Tom Wilson is not only one of the NHL’s best overall players — yeah, I said it — but he’ll also enter the 2026-27 season with an important distinction.
Wilson, 32, is the league’s active leader in penalty minutes with 1,649.
Bardown released the updated rankings on their social media.
NHL’s active leaders in penalty minutes
| Rank | Player | Games | Penalty Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Wilson | 907 | 1,649 |
| 2 | Corey Perry | 1,464 | 1,568 |
| 3 | Evander Kane | 1,001 | 1,278 |
| 4 | Evgeni Malkin | 1,269 | 1,263 |
| 5 | Brad Marchand | 1,152 | 1,153 |
| 6 | Ryan Reaves | 962 | 1,137 |
| 7 | Radko Gudas | 885 | 1,124 |
| 8 | Nick Foligno | 1,287 | 1,024 |
| 9 | Brenden Dillon | 1,056 | 1,014 |
| 10 | Nikita Zadorov | 804 | 998 |
With 1,649 penalty minutes, Wilson leads 41-year-old forward Corey Perry, a notorious pest, by 81 PIM despite playing in 557 fewer games (1,464 GP to 907 GP). There’s a substantial 290-PIM drop from Perry to Evander Kane. Penguins star Evgeni Malkin somewhat surprisingly comes in fourth — though we all know how sensitive he gets when a fellow countryman speaks Russian to him.
Wilson has owned the top spot since the 2023-24 season when he had seven penalty minutes against the Buffalo Sabres on April 11, 2024 (Current Capitals teammate Alex Tuch scored twice in the game). Sixteen seconds into the third period, Wilson took a tripping penalty on Jacob Bryson. He then earned a five-minute major when regulation expired, fighting Jordan Greenway. Max Pacioretty also dropped the gloves with Tage Thompson.
Wilson finished that season six penalty minutes ahead of Perry and has subsequently expanded his margin to 81.
Tom Wilson takes over active PIM lead
| Season | Tom Wilson PIM | Corey Perry PIM | Active Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 1,299 | 1,380 | Corey Perry |
| 2023–24 | 1,432 | 1,426 | Tom Wilson |
| 2024–25 | 1,532 | 1,487 | Tom Wilson |
| 2025–26 | 1,649 | 1,568 | Tom Wilson |
Since entering the NHL during the 2013-14 season, Wilson went from being 1,220 penalty minutes behind the active leader (151 vs. Chris Neil’s 2,216) to the active leader exactly 10 seasons later.
Chris Neil led during Wilson’s first four seasons. Former Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara held the distinction for the next five campaigns before Perry inherited it after Chara retired.
Active PIM leader since Tom Wilson entered the NHL in 2013-14
| Season | Tom Wilson PIM | Active Leader | Leader PIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | 151 | Chris Neil | 2,216 |
| 2014–15 | 323 | Chris Neil | 2,294 |
| 2015–16 | 486 | Chris Neil | 2,459 |
| 2016–17 | 619 | Chris Neil | 2,522 |
| 2017–18 | 806 | Zdeno Chara | 1,839 |
| 2018–19 | 934 | Zdeno Chara | 1,896 |
| 2019–20 | 1,027 | Zdeno Chara | 1,956 |
| 2020–21 | 1,123 | Zdeno Chara | 2,000 |
| 2021–22 | 1,221 | Zdeno Chara | 2,085 |
| 2022–23 | 1,299 | Corey Perry | 1,380 |
| 2023–24 | 1,432 | Tom Wilson | 1,432 |
| 2024–25 | 1,532 | Tom Wilson | 1,532 |
| 2025–26 | 1,649 | Tom Wilson | 1,649 |
Not only is Wilson the active PIM leader in the NHL, but he’s also tied with Ryan Reaves for the lead in regular-season fighting majors with 94. Reaves is not yet signed heading into next season but has said he wants to play.
Tom Wilson fighting majors (career)
| Season | Fights |
|---|---|
| 2013–14 | 14 |
| 2014–15 | 12 |
| 2015–16 | 7 |
| 2016–17 | 9 |
| 2017–18 | 13 |
| 2018–19 | 6 |
| 2019–20 | 5 |
| 2020–21 | 4 |
| 2021–22 | 6 |
| 2022–23 | 4 |
| 2023–24 | 5 |
| 2024–25 | 4 |
| 2025–26 | 5 |
| Total | 94 |
Nicolas Deslauriers ranks third on the active list with 89, followed by Marcus Foligno (81) and Luke Schenn (79).
The opposing players Wilson has fought the most are Greenway (3), Luke Schenn (3), Matt Martin (3), Marcus Foligno (3), Kyle Clifford (3), and Mark Borowiecki (3). He’s also dropped the gloves with the person he shares the active lead with, Reaves, exchanging punches when Ryan was with the St. Louis Blues.
Wilson has fought 13 different players more than once.
Players Tom Wilson has fought more than once
| Opponent | Fights vs. Tom Wilson | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Marcus Foligno | 3 | 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19 |
| Luke Schenn | 3 | 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18 |
| Kyle Clifford | 3 | 2013–14, 2015–16, 2021–22 |
| Matt Martin | 3 | 2014–15 (twice), 2016–17 |
| Mark Borowiecki | 3 | 2014–15, 2017–18, 2021–22 |
| Jordan Greenway | 3 | 2023–24 (twice), 2025–26 |
| Ryan Reaves | 2 | 2013–14, 2014–15 |
| Jarred Tinordi | 2 | 2015–16, 2020–21 |
| Austin Watson | 2 | 2016–17, 2018–19 |
| Josh Anderson | 2 | 2017–18, 2024–25 |
| Trent Frederic | 2 | 2020–21 (twice) |
| Brendan Smith | 2 | 2020–21, 2021–22 |
| Simon Benoit | 2 | 2021–22, 2022–23 |
Wilson has also fought three of his former Capitals teammates: Radko Gudas (Nov. 1, 2014), Zach Sill (Jan. 28, 2015), and Zdeno Chara (Dec. 11, 2019).
Finally, Wilson owns the distinction of being Team Canada’s most penalized player in a single Olympic tournament (with NHL player involvement), posting 29 PIM at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Wilson was largely pushed to the record after a wild 10-2 victory over France on February 15.
Wilson had what is believed to be the first Gordie Howe Hat Trick in Olympic hockey history. After posting a goal and an assist, Wilson dropped the gloves with Pierre Crinon, avenging the French defenseman’s hit to the head of superstar Nathan MacKinnon. The fight was the first at the Olympics since 1998.
Wilson was assessed 27 penalty minutes for the fight: a two-minute roughing minor penalty, a five-minute major penalty, and a 20-minute game misconduct penalty. Both Wilson and Crinon were ejected as fighting is prohibited in Olympic play. According to IIHF rules, a game misconduct carries a 20-minute penalty, unlike in the NHL, where it’s 10.
France’s hockey federation suspended Crinon after the melee. He then faced criminal charges in France for a prior violent incident in the Ligue Magnus involving former Ottawa Senators goaltender Matt O’Connor.
