NHL preseason games are winding down, and you know what that means? The real games are about to begin? No, it means you can’t finish the NHL preseason without a questionable hit by the poster child for NHL questionable hits, Tom Wilson.
Here’s a look at today’s hit on St. Louis Blue’s forward Oscar Sundqvist:
Wilson received a 10 minute match penalty for deliberate intent to injure for this play. I found it kind of laughable (in a no laughing situation) that some comments on Twitter stated it was a “clean hit” and Sundqvist was caught admiring his play/stickwork. Watch that replay again, folks. Sundqvist hasn’t even fully finished his shot follow through. There is no gap between his shot and Wilson’s hit.
The NHL needs to get this right. Wilson has essentially made a fool of NHL Player Safety, by continuing to dish out these questionable hits and receive only a slap on the wrist. Let’s work our way backwards through Tom Wilson’s suspensions and questionable hits over the past few years.
May 2nd, 2018 – NHL Playoffs versus PIT:
October 2nd, 2017 – NHL Regular Season versus STL:
September 22nd, 2017 – NHL Preseason versus STL
Other questionable hits:
May 29th, 2018 versus VGK (penalty, no suspension)
April 29th, 2016 versus PIT (Wilson was fined for the hit, but no suspension)
December 16th, 2015 versus Ottawa (Match penalty for intent to injure, but no suspension)
December 10th, 2015 versus Florida (5 minutes and game misconduct, but no suspension)
December 18th, 2013 versus PHI (penalty, no fine or suspension)
3 years ago, NHL repeat offender Raffi Torres was given a 41 game suspension on October 5th, 2015 for his hit on Jakub Silverberg. In the video below, NHL Player Safety mentions that in 703 NHL games Torres has been warned, fined, or suspended 9 times. Look at those hits by Torres, and then look at what Wilson has done to date…pretty similar. By my unofficial account, Tom Wilson has been suspended 3 times, fined 3 times in only 391 games, and has multiple additional questionable hits. I have no way of knowing if those questionable hits garnered an official warning from the NHL.
The NHL needs to get this right. Tom Wilson is not only a repeat offended, but he is a repeat offender in a short period of time (3 suspensions in about 12 months time and currently under review for a 4th possible suspenion). Wilson needs to get at least 20 games for his hit on Oscar Sundqvist, and really should be staring down a 41 game suspension like Torres.
Tom Wilson has indeed reached Raffi Torres and Matt Cooke levels and needs to be dealt with accordingly.
Random Hockey Guy 