Tom Wilson could be out of the Capitals’ lineup for an extended amount of time.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Thursday that Wilson was offered an in-person hearing after high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor in the face. Offering an in-person hearing allows the NHL to suspend Wilson for six games or more.
Washington’s Tom Wilson has been offered an in-person hearing for high-sticking Toronto’s Noah Gregor. Date and time TBD.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) March 21, 2024
Wilson was assessed a double minor by officials in the Capitals’ 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs.
Wilson appeared to be reacting to Gregor spearing him in the chest. The veteran winger seemed to immediately regret his high stick, holding Gregor up and offering his apologies.
“You could tell he immediately, Wilson, was like, ‘Oh no, what did I do?’” Craig Simpson said during the Sportsnet telecast.
John Tavares scored on the ensuing power play to put the game entirely out of reach for Washington.
Wilson has been suspended five previous times in his career and fined three times. His last suspension came in March of 2021 when he was handed a seven-game punishment for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo.
A long-term absence could heavily impact the Capitals, removing one of their most important players from the lineup for a stretch of games that could determine their postseason fate. They currently sit one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after the loss to Toronto.
March 22 update: The NHL’s Department of Player Safety suspended Tom Wilson six games.
