Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves and Washington’s oft-suspended Tom Wilson renewed their fierce rivalry, with several brutal hits that ignited the crowd, including a vicious shoulder-to-shoulder connection that ended Wilson’s night in the second period of Tuesday night’s game.
After trading shots and verbal jabs throughout the first two periods, Reaves leveled Wilson, who was helped from the ice. Reaves was ejected and given a game misconduct penalty. Multiple reports Wednesday said that Reaves will not face supplementary discipline from the league.
Ryan Reaves takes Tom Wilson down with this blindside hit. Wilson assisted off the ice and Reaves given a 5 minute game misconduct.#CapsKnights pic.twitter.com/pK7xhipF7j
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) December 5, 2018
“That was a man’s game out there. . I thought he was just looking at his pass, and he ran into a lion in the jungle,” said Reaves, who added he didn’t believe the hit was ejection-worthy. “If he sees me, I know he’s gonna try and lay me out and I’m not gonna let that happen. I thought it was shoulder to shoulder and I didn’t think it was that late.”
Said Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant: “I think we all seen the hit and video, it’s a clean hit, there’s nothing wrong with the hit. Unfortunate a player got hurt, but it was a clean hit.”
Washington coach Todd Reirden said Wilson would be re-evaluated Wednesday.
“That was something that he targeted him,” Reirden said. “Reaves targeted him the entire game. You could hear it on every faceoff, you could hear the things that were being said and it’s a blindside hit where an unsuspecting player hits his head on the ice. That’s disappointing. You can put two and two together but he targeted him the entire game.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.