drew a 10-minute game misconduct and an additional four minutes for roughing after sparking a huge melee in the second period of the Capitals’ 6-3 win over the New York Rangers.
Wilson punched a defenseless Pavel Buchnevich in the back of the head after forcefully taking down the Rangers forward. Then, Wilson slammed Artemi Panarin down on the ice after the star joined the scrum.
Panarin was later ruled out of the game with a lower-body injury.
Wilson was seen apparently boasting and flexing about his actions.
It’s unclear if the his latest actions will draw the attention of the NHL’s Player Safety. But Wilson has an extensive history of suspensions. As a repeat offender, he could face a hearing from the league.
In March, the Capitals forward was suspended seven games for his hit on Boston Bruins’ Brandon Carlo. Carlo spent a night in the hospital after being slammed into the boards.
Wilson drew a 20-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head on Oskar Sundqvist during a 2018 preseason game. The suspension was later reduced to 14 games by an independent arbitrator. At the time, it was his fourth suspension in 105 games.
