Capitals' Tom Wilson To Have Hearing With NHL Player Safety

To the surprise of no one around the NHL, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson is in trouble. This time, it stems from a knockout of Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, as relayed by OutKick's Joe Kinsey.

Now, Wilson will have the opportunity for an in-person hearing related to “boarding” for the high hit, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Saturday.

Wilson has long been considered the league's dirtiest player, and was suspended for 20 games in 2018. (Though the suspension was reduced to 14 games by an arbitrator.) Fortunately for Wilson, enough time has passed that he won't be considered a "repeat offender." Forget the fact he's been suspended four times in his career, costing him a total of 23 games.

Now, some suspect Wilson could be suspended six games, or as many as 20. Clearly, discipline hasn't deterred him from doing what he does so well -- and that's take some serious cheap shots.

One thing is for certain -- the NHL is facing some pressure to lay down the hammer on Wilson, from both fans and team executives. Believe it or not, no penalty was called on the play.

Carlo was taken to the hospital by ambulance after being helped from the ice. The Bruins have yet to offer an update on the extent of the injury. But when it comes to Wilson, there should be no mystery surrounding the punishment.

Written by
Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.