Not only did Tom Wilson have one of the greatest days of his professional career, but he also gave the hockey world a gift. Well, more precisely: a GIF.
Early Wednesday morning, Wilson learned that he made Team Canada’s Olympic team, realizing a dream he had as a kid. Then, in the afternoon, he notched his third career Gordie Howe hat trick (plus another goal) in the Washington Capitals’ 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers.
While those two milestones got all the headlines, Wilson also owned social media with more of his after-the-whistle antics, demoralizing Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov early in the third period.
After poking between Jonathan Quick’s pads looking for a loose puck, Wilson caught the ire of the large rearguard, who shoved the Capitals’ power forward out of the crease and then punched him in the back of the head.
Wilson, grinning from ear-to-ear, then immediately turned around and laughed in Gavrikov’s face, mocking the rearguard’s toughness as he knew he wouldn’t want to fight.
The scrum in question came a period after Wilson laid out Rangers forward Noah Laba with a clean hit — he did not return to the game — and scored seconds later.
Wilson then fought Rangers center Sam Carrick and won the fight decisively.
“Tom Wilson is about to single-handedly send this team into a second rebuild,” one Rangers fan quipped on X.
Wilson’s dominant game comes four years after he started a huge melee between the two teams in May 2021. Wilson punched Pavel Buchnevich from behind and injured Artemi Panarin when he shrugged the Rangers star off his back.
Wilson then taunted the Rangers from the penalty box, mocking them like they were big tough guys.
The Capitals winger was not suspended by NHL for his role in the melee, causing the Rangers to issue a dramatic press release where they described the fracas as “a horrific act of violence.” Two days later, the teams rematched and had a line brawl off the opening faceoff. The two teams combined for six fights and over 100 PIMs just in the first period alone.
After the saeason, the Rangers fired president John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton. The team added toughness over the offseason, including trading for enforcer Ryan Reaves. Reaves never dropped the gloves with Wilson during his time with the Rangers.
Years later, Wilson remains unintimidated by the Rangers roster.
