Capitals' Tom Wilson facing potential six-game suspension over high-stick on Noah Gregor

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Mar 21, 2024 17:32 GMT

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson finds himself in hot water yet again as he faces the possibility of a lengthy suspension following a high-sticking incident involving Toronto Maple Leafs' player Noah Gregor.

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Thursday that Wilson had been offered an in-person hearing, indicating that the suspension could be six games or more.

This designation comes as no surprise given Wilson's history of disciplinary issues, as noted by NHL insider Chris Johnston, who highlighted Wilson's "lengthy past file of transgressions."

"Tom Wilson has been offered an in-person hearing from @NHLPlayerSafety for his high-stick on Noah Gregor, which means he can be suspended six games or more. Wilson obviously has a lengthy past file of transgressions."

The incident occurred during Wednesday night's Capitals-Maple Leafs game, when Wilson dropped a high stick to Gregor in the third period.

Following a physical fight on the boards, Tom Wilson swung his stick, striking Gregor in the face. Despite the blow, Wilson appeared to try to keep Gregor from tumbling to the ice, though his intentions remain unclear.

Officials penalized Tom Wilson with a double-minor for the infraction, but the repercussions could extend far beyond the immediate game.

If the NHL Department of Player Safety decides to suspend Wilson for six games or more, it would mark his sixth suspension at the NHL level. Wilson's last suspension came in 2021, when he received a seven-game ban for boarding Brandon Carlo of the Boston Bruins.

Tom Wilson and his team lost 7-3 to the Maple Leafs

The Washington Capitals faced a tough 7-3 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs in their recent matchup.

Despite Alex Ovechkin's impressive performance, scoring two goals to bring him closer to Wayne Gretzky's record, it was Auston Matthews who stole the show with his NHL-leading 57th goal of the season and a total of five points in the game.

The Capitals (33-26-9), placed fourth in the Metropolitan Division, struggled to contain Matthews and the Maple Leafs' offensive firepower.

"We're all kind of running out of words to describe it," Matthews said. "He's the greatest goal-scorer of all-time, so it's always fun to play against him still and still watch him get it done and the excitement and passion he gets when he scores goals."

Ovechkin's performance wasn't enough to secure a victory for Washington on this night.

Coach Spencer Carbery acknowledged Matthews' dominance, saying:

"Obviously, we had zero answer for No. 34 tonight," referring to Matthews' jersey number.

Injuries to key players like T.J. Oshie and Aliaksei Protas impacted Washington's lineup, while Toronto's Ryan Reaves and T.J. Brodie were also sidelined.

Next up for the Capitals, they plan to take on Evgeny Kuznetsov's Carolina Hurricanes.