Updated:
Tim Wilson will have to wait until Wednesday for his in-person hearing with NHL Department of Player Safety.
The Capitals host the Boston Bruins in Wednesday night. The Caps will be raising their Stanley Cup championship banner in front of a sold out barn.
Tom Wilson will not be in uniform for the momentous occasion.
Tom Wilson’s in-person hearing will be held Wednesday morning at the NHL’s New York office.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) October 1, 2018
I expect DoPS to slap Wilson with a six game suspension for his illegal hit on Blues forward Oscar Sundqvist.
What in the hell does Washington Capitals bleep distrurber have against the St. Louis Blues?
On Sunday, in the meaningless final exhibition game, Wilson was ejected from the game for delivering yet anither brutal blow to the head of an opponent.
Sucks for Wilson who will be in street clothes watching Alex Ovechkin and teh Capitals to raise their Stanley Cup Championship banner to the rafters inside their building against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
Wilson wrecked St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist during the second period of their preseason game. Sundqvist had to be helped off the ice and did not return. Wilson was appropriately ejected from the game after receiving a match penalty.
After the game, Blues head coach Mike Yeo said Yeo said Sundqvist has "a couple of upper-body injuries" and expects the kid to be out the lineup "for a while".
Another day. Another Rule 48 violation by Wilson, who is a frequent offender.
Tom Wilson crushes Oskar Sundqvist. Wilson has been ejected. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/RuNKjC2fFi
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) September 30, 2018
Another look at Wilson's hit on Sundqvist. #stlblues #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/bNY6REffGh
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) September 30, 2018
Wilson will not be skating away from this mess with a slap on the knuckles. Nope. The Department of Player Safety has summoned Wilson to the league office to accept his latest punishment in person.
Washington’s Tom Wilson has been offered an in-person hearing for an Illegal Check to the Head on St. Louis’ Oskar Sundqvist. Date and time TBD.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) October 1, 2018
When I first saw the replay of the Wilson hit on Sundqvist, I said "5 games or more to myself".
After viewing the hit several more times, I still feel the same way.
It's a stupid hit by a guy who loves crossing the line. Stupid is as stupid does.
Suffice to say, Wilson will be suspended to start the year once again.
The in-person hearing gives the DoPS the latitude to suspend Wilson for 5 or more games. I think Wilson should wear his hickey helmet to his hearing because he's going to have every book in the library thrown at him.
For some unknown reason, Wilson loves to get into trouble against the St. Louis Blues in exhibition games. Last September, Wilson was suspended twice for greasy hits against the Blues. He was suspended two preseason games for a late hit on center Robert Thomas and then was suspended for four regular season games for boarding forward Sammy Blais in the final preseason game.
Wilson doesn't get it. If he did he would have changed his behavior last season after his hits on Thomas and Blais.
This Sundqvist incident with provide Wilson with his fourth, yes FOURTH suspension that he will be assessed in a 12-month period of time.
Have you forgotten Wilson's third suspension during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he wrecked Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese, resulting in a serious a concussion and a broken jaw.
Tom Wilson's high hit on Zach Aston-Reese pic.twitter.com/Yea9ry1kCd
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) May 2, 2018
Wilson fancies himself the premiere power forward in the NHL. Does he think he's above the NHL law because he skates on Washington's number one forward trio next to Alexi Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov?
There are some in the mimority who are tweeting that Wilson was not in the wrong. Wilson's supporters say that Sundqvist was skating through the middle of the ice with his head down and got what he had coming.
That's not how I see it.
Wilson knew what he was doing. He nuked Sundqvist. The hit was not necessary.
Over the years, Wilson has gotten away with a lot of crap. Not this time.
This time, Wilson will be singin' the blues.
There's an old saying in the NHL that I like to refer to at times like these:
Crushers who become rushers soon become ushers.
In his five seasons in the NHL, all with the Caps, Wilson has scored 35 goals and 69 assists for 104 points. He has accumulated 806 PIMs. In 62 playoff games, Wilson has scored 8 goals and 12 assists for 20 points and 103 more PIMs.
Wilson can't keep his gloves on and he cannot stay out of the penalty box. When he is effective, he is playing with physicality and speed while opening up ice for Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. When he has brain cramps, which is often, Wilson is a huge detriment to his team. Wilson's hits are not accidental. Nor are they borderline. When he targets his opponents, he tends to finish his hits high with fury and gusto.
In July, Wilson signed a fat, six-year, $31 million contract.
Why would the Caps bone out $5.16M AAV guaranteed for six seasons to a guy who is a high risk player who sits atop the NHL's Most Wanted List?
Wilson will forfeit $63,008.12 in per game salary for each game he is suspended for landing Sundqvist on the long term injured reserve.