- Tom Wilson will not face supplemental discipline for his boarding hit on Sandis Vilmanis
- The Capitals forward is not getting a hearing from the Department of Player Safety
- Read below for the hit video and what Panthers coach Paul Maurice said
Tom Wilson is not getting suspended.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Sunday that the Capitals forward will not get a hearing from the Department of Player Safety for his hit on Panthers rookie Sandis Vilmanis. The five-minute major and game misconduct Wilson picked up Saturday are the only punishment coming.
Here’s Friedman’s report:
Vilmanis was clearing the puck out of the Florida zone in the first period when Wilson came in and sent him into the boards, head-first by the look of it. The 22-year-old played 2:07 and did not return.
Take a look at the hit:
Panthers coach Paul Maurice was asked after the game about the hit and whether Wilson should be punished. He passed the question to the league.
“I’ll leave that to the Department of Player Safety,” Maurice said. “That’s their job.”
Maurice also gave a quick status check on Vilmanis, saying the rookie would see another doctor Sunday and the team would know more once he was back with Florida’s medical staff. The Panthers have not announced a diagnosis, and they face the Bruins on Sunday.
Wilson has not been suspended since March 2024, but the history is long. The longest ban of his career was 14 games in 2018 for an illegal check to the head of Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist, cut down from 20 games on appeal. We also covered his 10-minute misconduct against the Wild last Sunday.
Our earlier story on the ejection had the discipline question hanging, and now it has an answer.
Washington went on to win 4-3, with Brady Tkachuk scoring on the power play Wilson’s penalty created. Vilmanis had three goals and seven points in 15 games before the hit, including two goals and four points against the Blackhawks on Nov. 4.
