Tom Wilson charges into back of Ivan Provorov in controversial hit (Video)

The Washington Capitals winger finds controversy yet again

When it comes to Tom Wilson, he’s arguably one of the more despised players in all of NHL. Well, except if you’re a Washington Capitals fan, then you love him. But once any hockey fan sees Wilson trending on Twitter, they all know that he did something dirty on the ice.

That was the case on Thursday during Washington’s round robin game against the Philadelphia Flyers. During the game, Wilson pursued Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov, whom was chasing the puck into the corner following the face-off. Wilson saw nothing but Provorov’s numbers and slammed him face first into the boards in a very dangerous hit.

Luckily, Provorov wasn’t phased. But, Wilson only being given a minor penalty for boarding leaves a sour taste in every non-Capitals fans’ mouths.

Wilson has shown he’s not afraid to cross the line

Throughout his career, Wilson has built up a reputation of being a bit of a goon when it comes to his actions on the ice. He’s never been afraid to lay out an opponent in open ice or near the boards.

In fact, Wilson was suspended four times between 2017-18. His most egregious punishment was after he laid an illegal hit to the head of St. Louis Blues center Oskar Sundqvist during a 2018 preseason game, causing the league to suspend him 20 games. After commissioner Gary Bettman upheld it, Wilson went to an independent arbitrator, who reduced it to 14 games.

While he hasn’t been suspended since, Wilson hasn’t really stopped his car-crash style of play, as evidenced by this latest action inside the Toronto bubble. Luckily, Provorov is fine, because that careless hit could’ve had a much worse result.