Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson is facing the possibility of a lengthy suspension after being offered an in-person hearing by the NHL’s department of player safety on Thursday for high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor.
Wilson is no stranger to the NHL’s supplementary discipline process, having been suspended five times and fined an addition three times throughout his career. That included a 15-month stretch in 2017 and 2018 where Wilson had multiple in-person meetings with George Parros, the league’s senior vice president of player safety, to discuss curbing behavior that saw him suspended on four separate occasions and sit out three playoff games, 18 regular-season games and two preseason games.
Wilson appeared apologetic after striking Gregor in the face during Wednesday night’s game. After first delivering a bodycheck on the Leafs forward, he swung his stick around Gregor’s body with considerable force and made direct contact with his chin.
Tom Wilson has been offered an in-person hearing by NHL Player Safety for this high stick against Noah Gregor pic.twitter.com/k5M8G4TsVT
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 21, 2024
The in-person hearing gives the department of player safety the ability to suspend Wilson for six games or more under the terms of the league’s collective bargaining agreement. It wasn’t immediately clear if Wilson planned to travel to the league’s head office in New York to take them up on the offer or participate remotely via video call. The hearing hasn’t yet been scheduled.
The 29-year-old’s most recent suspension was a seven-game ban in March 2021 for a dangerous hit that sent Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo to hospital. He was also fined $5,000 in May 2021 for punching New York Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich in the back of the head while he was lying face down on the ice — a decision that prompted the Rangers to put out a statement calling for Parros to lose his job.
Wilson was assessed a double minor for high-sticking Gregor at 12:15 of the third period of Wednesday’s game. The Leafs went on to beat the Capitals 7-3.
(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)