Capitals Delete Controversial Tom Wilson Tweet After Backlash

Tom Wilson found himself in hot water on Monday night during a game versus the New York Rangers. During a scrum in front of the Washington Capitals net, Wilson appeared to pull Pavel Buchnevich down face first to the ice, and then threw a punch at him while he was lying defenseless. Artemi Panarin then stepped in to help defend his teammate but was rag dolled to the ice by Wilson. Once again, the Capitals forward threw punches at Panarin, who was without a helmet, as he was lying on the ice.

These incidents are nothing new for Wilson, who has a pretty lengthy past when it comes to dealing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety (DoPS). However, while controversy is nothing new for him, it is rare that the Capitals as an organization have taken heat for his actions. That changed last night when shortly after the incident involving Wilson took place, the teams official Twitter account chose to post a picture suggesting that their rugged forward was living ‘rent free’ in opposing fans head, while also stating they choose ‘violence’.

Related: Artemi Panarin Out For Season After Suffering Injury in Wilson Scrum

Non surprisingly, this tweet was taken down just minutes after it was posted, but the damage was already done. Many took screenshots of the questionable tweets and re posted them, which gave everyone a chance to see what had happened. The Capitals have yet to say anything about the matter.

Wilson received two separate roughing minors as well as a ten minute misconduct for his role in the scrum, but was not kicked out of the game. He went on to record a goal and an assist in what was a 6-3 win for the Caps, who are currently atop the East Division with 71 points.

While many media members as well as fans were hoping for a lengthy suspension to come from this, that will not be the case. Instead, the DoPS announced this morning that Wilson will receive a $5,000, which is the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.

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