It's officially official. The NHL puts the hammer down on Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson with a major suspension of 6 games for his vicious slash on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor.
During the Capitals 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs, Wilson received a double minor penalty from the officials for the incident.
It appeared that Wilson was reacting to Gregor spearing him in the chest. After the high stick, Wilson seemed to realize his mistake immediately, holding Gregor up and offering apologies.
«You could tell he immediately, Wilson, was like, ‘Oh no, what did I do?'» Craig Simpson said during the Sportsnet telecast.
Following the penalty, John Tavares scored on the ensuing power play, further widening the gap between the Capitals and the Maple Leafs.
Wilson has a history of suspensions and fines, with five previous suspensions and three fines in his career. His most recent suspension was in March 2021 for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, resulting in a seven-game punishment.
This suspension significantly impacts the Capitals, as he is one of their key players. This absence comes at a crucial time as the team is fighting for a playoff spot, currently sitting just one point out of the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference following the loss to Toronto.