New York Rangers coach David Quinn and center Mika Zibanejad called out Tom Wilson for a lack of respect for the game after the Washington Capitals winger’s latest violent act.
In the second period of a 6-3 Capitals win over the Rangers on Monday night, Wilson threw punches at Pavel Buchnevich while the Rangers forward lay face down on the ice, then in the melee that followed, Wilson slammed star winger Artemi Panarin to the ice.
Panarin left the game and did not return, though Quinn said after the game that he was OK. Wilson received a double minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.
Tom Wilson gets a 10-minute misconduct for punching Buchnevich in the head on the ground and body slamming Panarin pic.twitter.com/fg2HRej8yD
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 4, 2021
“There are lines that can’t be crossed in this game,” Quinn said. “To me, it’s just zero respect for the game in the general. You’ve got one of the star players in this league now who could have got seriously, seriously hurt in that incident. You saw what happened. It happens time and time again with him. It’s totally unnecessary. You all saw what happened. It’s just zero respect for the game and the players and everybody involved.”
“I figured you should have some more respect for the game and for the players,” Zibanejad said. “I don’t honestly know where to satrt. It’s just horrible. Zero respect. I don’t know why I’m surprised. It’s just horrible.”
Wilson has been suspended five times in his eight-year NHL career, including 20 games for a head shot on St. Louis’ Oskar Sundqvist in the 2018 preseason, three games for a head shot that broke the jaw of Penguins winger Zach Aston-Reese in the 2018 playoffs and seven games for a boarding incident that sent Boston’s Brandon Carlo to the hospital in March.
