Photo: @CapitalsPR

On Friday, Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson spoke to the media prior to the starting events of the 2022 NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. He discussed the overall excitement of his first All-Star appearance.

Wilson joins center Evgeny Kuznetsov as Capitals representatives. “I’m just really proud of him, where he’s at right now…he’s been one of our best players every night and driving the best for us, so I think it’s great when guys are rewarded for their hard work and their consistency. Kuzy’s done a great job this year, so we’ve had a lot of fun so far and it’s nice to hang out with him.

He said captain Alex Ovechkin was “pretty bummed” to not be able to participate due to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol, which he entered on Wednesday based on a positive test result. “I called him and just said, ‘Hey, thanks for letting me step in. Big shoes to fill, but thanks for letting me get off to Vegas.'”

Wilson is set to participate in the hardest shot competition Friday night. Former Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara did text Wilson to congratulate him and told him to just have fun. “That was cool of him to reach out and send his best,” Wilson said.

On being added to the All-Star roster, he said, “It’s an experience that when I got offered the opportunity, I was very honored and privileged. These are the best players in our sport and the best game in the world, so it’s a lot of fun. It’s great to see the guys. The people in this game are a huge part of what I enjoy about it…crossing paths with guys that I’ve known or don’t know, it’s amazing. It’s a really cool experience and just going to try and soak it all in.”

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes said Wilson was the player he’s looking forward to playing with the most. Wilson said Hughes is “such a fun kid to watch out there,” adding, “He’s got a ton of skill. That’s what I’m really looking forward to is getting to know some of the guys a little bit better and having some fun…obviously, that’s pretty nice of him to say.”

You can watch Wilson’s full media availability here:

By Della Young