Tom Wilson was his normal Tom self in his preseason debut for the Washington Capitals.
Wilson registered his third career Gordie Howe hat trick — a goal, an assist, and a fight — against the Columbus Blue Jackets — in the Capitals’ fourth game of the preseason.
Wilson got his big night started with a secondary assist on a Connor McMichael goal 8:25 in the first period. McMichael tipped in a David Gucciardi shot past Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead.
Wilson then finished up the feat in the second period on the same shift.
First, Wilson scored on a freak play in front of the net. As Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro tried to skate the puck out from behind the goal, he was hounded by Ivan Miroshnichenko on the forecheck and lost control of the puck. Wilson, stationed out near the crease, poke-checked the puck past Greaves to put the Caps up 4-2.
Twenty seconds later, Wilson dropped his gloves with Erik Gudbranson after the Columbus rearguard knocked Miroshnichenko off balance, sending him hard into the end boards. Wilson’s mitts flew off immediately as he picked Gudbranson up from the ice and introduced him to his brick-like hands.
Wilson would be given a two-minute minor for instigating, a five-minute major for fighting, and a 10-minute misconduct. Gudbranson would get two minutes for boarding and a matching five-minute major for fighting.
The Capitals alternate captain’s goal would end up being the game-winner in the Capitals 4-3 victory.
Wilson previously notched two “Gordies” during the 2024-25 season after going the first decade of his career without any.
“I’m shocked at that,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said after Wilson, at age 30, first completed the trick against the Montreal Canadiens on October 31, 2024. “That’s a fact?
“Wow, 600 games, 700? Phew. That is shocking. I’m sure I will see that on social media at some point in the next 48 hours, and a lot of people will be going like, ‘Wow.’ Yeah, I wouldn’t have expected that.”
Wilson scored his second months later on March 3 against the Ottawa Senators, completing the trick with a fight against Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
If you count preseason action as well, Wilson now has more Gordie Howe hat tricks (3) than Gordie Howe himself, who had only two during his historic and long career.
