Photo: The Athletic
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly talked to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun about many topics in an interview published on Wednesday, including Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson after the 26-year-old was fined $5,000 by the league for roughing forward Pavel Buchnevich in the team’s 5-3 win over the New York Rangers on Monday. Many believe that Wilson should have gotten a heavy suspension.
After the Rangers released a statement where they called NHL Department of Player Safety head George Parros unfit for the position, Daly responded to it by saying “Well, I think certainly it was an emotional response and I’m sensitive to that and sympathetic to that. And certainly, the Rangers feel strongly about their position. And I think we’ve always endorsed the clubs’ ability to express its views.”
On Parros, Daly defended him, saying “You know, I can’t endorse a personal attack against any league staff particularly George. I think George is a smart, hardworking hockey experienced head of Department of Player Safety. I think he’s done a fabulous job from Day 1. I think he continues to do a fabulous job. It’s a tough job, it’s a thankless job. There are always differences of opinion and there will always be differences of opinion going forward. So, whether you agree with him or not the fact of the matter is George does his homework, he relies on precedent and he makes judgments and I respect the fact that the Rangers may disagree with his judgment but I don’t think it’s a reflection George’s ability to do his job.”
When asked about whether he is concerned about Wilson’s suspension history (five times) and he should have gotten more than a fine, Daly told LeBrun “I guess the track record of Player Safety vis a vis Tom Wilson kind of proves your suggestion, that you know, look he’s put himself in this position but the spotlight’s on him and everything he does is scrutinized to the nth degree and probably far more than other players doing similar things. And again he’s earned that. He’s put himself in that position. But the fact of the matter is that is how the Department of Player Safety has treated him over time. I can’t get into the rationale for this particular decision other than I think it was a little bit different than anything else he’s ever done. But the fact of the matter is he is held to a higher standard and probably rightly so.”
“I’m not really in a position to update kind of where we are. That’s an internal league matter. Obviously, if and when there comes a point in time where there is something to announce in that regard it will be announced,” Daly said of whether the Rangers will be punished about the statement they released.
Daly would not comfirm if there has been any talk between the NHL and Rangers about the statement released by the club.
By Harrrison Brown
When the league makes up rules so they can suspend a player, the spotlight then turns on the league.
but nice try
Please stay anonymous because you are a dumbass. But I guess you already know that, hence – anonymous
I’m struggling with the part that says Wilson is held to a higher standard and rightfully so. That should be the case. They can watch him like a hawk, but there in no way should be a different standard for any player.
Panarin was the third man in and jumped on the wrong back. It’s his choice to do so and he paid for it. Watching the Bush League response by the Rangers Wednesday night was embarrassing. The lost all the fights and the game. They even tried to fight TJ Oshee after his father passed on Monday. Scum.
Name the Ranger player who tried to engage Oshee?
Barron
Hate to say it, but you’re an idiot. Strome was technically the 3rd man in pulling Wilson off Buch. Dillon grabbed Strome, Wilson then went to punch Strome and Panarin hopped on Wilson to break it up. Wilson being the angry bull he is kept going rather than end it right then and there. Rangers also never were going to win many fights, which is why they didn’t do a thing that same game. The league should have handled it appropriately. They didn’t, and the Rangers stood up for themselves as they should have. As for Oshie, I actually like the guy…but no one is just letting you get a free pass because of personal life. Happy he had a good game, but that’s it.
Actually, clarification. You are the idiot. You’re revisionist history is amusing but doesn’t hold any water. You’re pride or manhood was hurt, get over it.
Your dog shit, just like the caps
* You’re
Odd of you to call this guy out for misusing “your” when you did it just above. “You’re pride” should have been “your pride.” If you’re going to play grammar police, you better get it right for yourself.
The only scum here is Wilson and anyone that support him!
You blow
You need a tissue.
Enjoy the early offseason (again), and the mess of an organization you follow.
OK, so you’re a Caps fan. Please remember your first season in the league. IIRC, you set the record for most losses in a year.
And the dumbest comment goes to…….. you!!! Comparing a first year team to a team that’s been in the league since 1926.
Just put on a cape and you can be super mad. Idiot.
Wilson is a totally unhinged player and the League should insist that he go to anger management. The league made Sean Avery go to anger management simply because he made a comment about another player in the league getting his sloppy seconds. Although it is a disgraceful comment Avery did not injure or cause potential life-threatening or career ending injuries to anyone with his words. Goes to show you how inconsistent the league is
This is a ridiculous take. Get a clue.
Right decision-wrong decision.Opinions vary and rightfully so because after all they are opinions but When this happens again and it will because this is his style of hockey.Fact—because evidence say so.for the good of the game something must change—My Opinion.
So what about Crosby banging some guys head into the ice
What’s done about that is he getting away with?
I recall a game way back when he Crosby chopped some guys finger
Off nothing was done no fine no penalty no nothing..
Excellent example. The media made a mockery of Wilson’s scrum, and didn’t even mention Crosby slamming Konecny to the ice and trying to smash his face in the ice three times.
Wilson is dirty and a goon. He takes skilled players and chews them up and spits them out. He’s also currently the king of the hill- the rangers and isles are powerless to stop him, and so is the league. so lucky we have him on our team! The rangers would give anything to have a guy like him. As with all goons and dirty players, he will eventually get targeted enough, and worn down enough by those targets, that it will catch up with him (he’s got another year or two at most before the injuries start occurring). Until then, let’s celebrate and enjoy him wrecking and shortening the careers of talented players all over the NHL.
I get the Caps fans think it was clean and the rangers fans thinking it was dirty. . .The reality is somewhere in between. Late man in to a scrum deserves to get trashed – and should be suspended even if he got hurt. The initial hit was rough and worthy of a penalty and fine – And Wilson was given the maximum fine under the CBA. Panarin should have been suspended for entering a fight from behind after the play was dead. The notion of him “protecting” his own player is a joke during a dead puck because only the zebras should get involved!
Wilson is a classic enforcer – and a sorely lacking role in the modern league! As i am not a caps fan, I have to say nothing in wilsons actions deserved suspension! As i admittedly hate the rangers (lifelong islanders fan) I hesitate to outright call panarin’s move worthy of suspension due to admitted bias – but i would be hard pressed to not feel the same way even if it were an islander who did it!
And while y’all caps have had the regular season – the postseason is going to the isles!
If the nhl is serious about cleaning up the crap that goes on then when a player is injured by another player either by cheap shot or fight then he should be out until the injured player returns. See how the aggressive player feels about not playing for several weeks.
With Wilson banging the guys head off of the ice in front of the net yes a fine is definitely in order ,however in regards to panarin being tossed around like a rag doll does not and should not result in a suspension as Wilson was attacked from behind twice once by stro.e whom got peeled off of Wilson by down and then panarinwho was ultimately peeled off by Wilson and in doing so paladin lost his helmet Wilson could have throttled paladin severely but choose only to throw him around , had Wilson dummies panarin with punches then yes definitely a suspension would have followed.
Panarin consider yourself very likely that Wilson didn’t rain down lefts and rights cause it would have been real ugly.
Bring back the guy’s to protect the young an great players
Tired of seeing the bull crap getting hit an loose guys for 4 games for concussion time to bring back old time hockey
Caps have 1 cup in like 100 years. Inferior from the start. Trash. East coast garbage. Atlantic scum. Dump truck tit faces. Oh we have one old player from like 50 years ago that still plays and gets paid way to much but he won one cup so we love him like chodes. The only clean thing coming from the caps is a clean sweep into the next year ha!!!!DRINK!!!!
Man the takes here are ridiculous. Wilson’s a known dirty player. I’m sure Caps fans will remember Matt Cooke when he was on the pens…same thing (although Wilson is more talented). The issue with the Panarin situation is not that Wilson went back at him, it’s that he grabbed him by the hair and pulled him head first to the ice…it’s a move just meant to hurt him, and he should’ve been suspended for that. As for Barron going after Oshie, it was Barron’s 2nd nhl game, he made a mistake. Good for Oshie for not engaging and then scoring a hat trick. Class game from a class player after such a personal loss. Barron isn’t scum, he was just trying to be a good teammate. Everyone on here needs to chill out.
Lol. Rangers fans are lost. Cant blame them after the week they had. Doesn’t get any worse.