NHL fines Capitals’ Tom Wilson for kneeing Penguins’ Conor Sheary

On Friday afternoon, the NHL fined Washington Capitals‘ Tom Wilson $2,403.67 for kneeing Pittsburgh Penguins’ Conor Sheary.

The fine on Tom Wilson is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and spares Wilson a suspension that could have dramatically altered the Capitals’ second-round playoff series against the Penguins. After winning on Thursday, the Capitals lead the series 1-0.

Wilson flipped Sheary onto the ice with his left knee just four minutes into the third period of the knotted game, which the Capitals would ultimately win 4-3 in overtime. Sheary then hobbled to the team bench, noticeably in pain, but Wilson was still not penalized by the officials.

Sheary missed a few shifts as a result of the injury.

Before the fine was levied by the Department of Player Safety, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz confessed that Wilson probably should have avoided the hit, though he minimized the intentions of the attack by describing it as “shin-on-shin.”

“We’ll leave it up to the league,” Trotz said. “Whatever they decide, I think we’re fine with it. That’s what their job is. You gotta respect. Player Safety with the NHL has done, I think, a good job.”

When asked if it was clean, Trotz told ESPN: “I thought it was OK, but it wasn’t really, I would say, necessary, probably on both.”

Wilson —a player with a reputation for dirty dealing on the ice— certainly should be thankful to have avoided a suspension, as his violent hit was made without the puck in sight. These types of impulsive, aggressive plays not only risked players’ safety but also risked his team’s chances of winning the game.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan emphasized that his players know how to be persuaded into retaliating against such plays. They will “forgive” this misdemeanor … though they certainly won’t forget it.