TOM WILSON, CAM NEELY…

Gordie Howe.

Maurice Richard.

Brendan Shanahan.

Clark Gillies.

Cam Neely.

Mark Messier.

Jarome Iginla.

Keith Tkachuk.

Terry O’Reilly.

Wendel Clark.

Ovie.

Eric Lindros.

Rick Tocchet.

John LeClair.

Todd Bertuzzi.

Kevin Stevens.

Johan Franzen.

Milan Lucic.

Tim Kerr.

Scott Hartnell.

Ground-breaking, impactful hockey power forwards…

Nonpareils.

“The Gordie Howe Hat Trick?”

A goal, an assist and a fight in the same hockey game.

‘The Rocket’–Maurice Richard–was legendary.

Shanahan?

The only player in NHL lore with more than 600 goals (656) and 2,000 penalty minutes.

We could go right down the list.

What about now?

Today?

In 2022???

Ryan Getzlaf.

Evander Kane.

Corey Perry.

Blake Coleman.

Jamie Benn.

Aleksander Barkov?

Anders Lee.

Josh Anderson.

Blake Wheeler.

Let’s include, with the most honorable of mention, Mark Stone, Gabriel Landeskog, brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk (sons of Keith), Chris Kreider and Ovie–“Alexander The Great”–Alexander Ovechkin (766 goals and counting; fourth-most hits among forwards).

Then there is Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals.

Five league suspensions (four in 105 games); multiple fines; league-wide and fan disapproval for a propensity toward high hits along the boards–see head.

Depends what side you’re on, I s’pose.

During Washington’s run to the Stanley Cup championship in 2018, Wilson made a number of questionable/controversial hits during the playoffs, including one to Zach Aston-Reese which resulted in a three-game suspension.

The next October, he was suspended for twenty games following an illegal hit to the head of Oskar Sundqvist in a preseason game against St. Louis.

After serving the suspension, which was appealed and reduced to 14 games, Wilson reset his focus.

Concentrating more on goal-scoring and less on cheap hits, he set career-highs in goals and points in 2018-’19.

Time marches on…

In 2021 Wilson caused two serious head injuries to Brandon Carlo of the Bruins and Artemi Panarin of the Rangers.

Never more than 22 goals in a season.

Never more than 23 assists in a season.

NHL Regular Season Stats: 569 GP; 91 G; 130 A; 221 Pts; 1,123 PIM.

NHL Playoff Stats: 82 GP; 13 G; 17 A; 30 Pts; 134 PIM.

I like Tom Wilson on my team.

And I get it.

He can help you win.

But I’d take someone like Cam Neely–among others–over Tom Wilson any day.

We might ask Patrice Bergeron, the league’s best two-way player over years, if not decades, about that.

Aggressive play is one thing.

Dirty play is never rewarded.

Nor should it ever be applauded.

[Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Mr. Kaplan in April 2022.]