Tom Wilson suspended two preseason games, put on notice

The NHL Department of Player Safety decided that Tom Wilson’s hit on St. Louis Blues rookie center Robert Thomas on Friday night was way late, and suspended him for two preseason games.

Here’s the suspension video, released on Saturday:

So what was wrong with the hit, which was flagged for interference?

“Over a full second after Thomas loses control of the puck, well after he’s eligible to be checked” is how the Department of Player Safety defines it.

As the video mentioned, it’s not just that it’s interference – the NHL deemed it suspension worthy because of “the predatory nature and force of the hit,” as they saw Wilson tracking Thomas and “altering the course of his approach” to land the forceful check.

Again, two preseason games is like suspending a guy from practice, as it has little impact on the games that matter for the Washington Capitals. But it does hand Wilson, a player who toes the line of illegality on many of his hits, the first suspension of his NHL career. The next one means he’s a repeat offender.

As we mentioned this morning, he’s on notice.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.