Photo credit: Chris Gordon

Tom Wilson has had a crazy year. He’s played for both the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL and the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Now, after scoring a hat trick with Plymouth a few weeks ago against Dale Hunter’s London Knights and scoring his first professional goal with Hershey Sunday, Wilson will make his NHL debut Friday against the New York Rangers in game five.

The news was first reported by NBC4’s Adam Vingan and confirmed by Wilson himself:

Tom Wilson just said that he will make his NHL debut tonight. #Caps

— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) May 10, 2013

Per Mike Vogel, Wilson becomes the fourth Washington skater of all-time to make his debut during the NHL playoffs:

If Wilson were to make his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup playoffs, he’d be the third Caps player ever to do so, and the first to turn the trick in more than 13 years, since Trent Whitfield on April 17, 2000. Prior to Whitfield, both Chris Felix (on April 10, 1988) and Grant Jennings (April 26, 1988) joined the Caps during the 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The six-foot, four-inch forward will skate on the fourth line with Matt Hendricks and Jay Beagle and wear #43.

Read up on our expansive coverage of Wilson during this season here to get a better idea of what he’s like as a player.

Dream come true! First NHL game tonight against the Rangers. Thanks to everyone for all the support.

— Tom Wilson (@tom_wilso) May 10, 2013