Toronto Maple Leafs: Rangers Are Right, NHL Players Safety a Joke

Monday night was as busy as a night can get in the hockey world, with 14 games, including the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. the Montreal Canadiens, and the Washington Capitals (a very angry Tom Wilson) vs. the New York Rangers.

While it was an unfortunate night for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost the game 3-2 in overtime, it was even worse for the New York Rangers at the Madison Square Garden.

There was a scrum near the net right after a scoring chance for the Rangers, and Capitals Tom Wilson took this opportunity to rough it up with Rangers Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin.

Wilson slammed Buchnevich’s head on the ice and followed with a punch, then almost did the same thing to Panarin after throwing him to the ice. During this incident, five penalties were given, and Wilson, alone, picked up two roughing penalties and a 10-minute misconduct. Personally, I thought this could have easily been a game misconduct, but at least, I told myself he would be getting a suspension the next day. Except, he didn’t. All he got was a $5K fine.

Tom Wilson Should Be Suspended

While I am all for the physicality in hockey, and I agree that hockey without hits or fights wouldn’t be the same, I also think the NHL needs to draw a line between physicality and far-fetched violence. If hits to the head are illegal, then why isn’t slamming someone’s head on the ice illegal?

I might have thought a fine was the appropriate punishment if Wilson was a first-time offender, but he is far from being one.

Since he started in the NHL in 2013, Wilson has already had five suspensions, including a seven-game suspension two months ago for a hit on the Boston Bruins Defenceman Brandon Carlo.

I wouldn’t say I was shocked when I saw the Department of Players Safety’s decision. But I was definitely disappointed, and I wasn’t the only one. Many hockey fans, players, and analysts also think that Wilson should have received stricter discipline.

Fining him is almost just letting him get away with it and showing other players around the league that they can do the same and only get fined for it. It sends the message that slamming players’ heads to the ice, punching them, and injuring them is okay when clearly it shouldn’t be.

The lack of consistency in the NHL, whether it’s from the referees or the DoPS, has been an issue for a long time. Clearly, the DoPS doesn’t always prioritize player safety, when that’s what they’re supposed to do.

Panarin is only one example. He will be out for the rest of the season because of a lower-body injury caused during the scrum, or more specifically, by Wilson. And in the meantime, Wilson gets to finish the regular season and compete with his team in the playoffs. How is that fair?

It’s simple, it’s not. And yesterday afternoon, the Rangers were brave enough to make a statement about the situation, calling what Wilson did a “horrifying act of violence,” and even going as far as saying they view the decision “as a dereliction of duty by NHL head of player safety, George Parros, and believe he is unfit to continue in his current role.”

I wonder if this will help them in any way. Maybe the DoPS can review the decision and suspend Wilson. Or, maybe the NHL will fine the Rangers. Or, maybe, nothing will happen. These are the only three situations I see happening, and while I really hope it’s the first situation, the other two wouldn’t surprise me.

No matter what ends up happening, the Capitals and Rangers will be playing each other tonight at 7 p.m. EST, and things could get ugly as soon as Wilson steps on the ice and the whistle is blown.