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Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson suspended 7 games for hit on Bruins' Brandon Carlo
Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson was suspended by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Saturday, following a hit on Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo.
Late into the first period of an eventual 5-1 win against the Capitals, an unsuspecting Brandon Carlo took a blindside shot to the head by Washington's Tom Wilson. The hit subsequently sent Carlo to the ice, clutching his head in pain. Carlo was eventually escorted off the ice and back into the Bruins locker room. Much to the ire of the Bruins' bench, no penalty was assessed to Wilson for the high hit.
The NHL Department of Player Safety deemed the play to be a boarding call, and Wilson was suspended. This is his fifth suspension since the 2017 season. Washington's head coach, Peter Laviolette, claimed that he didn't think the hit was a suspendable play, stating that it was a "hockey hit." In a press conference following the announcement of the suspension, Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin called the seven-game suspension "kind of a joke."
Brandon Carlo also missed Sunday night's game against the New Jersey Devils due to the hit, and is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury. It is worth mentioning that Alex Ovechkin was fined last week after he speared Bruins forward Trent Frederic in the groin. With only two months left in the regular season, keep an eye out for this Boston/Washington rivalry as things begin to get physical down the stretch of a crucial playoff race.
The NHL celebrates Gender Equality month by honoring female hockey players
One of the biggest headlines heading into this season was the NHL's promotion of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) The league was on full display in late February, as a nationally televised primetime NWHL game between New Hampshire and Minnesota was broadcasted from the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It was a historic day for the sport of hockey as a whole.
Now, as the month of March begins to kick into full gear, the NHL and NWHL continue to celebrate Gender Equality month by honoring and recognizing more than 200 women who are involved in professional hockey. The league's first recognition of the month was for Blake Bolden. Not only was Bolden named one of the first woman scouts in the NHL when she was hired by the Log Angeles Kings organization, but she was also the first Black professional hockey player in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) and the NWHL.
Everyday, the league will honor a new member of the women's pro hockey community, they can be found on NHL.com/GenderEquality
Walter Gretzky passes away at the age of 82
"Canada's Hockey Dad," and father of the Great One, Walter Gretzky passed away last Thursday. NHL teams, family and friends, and obviously Wayne Gretzky himself spent the weekend sharing heart-felt stories about the late Walter Gretzky. The Edmonton Oilers even put together a tribute video for Walter, as Mr. Gretzky was crucial in helping guide and mentor his son Wayne Gretzky to four Stanley Cup Championships with the team during the 1980's.
Brent Seabrook retires from professional hockey
14 year veteran, and three-time Stanley Cup Champion Brent Seabrook calls it a career. The 2003 14th overall pick for the Chicago Blackhawks experienced an illustrious career in the NHL, winning three Stanley Cup's with Chicago in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Seabrook is also a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and one-time Silver Medalist. The veteran defenseman played 1,114 games over the course of a decade and a half, racking up 464 points on 361 assists and 103 goals, with a career plus/minus of +111.
Seabrook was known for his physical style of play, and his willingness to play through injuries en route to three Stanley Cup titles. Seabrook put off many necessary surgeries during Chicago's dynasty years, and it finally caught up to him. It was revealed that Seabrook had virtually no cartilage left in his right hip, and this injury is what ultimately led to the iron-man hanging up his skates.
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Have a great week, hockey fans!
-Chris