The Department of Player Safety’s decision to only fine, and not suspend, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson for his actions on Monday night has not generated a popular response around the NHL.
Nowhere is that more true than with the New York Rangers.
The Rangers issued a scathing statement on Tuesday evening that not only criticized the lack of a suspension for Wilson, but also directly said that player safety head George Parros is not fit to serve in his current position.
The Rangers complete statement is as follows:
Wilson was fined $5,000 for his actions on Monday that resulted in 16 penalty minutes during the game. It is just the latest incident in Wilson’s career that resulted in supplemental discipline from the league. Earlier this season he was suspended seven games for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo. In total, Wilson has been fined or suspended for eight different times (five suspensions totaling more than 30 games and three fines) in his career.
Panarin, the Rangers’ best player, suffered an injury as a result of Monday’s incident and will not play again during the regular season.
Rangers players were extremely vocal about the situation after the game and again on Tuesday.
The two teams play again on Wednesday night in New York.
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.