Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves will not face supplemental discipline for his hit on Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson in the Golden Knights’ 5-3 win over the Capitals on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Reaves, 31, was given a game misconduct with 4:18 left in the second frame.
Ryan Reaves’ hit on Tom Wilson last night, which resulted in a major penalty/game misconduct for interference and also knocked Wilson out of the game with injury, will not result in any supplementary discipline by the NHL.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 5, 2018
Wilson, 24, left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return. He had to be helped off of the ice by teammates and equipment staff. The Capitals don’t practice on Wednesday so his availability for the Capitals’ next game at the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night will be more clear at tomorrow’s morning skate.
While he did get a game misconduct, Reaves appeared to have hit Wilson high in the shoulder and not in the head.
The collision happened several seconds after Wilson passed the puck in the defensive zone.
Before Tuesday night’s game against the Golden Knights, Wilson scored a goal in six straight games (seven total) and amassed 13 points over that time. He currently ranks 10th in the NHL with an average of 1.27 points-per-game since returning from a 20-game suspension on November 13 against the Minnesota Wild.
Capitals’ head coach Todd Reirden told reporters after the game that Reaves targetted Wilson all game long.
When asked about the hit on Wilson after the game, Reaves responded by saying “That’s what happens when you run into a lion in the jungle.”
This is the second time that Reaves has delivered a hit that forced a player to leave the game in the past three games. Reaves hit Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler from behind in Vegas’ 4-3 victory over Vancouver on November 29. The hit drew blood from Edler, though the defenseman stayed in the game.
Reaves has been once in his NHL career, a three-game suspension for boarding in 2016.
By Harrison Brown