ARLINGTON, VA — When the Capitals left the ice after practice on Wednesday, all eyes were on the locker room television. Nearly 4,000 miles away from MedStar Capitals Iceplex, where the team held its first full practice in two weeks, Team Canada and Team Czechia were facing off in the Olympic quarterfinals.
Players gathered to watch replays as they trickled off the ice, checking in on the score — then 2-1 in Czechia’s favor — at the first intermission. While Logan Thompson wasn’t on the ice, instead backing up Jordan Binnington, the game was still must-see viewing for the Caps, especially since Tom Wilson had started the night on Canada’s top line.
Even head coach Spencer Carbery tuned in as soon as he could, watching as Canada made a comeback effort to win 4-3 in overtime.
“When we came off the ice, everyone sprinted to the lounge, and the game was already underway,” Carbery said.
Wilson has played a notable role for his team in Milan, playing alongside stars Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini for much of the tournament while bringing a rough-and-tumble style of play that has seen him lead Canada with 29 penalty minutes. While Wilson called playing with McDavid a “highlight of [his] career,” Hendrix Lapierre argued the honor should go both ways.
“I think he’s been incredible,” Lapierre said. “Right away when you see him on that line, I knew he was going to do well. He’s such a guy that cares and plays the right way, so I’m sure McDavid and Celebrini are having a blast too. I see Tom talking about Connor McDavid and Celebrini, but I’m sure these guys are having a good time, too. He does it all. He does it all like he does here, and it’s fun to watch.“
Over four games so far, Wilson has tallied three points (2g, 1a) and recorded what may have been the first Gordie Howe hat trick on Olympic ice. Wilson’s teammates back in Washington, who have been making his case for months, are thrilled to see what he’s done at the Games.
“That’s Tom being Tom,” said Pierre-Luc Dubois. “He’s the best at what he does in the NHL, and he’s doing it there again at that tournament. People talk about the fight, but I think — if you don’t watch Tom play, you don’t even know Tom for his fights and his hits — but if you really watch him play, you realize how good of a player he is, how many little things he does well on the ice.”
Cheering for Wilson is an easy choice for the Caps’ Canadian players, but even Americans have enjoyed seeing him on the world stage. Brandon Duhaime pointed to Wilson’s commitment to his team — something Duhaime has seen firsthand in Washington — as a particular highlight.
“He’s the f***ing man,” Duhaime said. “You might have to bleep that out, but he’s the man. He’s been doing it all for Team Canada, and it’s [a testament to] how good of a teammate he is, and you guys see him sticking up for guys and scoring goals, assists. He’s really doing it all for them, so it’s pretty fun to watch.”
Wilson’s biggest game of the tournament was against France on Sunday, where he recorded two points (1g, 1a) before being thrown out of the game for a rare Olympic fight against Pierre Crinon. The Gordie Howe hat trick garnered international attention, as well as plenty of appreciation from the rest of Canada’s roster, but didn’t come as a shock to the Capitals.
“Was I surprised? No,” Lapierre said with a laugh. “But, I mean, if there’s one guy to do it, it’s him.”
Still, Dubois pointed out, the game was a remarkable achievement.
“I think the Olympics started in like 722 B.C., and there hasn’t been one Gordie Howe at the Olympics, I think,” said Dubois. “So a lot of years, a lot of years. It’s pretty special. He’s going to tell his grandchildren one day that he’s, still probably, going to be the only guy with a Gordie Howe at the Olympics.”
Note: the first Olympic Games took place in 776 BCE.
Team Canada will face Finland on Friday for its penultimate game of the tournament, playing for a place in the gold medal game. With much of the country watching closely, the Capitals hope Canadian fans will come to love the player they’ve known for years.
“I think some fans paint a picture of Tom that’s not necessarily the player he, is or even the person he is,” Dubois said. “Just because, they hate him because he probably hit their best player. But now that they get to see him with those best players, they realize he’s not just a big guy out there. I think a lot of times that’s what people think.
“He’s smart, he’s good on the forecheck, good around the net, just being in the right spot at the right time, those are all little things that add up at the end of the game. That’s one of the reasons he’s won a Stanley Cup. So I’m really happy he’s finally getting — not finally — but he’s getting even more recognition now because he really deserves it.”
