Tom Wilson made his presence known early in the 2026 Olympic Gold Medal Game between the USA and Canada on Sunday.
With only 4:44 off the clock in the first period, Wilson lined up forward Dylan Larkin behind the USA’s net and absolutely ran over the Detroit Red Wings star. The hit set the stage for a tightly contested physical matchup throughout regulation and into overtime.
“Oh my God, I saw him coming, and I know not to reach,” Larkin told TSN’s Mark Masters. “I saw him, and next thing I know, I’m getting smoked. It got me good. I haven’t got hit like that in a long time. I didn’t feel great after that, to be honest with you, but I feel amazing right now.”
The hit was Wilson’s biggest of the tournament, after he made a point of imposing himself physically throughout Canada’s games. The oft-penalized winger collected the most penalty minutes in a single Olympic tournament (with NHL involvement) in Team Canada history, but none came from hits on opposing players, despite concerns from some before the Olympics that international rules may limit his effectiveness.
Wilson played the majority of the game alongside the Florida Panthers duo of Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett on the newly-named “Fine Line.” He skated 13:00 of ice time in the loss to the USA, failing to find the scoresheet. In six total games at the tournament, Wilson collected four points (1g, 3a), which was more than 13 other skaters on Canada’s roster.
While he didn’t drop the gloves against any Americans, Wilson did record what is thought to be the first-ever Gordie Howe hat trick at the Olympics. His fight with France’s Pierre Crinon, which happened after he scored and assisted on another goal earlier in the game, was the first Olympic fight since 1998.
Wilson has 132 hits in 50 NHL games this season with the Washington Capitals, who he will rejoin later this week. Since his first full NHL season (2013-14), Wilson ranks fifth in the league in hits with 2,632, trailing only Radko Gudas (3,118), Matt Martin (3,014), Ryan Reaves (2,815), and Luke Schenn (2,705).
