Tom Wilson (ice hockey)

Thomas Wilson (born March 29, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 16th overall, by the Capitals at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Wilson won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Capitals in 2018.

Tom Wilson
Wilson with the Washington Capitals in 2017
Born (1994-03-29) March 29, 1994
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 218 lb (99 kg; 15 st 8 lb)
Position Right wing
Shoots Right
NHL team Washington Capitals
NHL Draft 16th overall, 2012
Washington Capitals
Playing career 2013–present

Wilson is known for his physical style of play and fighting ability, and is considered a “contemporary enforcer,” who can both fight and play an offensive game. This style has gotten him into trouble several times, having been suspended on four occasions by the NHL, the most severe of which was a 20-game ban and a fine of $1.26 million in 2018 as a repeat offender.[1]

Early life

Wilson grew up in Toronto, Ontario, with parents Keven and Neville and brothers Peter and James.[2]

Wilson attended Greenwood College School[3] and later Plymouth High School while playing for the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).[4] His younger brother James also attended Greenwood and was drafted by the Whalers in the 2010 OHL Draft.[5]

Playing career

Amateur

Wilson won the silver medal with Team Ontario at the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge,[6] and was also selected to play in the 2012 CHL Top Prospects Game.[7] Wilson was a member of the Canada under-18 team that won gold medal at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.[8] Prior to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, he was rated as a top prospect who was expected to be a first-round selection in the Draft.[9] The 6'4", 210-pound Wilson was eventually picked 16th overall by the Washington Capitals, and excelled in an expanded offensive role with the Plymouth Whalers, his OHL club; his third-year stats (23 goals and 58 points) more than doubled his previous year's output (nine goals and 27 points).

Professional

On May 10, 2013, Wilson made his NHL debut when he suited up with the Capitals for Game 5 of their 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs series against the New York Rangers.[10] During that game, he had one memorable shift during which he lost a skate blade after a check on the boards, and was forced to struggle back to the bench on one skate while play carried on.[11][12]

On October 3, 2013, during the 2013–14 season, Wilson participated in his first career NHL fight, taking on Lance Bouma of the Calgary Flames. He scored his first career goal just over one month later, on November 5 against Evgeni Nabokov of the New York Islanders.[13]

Tom Wilson during the Capitals 2016 second round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Wilson scored his first career playoff goal in overtime of Game 1 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs, giving the Capitals the 4–3 win. During Game 4 of the same series, Wilson scored two goals and saved a goal in the same game, diving across the crease to help his goalie Braden Holtby keep the puck out of the net, helping the Capitals tie the series at two games each.[14] The Capitals would eventually lose in seven games in the next round against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Wilson had a career year during the 2017–18 season, putting up career numbers in goals, assists and points. On December 6, 2017, he scored four points in one game for the first time in his NHL career. He scored two goals and two assists to help the Capitals defeat the Chicago Blackhawks.[15] He frequently played on the Capitals' top line with Alexander Ovechkin,[16] complementing Ovechkin's goal-scoring and Nicklas Backstrom's playmaking with his physicality. Wilson reached double digits in goals for the first time in his NHL career during a game against the Blackhawks,[17] to help push the Capitals to the 2018 playoffs. In the playoffs, Wilson was investigated three times by the NHL Department of Player Safety for hits to the heads of opponents that resulted in injury.[18] Wilson's successful season ended with the Capitals winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.[19]

On July 27, 2018 the Capitals re-signed Wilson to a six-year, $31.02 million contract extension worth $5.17 million annually.[20] Making his season debut on November 13, 2018, against the Minnesota Wild after serving 16 games of a 20-game suspension (later reduced to 14), Wilson scored a goal — pulling a goaltender interference penalty on the play — then got into a fight with Marcus Foligno after a faceoff.[21] After a 5–2 win that, teammate André Burakovsky said of Wilson, "He's a key player for our team. Brings so much energy both on the ice and off the ice, so a huge lift for the team to get him back."[22]

On November 30, 2018, in Wilson's ninth game of the season, he scored a goal and was ejected from the game for a hit on Brett Seney in a 6–3 win over the New Jersey Devils.[23] The NHL Department of Player Safety held no hearing on the play and did not punish Wilson.[24] Wilson had seven goals in the nine games back after his early-season suspension, and improved his goal-scoring streak to five games with his goal against the Devils.[23] At the conclusion of the 2018–19 season, Wilson would experience a career year for himself, scoring 22 goals beating his previous best of 14 from the year prior.[25] He would also be one of the Capitals' seven 20 goal scorers, helping them to clinch the division. He attributed much of this improved play to how he changed his style to avoid additional suspensions and focused more on his skills-based game.[25]

Suspensions

On September 22, 2017, in a pre-season game against St. Louis Blues, Wilson caught forward Robert Thomas with a late hit, resulting in a two pre-season game ban.[26]

The NHL suspended Wilson for the first four games of the regular season for boarding St. Louis rookie forward Sammy Blais during each team's 2017 pre-season finale.[27]

On May 2, 2018, Wilson was suspended from three playoff games due to an illegal check to the head of the Pittsburgh Penguins' Zach Aston-Reese. Aston-Reese was diagnosed with a concussion and a broken jaw.[28]

On October 3, 2018, Wilson was suspended from 20 regular season games as a result of an illegal head hit on Oskar Sundqvist of the St. Louis Blues during a pre-season game.[29] Wilson appealed his suspension at a hearing in New York on October 18, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld it.[30] Following Bettman's decision, Wilson filed for a third appeal from a neutral arbitrator.[31] On November 13, 2018, his 20-game suspension was reduced to 14, making him eligible to play that night against the Minnesota Wild. Wilson had served 16 games of his suspension. The ruling by Shyam Das allowed him to recoup $378,049 of the $1.26 million he forfeited as part of the suspension.[32]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2009–10 Toronto Jr. Canadiens GTHL 77 44 61 105 140 — — — — —
2010–11 Plymouth Whalers OHL 28 3 3 6 71 — — — — —
2011–12 Plymouth Whalers OHL 49 9 18 27 141 13 7 6 13 39
2012–13 Plymouth Whalers OHL 48 23 35 58 104 12 9 8 17 41
2012–13 Hershey Bears AHL — — — — — 3 1 0 1 6
2012–13 Washington Capitals NHL — — — — — 3 0 0 0 0
2013–14 Washington Capitals NHL 82 3 7 10 151 — — — — —
2014–15 Washington Capitals NHL 67 4 13 17 172 13 0 1 1 25
2014–15 Hershey Bears AHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2015–16 Washington Capitals NHL 82 7 16 23 163 12 0 1 1 13
2016–17 Washington Capitals NHL 82 7 12 19 133 13 3 0 3 34
2017–18 Washington Capitals NHL 78 14 21 35 187 21 5 10 15 31
2018–19 Washington Capitals NHL 63 22 18 40 128 7 3 2 5 2
2019–20 Washington Capitals NHL 68 21 23 44 93 8 1 2 3 23
NHL totals 522781101881,027 77121628128

International
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2011 Canada Ontario U17 4 0 1 1 6
2011 Canada IH18 5 1 2 3 6
Junior totals 9 1 3 4 12

Awards and honours
Honours Year
World U-17 Hockey Challenge Gold Medal 2011 [33]
CHL Top Prospects Game 2011–12 [34]
Stanley Cup Champion 2018
The Hockey News, Bob Probert Award (Toughest Player) 2018

References
  1. "Wilson punished with $1.2M fine, 20-game ban in bid to stop violent hits". TSN.ca. December 17, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  2. Zeisberger, Mike (August 5, 2018). "Wilson brings Stanley Cup back home to Toronto". NHL.com. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  3. "Greenwood Alum Tom Wilson Wins With Capitals in Stanley Cup Finals". ourkids.net. August 13, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  4. "Whalers Tom Wilson is Making the Grade". ontariohockeyleague.com. December 21, 2010. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  5. "GRADE 10 ATHLETE DRAFTED INTO OHL". greenwoodcollege.org. April 10, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  6. Q and A with Plymouth Whaler Power Forward Tom Wilson - Dan Sallows Archived March 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Whalers Tom Wilson a Hit at CHL Top Prospects Game".
  8. "CANADA'S NATIONAL MEN'S SUMMER UNDER-18 TEAM WINS GOLD MEDAL AT 2011 MEMORIAL OF IVAN HLINKA; PLAYERS AND STAFF TO RETURN TO CANADA ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 14". hockeycanada.ca. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  9. 2012 NHL Draft Trade Deadline Edition 2 Rounds - Mock Draft : Mock Draft
  10. "Tom Wilson To Make NHL Debut Tonight In Game Five". Russian Machine Never Breaks. May 10, 2013.
  11. "Tom Wilson Loses a Skate Blade, Hobbles Back to Bench (GIF)". Russian Machine Never Breaks. May 12, 2013.
  12. Davis, Steven (May 13, 2013). "Caps Rookie Tom Wilson Loses Skate Blade; Has Tough Time Getting Back To the Bench". sporttechie.com. SportTechie. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  13. "Ovechkin returns, leads Capitals past Islanders". cbssports.com. November 5, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  14. "Tom Wilson makes diving save, scores goal for Capitals in 16 seconds". NHL.com. April 20, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  15. Khurshudyan, Isabelle (December 6, 2017). "Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson chalk up four points each as Capitals rout Blackhawks". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  16. Silber, Sammi (December 2, 2017). "Tom Wilson Thriving on Capitals' Top Line". thehockeywriters.com. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  17. Khurshudyan, Isabelle (February 10, 2018). "Tom Wilson reaches double-digit goals for first time in career". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  18. Gretz, Adam (April 30, 2018). "On Tom Wilson, Player Safety and avoiding suspension". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  19. Satriano, David (June 8, 2018). "How Capitals won Stanley Cup". NHL.com. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  20. "Capitals Re-sign Tom Wilson". NHL.com. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  21. Theisen, Lauren (November 14, 2018). "Yep, Tom Wilson Got Into A Fight In His First Game Back". Deadspin. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  22. "Capitals' Wilson scores, fights in early return". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  23. Brehm, Mike (November 30, 2018). "Capitals' Tom Wilson kicked out of Devils game after hit, but won't face discipline". USA TODAY. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  24. Regan, J.J. (December 1, 2018). "Tom Wilson will not have a hearing for Friday's controversial hit, why the DPS got this one right". NBC Sports Washington. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  25. "Being Tom Wilson: Inside the life of hockey's most hated man". ProHockeyTalk. Associated Press. April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  26. "Capitals' Tom Wilson suspended for 2 pre-season games". CBC Sports. September 23, 2017.
  27. "Wilson of Capitals suspended four games for boarding". NHL.com. October 3, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  28. "Capitals' Tom Wilson gets 3 games for hit on Penguins' Aston-Reese". CBC.ca. May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  29. "Caps' Wilson suspended 20 games". TSN.ca. October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  30. "Wilson's 20-game suspension upheld by Commissioner Bettman". NHL.com. October 25, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  31. "Tom Wilson to appeal 20-game suspension with 3rd-party arbitrator". sportsnet.ca. October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  32. "Capitals forward Tom Wilson's 20-game suspension reduced to 14 - Sportsnet.ca". Sportsnet.ca. Associated Press. November 13, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  33. "Whalers Tom Wilson Wins Gold with Ontario in World Hockey Challenge". MLive.com. January 5, 2011.
  34. "Top Prospects Game marked by physical play". NHL.com.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Filip Forsberg		 Washington Capitals first round draft pick
2012		 Succeeded by
André Burakovsky
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