Friday: The NHLPA has officially filed an appeal on Wilson’s behalf which will be heard by Gary Bettman on an as yet undetermined date.
Thursday: As many expected as soon as the hefty 20-game suspension was handed out, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson will appeal the decision. Head coach Todd Reirden confirmed as much to reporters today including Chris Kuc of The Athletic, after Wilson took part in the team’s Stanley Cup celebration before their season opener last night.
The Department of Player Safety gave Wilson such a long suspension because of his recent history, noting that no one had ever received supplementary discipline at such a high frequency. This is his fourth suspension in his last 105 games including both preseason and postseason, and the league clearly wanted to send a message to him that he needs to stop being involved in dangerous plays or risk his NHL career. Wilson has always played right on the edge, and though some may argue that this specific incident didn’t warrant such a long suspension he too often is involved in borderline plays.
For the Capitals, they would certainly like to see Wilson back on the ice sooner rather than later—despite their easy 7-0 win over the Boston Bruins last night. While huge offensive totals still may be out of his reach, the power forward is an integral part of their attack and balances out their lineup. Brett Connolly took his place next to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin last night, but would lengthen out the forward group if he could move further down.
It’s hard to imagine the league will actually reduce the decision, especially because Wilson has already had an in-person hearing to argue his case. If he doesn’t get it reduced, he’ll be forfeiting more than $1.26MM this season, meaning his entire base salary will be given to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Oskar Sundqvist should get to appeal as well – or at least be present at the appeal.
I’d like for the NHLPA to better represent the actual injured parties instead of automatically having the backs of buffoons like Wilson.
Should get more games if he losses his appeal just for being dumb. He’s not appealing that he’s wrong he’s appealing cause he doesn’t want to lose the $$$
^^^Yes, 100% this comment!
Normally I disagree with everything you say but not this time TJ. I like that idea, appeal and get more games for wasting time.
Lol thanks dug
The Capitals are a classless bunch. They used Wilson’s playoff suspension as their “us against the world” rallying point and continue to defend his criminal behavior to this day.
BUT…when the shoe is on the other foot…
“After the game, T.J. Oshie suggested Marchand should be subjected to a suspension for “sucker-punching” his teammate.”
BTW, Oshie’s hit on Letang where he took a 7 foot broad jump into his head was actually dirtier than anything Wilson did in last year’s run.
Get over yourself. You think they were riding on wilsons suspension and not the years of frustration? And only thing I remember of oshie and letang was the whooping letang got
I’m quoting the Capitals players themselves. Get over yourself.
Enjoy your ten year rebuild with Angelos and Co.
So you think ovechkin was sitting there saying “oh man gotta win this for Tom Wilson”. There’s no way. And it’s most likely a quote from the media. You don’t think they were asked about it? What’s he gonna say, no they’re not motivated to win for wilson? I don’t even know who you’re referring to but it’s just cliche media answers. It probably did have some motivational factor, but that wasn’t the sole “us against the world” mentality… and thanks. We’ll be sure to follow the amazing blue print of the Pirates
No, the media quotes what the player’s say. Oshie defended Wilson after the playoff suspension for the hit on Aston-Reese and he said that the Caps were fired up and want to win for Wilson. Look it up. Quit defending a classless goon who plays for your team. You and all of your fellow Wilson defenders sound just like those that tried to defend Cooke when he played this way. Wilson deserves what he got and Oshie continues to embarrass himself even by defending him, even now.
Oshie defended him for a hit that wouldn’t have got any other player in the league suspended? How dare he. This is coming from a Wilson hater too. To say Oshie “embarrassed himself” or his team is ridiculous.
Any other player would have been suspended. Hartman got a game for a lesser hit on Soderberg during the playoffs. That was Hartman’s 1st suspension in the 2017-18 season. Wilson’s hit resulted in his 3rd suspension. His priors mattered just as his priors mattered in this suspension
Oshie and Smith-Pelley sounded like idiots. Just saying….
Well it was a pretty awful suspension for the league to give out last year. They suspended the result, not the hit. That should never happen, no matter who threw the hit.
My bad man, I don’t want to be rude. I’m just defending my guys. Same as you are.
You have to reach a point where you stop defending a guy who is intentionally blasting players every time he gets a chance. No one should be defending what Wilson does any more. Yes you want to defend him at first but when he continues, even after getting punished, you have to realize what you are defending and have to realize it makes you look bad defending the actions. Not a good look for anyone to say that Wilson got wronged any more.
How can anybody defend Wilson’s hit? Oshie saying both of his last suspensions are BS?
This last hit by Wilson is almost exactlly the hit by Cooke on Savard that changed the rules to get these types of hits out of the league.
After his playoff suspension Wilson defended his “style” of play as effective and that he didn’t need to change!
Well the league is now telling him – change or we will get you out!
Now Wilson it’s up to you
Every capital that came to Wilson’s defense failed to remember the number of suspensions he had last season. I suppose they want a clean slate like starting a new season. There is supporting a guy and supporting a guy in private and supporting a guy without making a jerk of yourself
He probably just wants to throw an elbow at Bettman’s head. That’s how he deals with his issues, right?
The suspension should be upheld. None of that “reduced sentence” non sense. If they reduce the suspension, it’ll be an absolute disgrace