The Capitals forward is not a fan of the vintage hockey look.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson has been rocking a vintage look since returning from the NHL All-Star Break, sporting an aviator-style visor on his helmet while continuing to heal from a broken nose.
And while the look brings back some hockey nostalgia, as the likes of Dany Heatley, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jaromir Jagr and even Alex Ovechkin sported the aviator back in the day, Wilson isn't as big of a fan of the oversized visor that covers a good amount of his face and curves around his nose.
"I'm begging the docs and the trainers not to have to wear it, but they kinda want me to, so we'll see," he told The Hockey News with a grin on Tuesday.
Here's a closer look at Wilson's Oakley visor:
The 29-year-old broke his nose in a Jan. 7 game against the Los Angeles Kings when he took the butt-end of Alex Laferriere's stick to the face. He missed one game due to the injury and had been in a full face shield — known colloquially as the "fishbowl" — up until the All-Star Break. He wore a regular visor at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto.
For Wilson, the aviator is an upgrade from the full bubble, as it still offers optimal facial coverage and doesn't fog up while being open for the player to breathe. However, he's not a huge fan of the look or feel of it. He was in it at Monday and Tuesday's practices and remains in it for Tuesday's tilt with the Montreal Canadiens.
Washington faces the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. in its first game following the All-Star Break.