Two Rangers’ Players The Latest Victims of Tom Wilson

NHL fans, stop me if you’ve heard this before: Tom Wilson did something in a game that is VERY illegal.

Two months removed from a seven-game suspension stemming from a high hit on Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, Wilson was at it again, this time, at Madison Square Garden. With the Rangers on the power-play, winning by a goal, Artemi Panarin attempted to thread a pass through the crease to his teammate, Pavel Buchnevich.

Keep those names in mind, if you will.

To watch the full brawl, here is a video on Twitter.

Wilson, known for his taste for senseless violence and destruction, grabbed Buchnevich with his head bent down, and sent him to the ice face-first before punching him in the back of his head, with his face on the ice. Ryan Strome came to the aid of the clearly dazed Buchnevich, wrestling Wilson to the ice and temporarily calming the chaos.

Then, players began to pair off, deciding whether or not it was worth starting a fight. Wilson ended up with a dance partner in Artemi Panarin. Wilson ripped off Panarin’s helmet, which in the moment, seemed harmless. Then, Wilson body-slammed Panarin to the ice, with Panarin’s head leading the way.

Panarin was INCHES from having his head slammed into the ice. That scene could’ve ended much, much worse than a concussion for the Russian.

Panarin then ended up on the ground, at the feet of Tom Wilson. For those unfamiliar with hockey, attached to the feet of every hockey player are two sharp blades (essentially, knives) usually used to carve up the ice while skating. In Wilson’s case, one false move and he could’ve carved up Panarin’s helmetless head. Another extreme stroke of luck.

As written in the New York Post, is a suspension not enough? Is it time to levy a ban of some kind, either for the season, or for longer? I’m not entirely sure, but we’ve reached a point where it needs to be considered.