*Photo from The Athletic*
Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was suspended 7 games by the NHL department of player safety, according to an announcement made by the department of player safety. The suspension comes after Wilson boarded Boston Bruins defensemen Brandon Carlo on Friday night, knocking Carlo out of the game and sending him to the hospital. No penalty was called on Wilson for that hit.
The league explained that "With the puck bouncing in Carlo's skates as he attempts to locate it, Wilson approaches from outside his field of vision and delivers a high, hard hit that makes direct contact with Carlo's head, driving him violently into the glass and causing an injury. Through no fault of his own, he's in a position where he is unable to brace for contact, anticipate the hit, or protect himself in any way from Wilson, who was approaching from outside of his field of vision. While there are aspects of this hit that may skirt the line between suspendable and not suspendable, it is the totality of the circumstances that cause this play to merit supplemental discipline."
Since the NHL season is only 56 games this season, Wilson's suspension means he misses 1/8 of the season. This is not Wilson first meeting with the department of player safety. In fact, this is the 5th suspension in his 8 NHL seasons. Wilson's most recent suspension came in 2018, when he was slapped with a 20 game suspension for a hit on St.Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist.
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said of the suspension that "I was glad they looked at it, and they did assess some discipline. What I'm satisfied about is I texted Brandon this morning, he's feeling better. He's obviously gonna be out for a while, but he's feeling better. I've made my feelings known on what I felt with the hit. I've kind of moved on and getting ready for New Jersey."
Carlo's injury leaves the depleted defense in Boston even more shorthanded. Although Matt Grzelcyk has recovered from injury, Kevan Miller, Jeremy Lauzon, and now Carlo remain out for the Bruins as they head into a matchup with the New Jersey Devils.
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