By Nick Lenahan
Originally, when I started writing this article, I was going to compare Tom Wilson’s actions on Monday night to previous instances in the past and prove/justify what the penalty should be. Who cares? I could talk about how Tom Wilson has been suspended for 36 games over the past 4 years. Maybe about how in that span, Wilson led Washington to 1st in the league in total fines/suspensions 3 out of those 4 seasons. The only player who compares is Evander Kane, who accumulated almost $250,000 in fines for 3 separate instances of misconduct. I’m not here to debate whether or not Tom Wilson’s lapse in judgment and dangerous behavior was appropriately handled (it wasn’t). I’m not here to here to call for George Parros’s job because of his inability to correctly handle a downright hazardous play. This isn’t about him. The ruling was his fault not the play. I’m here to predict that the hockey universe will restore balance tonight.
The New York Rangers GM was fired. Assistant GM and former Sabres captain Chris Drury has taken over. Not to reach too far in the past, but remember Chris Neil blindsiding Chris Drury in 2007? Well that sparked a brawl for the ages on the following face-off. I’m not saying there will be 100 penalty minutes distributed tonight, but the answer will be there. The Rangers have nothing to lose. The bar has never been lower in terms of player safety and accountability. George Parros will have to answer to NHL executives and the New York Rangers organization, while Wilson will have to answer the Rangers tonight.
So let’s keep this focus on the incident itself. Parros wasn’t skating along side Wilson into the scrum in front of the net on May 3rd. He also wasn’t looking out for the safety of Panarin and Buchnevich. He didn’t maintain the level of accountability that the NHL has been striving to achieve, especially with an influx in research and focus on the importance of mental health.
In the past 15 years, enforcers have gone from an undervalued one-job role to a bottom 6 player normally who also provides offensive or defensive upside. In that time, the NHL has made a lot of changes to protect its most important assets. But when plays like this happen and go unaccounted for, you better believe there will be an answer. Not by the league, but at 7PM tonight in Madison Square Garden.
Washington at New York. It’s the two teams’ last meeting before the Capitals host the Bruins in the first round and the Rangers hit the links. If you want to see a brand of hockey that hasn’t been seen in years, tune in tonight. John Scott made a great point in a video he posted to twitter, he said…
“…it’s fair game baby in any scrum. it’s honestly fair game if you go into a scrum, anywhere on the ice, and you see a star player…I’m throwing sucker punches, I’m grabbing this guy, I’m twisting ankles, I’m doing whatever I can because the worst thing that is going to happen to me is a $5,000 suspension, because I can’t see anybody doing more than what I saw Wilson do to Panarin.”
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