Tom Wilson is 6'4 220 LBS. Without much research it is safe to say that he is in the 90-95th percentile of NHL players in terms of size. When he is playing the game almost every hit that he delivers is going to be against a player that is smaller than he is. If a player puts himself in a similar situation to Wennberg by lowering his body to make a play on the puck, you are looking at a size decrease of >6 inches. Even if Wilson tries his absolute best to hit a guy square in the chest, 6 inches up is the guys nose. Now how can you penalize a player for being bigger and stronger than most other players in the league.
I get that he makes contact with the guys head, but when the opposing player adjusts his body before contact and has his head down or in the opposite direction to not see a hit coming how is it justifiable for Wilson to get penalized for a player not expecting to be hit and smaller than him.
Tom Wilson uses his size and strength to maintain a job in the NHL. He may piss some people off by how he holds his job sometimes but he is doing everything he can to play each night. You don't take away his tools because everyone else is smaller than him. The other players have to own some responsibility to know Wilson is on the ice.
You called it! But come on, we have to also take into account Doughty's long record of dangerous hits and Wilson's perfectly clean record.Clearly a more predatory, dangerous hit than Doughty's.
So he won't even get a fine.
I mean, that's fine and may be the case.Clearly a more predatory, dangerous hit than Doughty's.
So he won't even get a fine.
I mean, that's fine and may be the case.
There is nothing necessarily illegal about being "predatory" or "dangerous" though. What rules does he break with the hit?
Simple solution - don't charge up behind a guy, watching his numbers the entire time, and pointlessly jump into a high hit while he's looking the other way.
Wilson's problem isn't that he's too good at hitting, his problem is he's a new-model Matt Cooke who seems to think that the purpose of hockey is to injure as many players as possible without getting penalized. Players like this are not needed in the game.
He's a dirty player but so is the former LA Kings Captain. All that guy does is stick his knees out and hardly ever gets punished.Awful decision, but Wilson is the new Torres/Cooke so he’ll throw another filthy hit soon. Just unfortunate for the guys who have to suffer brain injuries because of him.
Apparently there weren’t enough camera angles on this hit to justify a suspension.
Wennberg now listed as doubtful for game 2
If a player puts himself in a similar situation to Wennberg by lowering his body to make a play on the puck,
Even if Wilson tries his absolute best to hit a guy square in the chest,
I get that he makes contact with the guys head,
Awful decision, but Wilson is the new Torres/Cooke so he’ll throw another filthy hit soon. Just unfortunate for the guys who have to suffer brain injuries because of him.
Apparently there weren’t enough camera angles on this hit to justify a suspension.
I disagree. I do not see charging or illegal head contact (all head contact is not illegal) in the angles that are available.Charging (42.1, 42.3) and illegal check to the head (48.1)
If you watch the replay it is pretty clear that he makes an effort to shift his body into the hit so that he makes contact with a front part of Wennbergs body. The only numbers that are hit are the ones on the side of Wennbergs arm.
I think the opposite of Wilson's game and his hitting ability. He has been on the radar with DOPS his entire career but up until this preseason he had never been suspended (those two were just down right stupid on his part) and that shows he has a great understanding of what side of the line he has to be on to deliver a hit. Yes he has alot that are questionable but each and every one (minus the preseason) of his hits can be justified as clean and not worthy of suspension.
I disagree. I do not see charging or illegal head contact (all head contact is not illegal) in the angles that are available.
But at least now we can start talking about NHL rules rather than our feelings.
I'd be in favor of that.I think launching into hits should be charging, but the NHL disagrees. I’ve been arguing about this on here since Kronwall had functional knees.
This.Simple solution - don't charge up behind a guy, watching his numbers the entire time, and pointlessly jump into a high hit while he's looking the other way.
Wilson's problem isn't that he's too good at hitting, his problem is he's a new-model Matt Cooke who seems to think that the purpose of hockey is to injure as many players as possible without getting penalized. Players like this are not needed in the game.