The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Saturday morning that it has offered Capitals forward Tom Wilson an in-person hearing via Zoom for boarding Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo during the first period of Friday night's game at TD Garden.
No date and time has been set for the hearing yet.
An in-person hearing rather than just a phone call means the league could suspend Wilson for more than five games. A phone call can only be followed by a maximum five-game suspension.
History tells us that almost every time Player Safety opts for an in-person hearing, it is followed by a suspension of more than five games, so Saturday's announcement gives us a decent idea which way they're leaning on this one.
Wilson has been suspended four times previously, most recently for 20 games in Oct. 2018 for a hit to the head of St. Louis' Oskar Sundqvist. That suspension ultimately ended after 16 games upon appeal.
Even though Wilson technically doesn't qualify as a "repeat offender" since his last supplemental discipline was more than 18 months ago, the league can and almost certainly will take his history into account.
The NHL also takes injury into account, and Carlo unfortunately suffered a significant one, as he was taken to the hospital by ambulance as a result of the hit.
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