It's time for the NHL to do something about the Capitals' Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson of the Capitals yells at the Rangers bench after taking a second-period penalty at Madison Square Garden on May 3. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett
It is one of the oldest jokes in sports, generally attributed to Babylon native Rodney Dangerfield: "I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out."
But you do not hear that one much anymore, and younger sports fans might not even get it.
Hockey has come a long way in recent decades, from the depths of the Broad Street Bullies of the mid-1970s to a world in which skill and grit exist in harmony – mostly minus the mayhem.
Then something like what happened at Madison Square Garden on Monday night comes along, and while avid fans understand it is an anomaly, the rest of the world reverts to its hoary default opinion of the sport.
That is why what the Capitals’ Tom Wilson did to the Rangers demanded a swift, harsh penalty from the NHL, if for no other reason than to protect its image and business.
Instead, the response was feckless – a $5,000 fine, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for "roughing" Pavel Buchnevich. No further explanation, and nothing about the Artemi Panarin part of Wilson’s assault.
Trying to maim a couple of opponents, including one of the best players in the league, should have been reason enough for a suspension that includes at least the rest of this regular season and playoffs.
But no.
It was a terrible look for the league. This is about more than the beaten heads of Buchnevich and Panarin. It is about the integrity of a sport forever in search of more attention, revenue and respect in the United States.
Wilson has been suspended five times in his career, including for seven games this season after he boarded the Bruins’ Brandon Carlo.
When he returned it was assumed referees and the league would be keeping an extra close eye on him.
Then came Monday, when Wilson first was seen punching Buchnevich in the head after the Ranger already was on the ice and in no position to defend himself.
After dispatching Ryan Strome, who tried to intervene, he then flung Panarin to the ice by his curly hair, at which point he was penalized for 14 minutes, but not ejected.
On Tuesday, Strome called the mere fine a "joke," and coach David Quinn said he thought there was more than enough to warrant a suspension.
Even former All-Star enforcer John Scott weighed in on social media, calling Wilson’s actions "gutless, terrible hockey" and the league’s inaction a "joke."
There is a separate but related story line here, which is that the Rangers are a finesse team that has been pushed around by all comers of late, including the Islanders.
Quinn and Strome were shockingly honest on Tuesday about the fact the team is not built to fight back against bullies such as Wilson. GM Jeff Gorton has to be concerned about this as he plans his offseason priorities.
But the Blueshirts’ toughness deficiency does not allow the likes of Wilson to take advantage of them outside the bounds of common decency and professional respect.
After the game, while the Capitals were celebrating Wilson’s night with an ill-advised (later deleted) Twitter post, the Rangers told it like it was.
"It’s just zero respect for the game in general," Quinn said.
Added Mika Zibanejad, "It’s just horrible. Zero respect."
Pretty much.
Wilson eventually scored an empty-net goal to cement the Capitals’ 6-3 victory, which moved them into a tie for first place in the East Division.
This is where a suspension would have been interesting. Wilson is the modern version a hockey goon, one with actual skills, and benching him would have helped the Capitals’ upcoming opponents.
One of those playoff opponents could well be the Islanders, who would love to not see Wilson on the ice. That is understandable, from a competitive perspective.
But for the league, its fans and those of us who love the sport, the NHL’s non-statement is bigger than that. It is why, to borrow another of our Babylon friend’s favorite lines, it gets no respect.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
