Tom Wilson gets early start on season’s NHL suspension hearings
The delightful Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals has a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Saturday, which is not only the first hearing from the 2017-18 preseason but the first under new Player Safety boss George Parros.
History will be made!
Wilson’s hearing is a result from this hit on St. Louis Blues rookie center Robert Thomas on Friday night:
Thomas lost the puck as he exited his own zone. Wilson then ensured that Thomas was further separated from the puck by leaping into him near the boards.
The Blues’ Dmitrij Jaskin skated over to Wilson to get punched in the face, including when he was down on the ice, because Tom Wilson is why.
So the Department of Player Safety will hear Wilson’s argument that this interference isn’t worthy of a suspension.
Wilson is one of those “plays on the edge” guys that the Department always has an eye on, but that hasn’t been suspended. He was fined for kneeing Conor Sheary of the Pittsburgh Penguins in April 2016, and was fined for diving in March 2015. So this could be one of those “you’re on notice” preseason suspensions, should he garner one.
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
