Washington Capitals right winger Tom Wilson is one of the NHL's top power forwards and most fascinating characters. He knew what he had to do to make The Show — and when he had to change.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Tom Wilson remembers the exact moment he knew he was going to be a hockey player.
He was roughly two-and-a-half years old and tagged along when his dad, Keven, took his older brother, Peter, to the store to get a new pair of skates. They found the perfect pair for Peter, but Tom refused to head back home without a pair of his own.
Instead, he lay flat on the floor, throwing a fit and declaring that he wasn't going to leave without a pair of skates. Safe to say, Dad gave in, and the rest was history.
A self-proclaimed "late bloomer," Wilson's become one of the NHL's most fascinating characters with the Washington Capitals. He's the kind of guy you'd love to have on your team, but can't stand playing against. A figure that toes the line between protagonist and antagonist. Friend and foe. Jekyll and Hyde to fans watching from the outside.
All of that, of course, came together to turn the 31-year-old into an Olympian, a captain in waiting and a local celebrity and community hero throughout the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area.
But who really is Tom Wilson?
I ask that question as we sit next to each other in a conference room at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. It's Wilson's kingdom, and fittingly, sits right next door to the local boxing gym, BASH, that he's a partner in. He smiles at my phrasing.
"It's very rare in this life that you get to live your dream every day, and I think that's probably the best way to describe (being Tom Wilson)," he said. "You know, I have a family, I get to come to the rink and play hockey every day. I just feel lucky to do what I do and be where I'm at."
A meeting with a scout at Tim Hortons was the moment when Wilson was told he had NHL potential. Now, he's one of the league's top power forwards. (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)A Young Wilson Embraced The Power Forward Role
In a lot of ways, Wilson's still that same kid from Uptown Ontario. He was raised on hockey.
Once school let out (he was on top of his grades, his mother told him if he didn't keep his grades up as he went out on his own to pursue his hockey career, he'd be on the next flight home), he was either in front of the TV, jamming Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em Hockey tapes into the VHS player, wrestling with his brothers in the basement or scraping up the backyard rink until his mom rang the bell, which meant, "Get your butt to the dinner table."
It was when Wilson was eight years old, though, that he really started to get a sense of who he wanted to be on the ice. The kid gloves were finally taken off at practice, and now, it was time to learn how to check. It was a game-changer for a young Wilson.
There was something about the feeling of throwing a hit, to still be on his feet while his opponent wasn't, that Wilson couldn't get enough of. Combine that with his love of Mats Sundin, and he very quickly embraced the power forward role.
That was just the "Canadian Way," being a player who could do a little bit of everything, from throwing their weight around to scoring game-winning goals or making highlight-reel plays.
Those were the guys that stuck around, and Wilson didn't forget that.
Fast forward to his teen years. Wilson hadn't made any moves to advance his career and saw his friends and teammates committing to colleges and making plans for the future. While thrilled for them, he was wondering when it'd be his turn.
Then, he got a call from a scout, who told him to meet him at a Tim Hortons. Sitting at a table over cups of coffee, he heard the words he'd been waiting for: maybe, just maybe, he'd make it one day. There was NHL potential there somewhere, but he just had to really work for it.
From then on, the road to The Show was no longer a fantasy, but a primary objective. He did everything he could to stand out as he rose through the ranks in the OHL, making waves as a heavy-hitter, fighter and scorer who, like his role model in Sundin, could do it all.
'I Was Going To Do Whatever It Took'
It led him to Pittsburgh, a day before the 2012 NHL draft. He was a bundle of nerves and had a meeting with the Capitals and now-assistant GM Ross Mahoney, the director of amateur scouting.
To everyone but Wilson, it was clear which team would snag him in the first round. He was never meant to be anything besides a Washington Capital.
Washington selected Wilson 16th overall. D.C. knew what it was getting in Wilson, and the front office felt it was a steal. Not only could he hit hard and make his opponents pay, but he could be a top contributor and had the potential to be the next face of the franchise. It was a role that Wilson was more than happy to work toward.
Guided by Wayne Simmonds and Chris and Anthony Stewart, Wilson knew what he had to do to put himself on the map. It was a harsh welcome and rude awakening for the rest of the NHL, as he recorded three goals and three fights in his first pre-season to crack the opening night roster.
"(They told me if I did that), it's going to be very hard for them to send you home,' " Wilson pointed out. "That was the mentality, that I was going to do whatever it took."
Tom Wilson fights Brayden Schenn during a 2013 pre-season game. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)From there, Wilson didn't just stick around; he started to earn a reputation. That was something the Capitals needed greatly at the time, with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and more stars leading the way from a production and skill standpoint.
Fans also loved the bone-crunching hits and fisticuffs from the rookie, and it made Wilson a household name and favorite in the District.
Around the rest of the league? Not so much.
As Wilson's hits kept coming, the spotlight got bigger. Opponents would often make a mental note when No. 43 was on the ice, and his name would be trending on social media.
He recalls the first time he saw his name blowing up on X, and did his best to tune it out. Of course, that's not always a realistic option when you're the top hashtag worldwide. Over the years, though, he's gotten better about navigating social media and doesn't let it get under his skin as much, knowing that it'll just further stir the pot.
Still, it didn't help his case, especially with the NHL Department of Player Safety being on high alert. They didn't shy away from bringing the hammer down, either, with multiple suspensions, including one for 20 games back in 2018.
That's when things changed for Wilson.
"It got to the point where you realize that you're not helping your team if you're not on the ice," he said. "Every time I got suspended, I felt like I let my team down, I felt like I let the city down, and I just didn't like that feeling… I was never a guy that was going out there trying to hurt people. I just wanted to play the game hard and honest."
It's great to see people finally appreciate what Caps fans have appreciated in him.
Wilson's Epiphany
Working with coach Barry Trotz, Wilson had an epiphany: the organization came first. That meant that being on the ice instead of in the box was what was best for his team, and while he didn't have to change his game, he did have to choose his spots a bit better — or at least "play the odds" more wisely.
"It's who I am through and through. I don't think I'll ever be able to play a game where I'm not playing that way," Wilson said. "There's just instincts in the game of hockey. My instinct is, when a guy's coming across, there's a change to make a good, clean hit, you do it… I just have to play the game hard. I have to play the game the right way; it's just the only way.
"There's a time and a place, and maturing in your game and knowing when to push buttons and when to instigate and when the game needs it and when the game doesn't," Wilson said. "You might need a momentum changer. You might need to get under some guys' skin some games. The last thing you want to do is wake up their best player, so you learn as you get older and you mature when the right time to do that is."
It's that maturity that's transformed Wilson into the face of the franchise and the captain in waiting.
He's good for 20 goals a season, plays both special teams and has a voice that carries in the dressing room, and that competitive streak that he's had since childhood still runs deep.
All the while, he's still throwing his weight around, dropping the gloves and running his mouth — though he admits he should "probably just shut up sometimes." After all, some things never change.
Becoming An Olympian Is 'The Highest Honor You Can Receive As A Hockey Player'
It's that versatility and willingness to do it all that landed him on Team Canada's radar for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan.
"That's the highest honor you can receive as a hockey player, is to be called by your country to play in the Olympics. It's a dream come true," Wilson said. "It sounds cliche, but you want to win the Stanley Cup and you want to win a gold medal as a Canadian kid growing up. I feel very lucky, the list of thank yous is long and it's been a really fun journey so far. I feel very privileged, very lucky and there was lots of emotions… it was special to get that news."
"It's great to see people finally appreciate what Caps fans have appreciated in him," GM Chris Patrick added. "He's a top-line forward, he plays first-unit power play, first-unit penalty kill, 20 minutes a night, brings it every single night. For a while, I just felt like all people wanted to do was talk about benign body hits that he threw in a game, so it's good to see him finally getting the recognition for his complete game... there could not be a prouder Canadian hockey player."
It's very rare in this life that you get to live your dream every day, and I think that's probably the best way to describe (being Tom Wilson).
Who Wilson is on the ice, though, is different from who he is off it. He's your typical, laid-back personality, a father now to a son of his own, Teddy. When he's not playing, he's doing what he can to give back to the community, which has made him a fixture and icon in the D.C. area and the team's usual go-to King Clancy nominee.
He'll spend off days working at Wolf Trap Animal Rescue, a local shelter, helping get dogs ready to find homes. He also works with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, United Heroes League and So Kids Can, local organizations helping kids and their families.
After the Flight 5342 aviation tragedy in Washington last season, Wilson attended the Legacy On Ice event and met with several of the surviving families and first responders, while also placing one of his sticks at the team's practice facility to pay tribute to the victims who skated there.
"This city and this community have taken such good care of me that, as my career went on, I wanted to make sure that I was giving back and that I was showing up for them in a meaningful way," Wilson said. "It's pretty cool, the opportunity that we have in the position that we're in to be able to have a positive impact on people's lives. Some of my best memories and moments from my career are those community things."
Wilson's evolution as a player makes him a contender to be the next captain of the Washington Capitals. (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)Looking back at the last decade and change, Wilson wouldn't change anything when it comes to his winding journey over the years.
And his message to the rest of the league as he continues on? He's just doing his job.
"I've built my whole career about not really caring what the other cities and fans and other players think of me," Wilson said. "I hope they know that my physicality and the way I play the game comes from an honest spot and just how I grew up watching the game and wanting to play the game.
"That old school mentality of working hard and playing physical and standing up for your teammates and to me, that's what the game of hockey truly is," Wilson said. "That's what I always wanted to do. If they have an interpretation of my game — I think everyone's entitled to their own opinion — I would just say that every time I put on the jersey, I just try and leave it all out there for my team and that's why I think hockey is the greatest sport in the world."
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