Capitals’ Wilson shows off Olympic bona fides in victory over Rangers

New Year’s Eve was a good day to be Tom Wilson. 

The Washington Capitals’ forward learned that he’d represent his native Canada in the upcoming Olympics on Wednesday morning before scoring a pair of goals and notching an assist in a 6-3 win over the visiting New York Rangers. 

The goals were just one part of a prototypical game for Washington’s alternate captain as he showed why Team Canada’s coaches added him to the Olympic roster for the first time in his career.

The 31-year-old isn’t taking the honor lightly. 

“At the end of the day, we’re hockey players and that’s the highest honor you can receive, to be called on by your country to play in the Olympics,” Wilson said alongside Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, who was also named an Olympian on Wednesday. “It’s a dream come true.”

Wilson has been hard to ignore this season. He leads the Capitals in goals, points and hits after setting career highs in scoring last year. 

The intangibles are what made him an Olympian, though. 

“He’s kind of our bull. He’s our leader and he set the tone tonight,” said goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who started Wednesday’s game to allow Thompson to enjoy his Olympic honor. 

Wilson showed off his signature style of play midway through the second period. He started his shift with a huge hit on Rangers forward Noah Laba to swing momentum. Wilson then stationed himself just in front of the crease and found the back of the net 10 seconds later to give Washington a 2-1 lead. 

“Might have been one of the best shifts I’ve seen in a long time,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “It was a heck of a shift in just his overall body of work.”

Wilson fought Rangers center Sam Carrick the next time he took the ice. The Toronto native was sent to the penalty box, but Carrick received an extra two-minute sentence for roughing.

Washington scored on the following power play while a proud Wilson watched from the penalty box. He’s comfortable there. 

The high-scoring enforcer leads the Capitals in penalty minutes and led the league in that category during the 2020-2021 campaign. 

Wilson added another goal — the 200th of his career — and an assist late in the third period of Washington’s win. He secured a Gordie Howe hat trick — that’s when a player records a goal, an assist and a fight in a single game — thanks to his assist on Justin Sourdif’s empty-netter in the closing seconds. 

“Could be one of the greatest days for a hockey player,” Carbery said, referencing the unofficial hat trick, Olympic honor and milestone goal. “You can’t get much better than that for a day.”

Wilson’s teammates said they sensed an extra fire in their already passionate leader. 

“He had a lot of juice, obviously, you could tell. Making the team, he was super excited,” said Sourdif, who tallied two goals of his own. “He brings that type of mentality every game, though. He just leads the charge.”

On a stacked Canadian roster that features superstars like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Cale Makar, that’s where Wilson could make the biggest impact: as an energizing force in key moments. 

“Willie isn’t defined by goals and assists and points. There’s so much more to what he does. … He’s known for the physicality and the penalty kill and [being a] 200-foot player,” Carbery said. “The smart, responsible physical elements. And then you’re going, ‘This guy’s leading the Capitals in goals? Wow.’”

True to form, Wilson spent his postgame press conferences deflecting praise. He instead complimented his teammates, his wife and his parents — who were in town and watched as their son received the phone call he’d spent 30 years waiting for. Wilson and Thompson were not selected to join their Canadian countrymen in last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

The upcoming Milan-Cortina Games present an unparalleled opportunity to play against the world’s best players on its biggest stage for the first time, they said.

“I’m just excited to put on the logo and come together as a group and play in the Winter Olympics and try to make our country proud,” Wilson said. “I’m looking forward to taking that in with [Thompson]. It’s going to be special memories for our whole lives.”

That Olympic journey began Wednesday, as Wilson silenced any potential doubters with his banner day. 

“The Team Canada coaches and management who were watching today may be thinking, ‘Yeah, we made a good decision,’” Carbery said.