The definitive answer to the Tom Wilson situation. NHL won't remove him? No problem. Time for teams to do it.

Tom Wilson, what a train wreck.

Folks, here’s the deal on Tom Wilson. The NHL is a pro-business run by the owners and the players. Each side has representation and together they signed an agreement that governs the league. All aspects of this agreement are covered including under the auspices of player safety, a department that is a collection of men who mete out any fines and punishment required.

The fines are capped, a number agreed upon by both sides and there is a very loose interpretation as to what constitutes suspensions. Got it? Here’s the thing. They, all of the entities above, don’t give a sweet GD what you say, think or write. If you’re a fan outraged about any aspect of the league to the point where you can’t watch, fantastic, don’t watch! Do not consume the product in any way, shape or form and go do something else if you can’t handle their massively inept, completely out-to-lunch governance of their league with respect to the egregious acts committed on the ice.

We’re not going to do that because we love the game and our teams to much. So what to do. Let’s get down to the incident. Had there been a suspension what would it have been called, a suspension for what exactly? I guess the general term that would have covered it would have been unsportsmanlike conduct. You could make a case for a gross misconduct (after the fact) for the hair pull on Panarin but the reality is he gave Buchnevich a few noogies, it looked terrible and then his actions with Panarin which by the grace of God did not end up as a catastrophe – all of that really should have seen minimally a game misconduct assessed but instead Wilson got a misconduct, we got the side show in the penalty box and the proverbial insult to injury, literally, when Wilson scored the empty net insurance goal.

You could maybe have cited him as a repeat offender seeing as he was given a fine meaning he was found to have been in contravene of the league allowed violence. In fact had he been given say the rest of the regular season (four games) and a playoff game or two that might have satisfied some of the horde. Kind of like Dallas Star defenseman Derian Hatcher in 1999 who almost took Jeremy’s Roenick’s head clean off for an earlier hit by Roenick on Dallas player Mike Modano. Hatcher received a 7 game suspension including two playoff games. Give Wilson something here, for God’s sake. He looked like a bully in the school yard and then taunted the whole team for good measure. What a scene.

So, what to do.

The huffing and puffing on social media will amount to nothing. As I write this the Rangers have issued a couple of official statements including their disappointment (obviously) and in a surprising move calling for the immediate removal of George Parros as the head of DOPS. Interesting.

To me the fine and only a fine given to Wilson is a very pointed and direct statement by the DOPS. (department of player safety)) What they are saying is this outburst by the train wreck known as Tom Wilson is okay, relatively speaking. He didn’t even put his team shorthanded lol.. So be it.

I am a proponent of fighting in hockey. Big time. I hope I never see a game misconduct accompanying a fighting major in my life time. But this wasn't fighting and the train wreck known as Tom Wilson has to identify who he's engaging here and dial it right back. Yes, even if Panarin jumped on his back he was hardly a threat I mean come on.......

So here’s where we’re going. How many GM’s and other team management personnel will start considering burning a roster spot every game their team plays Washington next season? Would a team consider signing a player on a PTO (professional try out) every game they play Washington and have said player run him, have them go right after him every shift. Have them take instigator penalties, have them take every violent penalty that is in the book on this guy and do it every single game they play against him, every shift he plays right from the start of the game. Hey, it’s not against the rules! The league has spoken time and again through its fully incompetent DOPS that it can’t manage the carnage.

Some may say go after the more skilled players on Washington. No, I say F**K that. Go right after him, early, often, every shift.

If it were me running a team, this is what would happen. I have no problem with Wilson running around throwing big hits and the times he fights, great, he answers the bell, that’s fine. But his recklessness coupled with the league’s inability to properly govern a train wreck like him has really soiled the league in a season where so much good has happened from McDavid to Marleau, the respect shown Ryan Miller earlier this week, so many great rookies and numerous other fantastic stories.

The NHL, its owners, managers, presidents, coaches and players all want fighting penalties to remain as a five minute major. If this fine is all that is going to be assessed to a train wreck like Wilson for an out of control incident like this one we may see a regression to the old days of retribution. Or as Terry O’Reilly said to his Bruin team in 1988 when he was head coach prior to a game versus Montreal; I don’t care what the score is, Claude Lemieux does not finish this game. (past cheap shots, transgressions) Montreal won 8-1. Lemieux did not finish the game. O’Reilly said post-game, good job fellas, see ya at practice.