Don Sweeney Shares Thoughts On Tom Wilson Suspension

It would have been a surprise if Don Sweeney took a flamethrower to Tom Wilson after what the Washington Capitals winger did Friday night.

So, unsurpriginly, Sweeney took the diplomatic route.

Wilson is serving a seven-game suspension for boarding Brandon Carlo, which sent the Boston Bruins defenseman to the hospital and has left him out indefinitely.

Of course, Wilson doesn’t exactly have a sterling history of clean play, which is part of the reason why the hit drew ire far and wide.

As for Sweeney though, he was mum on whether or not he thought George Parros and the NHL’s Department of Player Safety got the punishment right.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for George Parros and the Department of Player Safety and what they’re trying to accomplish, and what George has tried to move forward with the league,” Sweeney said Wednesday over Zoom. “I think they dealt with it in the manner that they felt they needed to. It’s unfortunate that Brandon’s out and the residual of it. Outside of that, I don’t have much comment. Tom Wilson is a unique player, but in this business we don’t get to comment on players on the other side of it. You just wish for player safety and ultimately I think (Patrice Bergeron) spoke best about it.

“It’s not about satisfaction level (with the suspension). That’s an incredibly difficult job that Player Safety has to do, and I respect George and how he goes about it. I’ve dealt with him on both sides of it as we’ve had players go through it. You argue when your player is on the carpet in the respectful manner that you see fit and accept the process and respect the process and it was no different in this regard being on the other side.

Make of that what you will. But judging from what Bruce Cassidy and Bruins players also have said about the matter, it’s clear Wilson doesn’t have many friends in Boston.