Tom Wilson is one of the Washington Capitals‘ leading scorers and takes the ice in all situations. If that weren’t enough, Wilson’s physicality and toughness have a major impact on games, too, beyond the number of hits he throws as tracked by NHL statistics (for the record, he had 179, the 39th-most in the league last year).
Aliaksei Protas explained the added psychological edge that Wilson gives the Capitals in games during a Russian-language interview with BetNews, alongside his little brother, Ilya.
“That’s just who he is,” Aliaksei said of Wilson, as translated by Google Translate. “He doesn’t really need to say anything, and opponents know who they’re playing against. Every team has guys like that. When you’re going to hit someone or do something extra, you remember, ‘Oh right… There’s a guy on the bench or on the ice who might remember this later.’ And then you’ll remember the next moment for the rest of your life. Guys like that are incredibly important.”
Wilson, who has spent much of the last two seasons skating with Aliaksei, is no stranger to imposing his will on opponents, especially when they take liberties with the Capitals’ skill players. For instance, when Jack McBain broke Alex Ovechkin’s leg during a game in the 2024-25 season, the Utah Mammoth forward had to answer the bell with Wilson, one of the NHL’s most feared enforcers, despite no one thinking the hit was intentionally malicious.
Not only can Wilson make other players answer the bell, but he’s a next-level trash-talker and chirper, sometimes calming down situations (because who wants to engage that guy) or making himself a target — something he can handle due to his size and strength.
Wilson can deliver big hits that not only cause opposing players to be more cautious on the ice but also change the course of games.
A huge hit in neutral ice by Wilson on Alexandre Carrier not only led to a Brandon Duhaime goal, but a comeback win in Game 4 during Washington’s first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens in 2025.
“He’s the heart and soul of this organization, right?” Logan Thompson said. “When he’s making plays, big hits, we feed off that. Especially in our home rink, I think the whole building feeds off it. So, you know, he’s a huge part of this team, and, yeah, no, we love him.”
The Capitals would ride that momentum and close out the Habs in five games.
Wilson has been described as a unicorn by analysts for how unique and valuable his contributions are, impacting not only the scoresheet but also opposing teams’ focus.
“He does it all for us: hits, goals, fights,” Duhaime said. “He just is a true leader for us, and he truly does it all.”
