Tom Wilson is well known to Capitals teammates, coaches, and fans as a tremendous player both on and off the ice. However, the 2026 Winter Olympics provided a chance for outsiders to get a real glimpse at what having Wilson on your team’s roster is like.
There aren’t many around the NHL who got a closer look than Bruce Cassidy, who served as an assistant coach on Jon Cooper’s Team Canada staff and is the current Vegas Golden Knights bench boss. Cassidy was asked pregame what it was like to coach Wilson in Italy ahead of his Golden Knights’ matchup with Wilson’s Capitals on Friday night.
“You know what? I was telling people, you see a guy on the other side, like Brad Marchand, and he’s always been – I coached him for a long time,” Cassidy said. “I’d tell people, listen, ‘He’s a great teammate. He’s a great guy to coach,’ but no one’s going to believe you, right, until you have him in your locker room. Tom Wilson, to me, was a real student of the game, really paid attention in every meeting. You know what I mean?
“You could tell he wanted to do whatever he could to help the team win and not just be kind of a physical presence, right? So, you see that side of a guy, and a family guy. So that’s great to see guys like that. That’s what I took out of Willy, and I enjoyed my time with him. I can see why he’s had success in an upward trend, too. He came into the league and progressively has gotten better, and it’s not by accident.”
Wilson, who glowingly reflected on his Olympic experience this week, played multiple roles for Canada during their run to a silver medal, originally lining up on the team’s top line with superstars Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini before finding a home on the “Fine Line” with Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett. In the six games he played, Wilson recorded four points (1g, 3a), which was more than 13 other skaters on Canada’s roster.
The 31-year-old forward also registered what is likely the first-ever Olympic Gordie Howe hat trick, notched the assist on the game-tying goal in Canada’s semifinal win over Finland, and set the Canadian record for most penalty minutes in a single Olympic tournament with NHL players.
As Cassidy highlights, Wilson has bloomed into a star contributor later in his career than most players, setting new career highs in goals (33), assists (32), and points (65) last season. He has scored at an even better rate this season with 49 points (23g, 26a) in 50 games.
After missing the Capitals’ first game after the break due to an illness, Wilson will make his NHL return against Cassidy’s Golden Knights. In 12 prior games against Vegas, Wilson has been limited on the scoresheet, scoring just three goals.
