Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Tom Wilson: Captain Panaka
Captain Panaka is an obscure reference because he wasn’t a major character in any of the Star Wars movies. He was the bodyguard for Queen Amidala in Episode I. He was fiercely loyal to the queen and proved that he would do everything in his power to protect her. He had some confrontations because he was so loyal to his queen that he swore to protect. At the end of the day, Panaka is the kind of guy you’d want protecting you because you know he’d defend you to the death.
Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals is the same way. Wilson makes sure that nobody takes cheap shots at his teammates. If someone is dumb enough to, Wilson is not afraid to hold them accountable. Who will soon forget Wilson leveling Jarret Boll after Boll gave a head shot to his roommate and best friend Michael Latta? Who will soon forget how many times the Washington Capitals enforcer has gotten between Braden Holtby and an opponent who thinks that it’s OK to mess with the Holtbeast?
Wilson faces criticism perhaps because he’s too loyal and because he doesn’t do things the way that people are used to those things being done. At the end of the day, the Washington Capitals will happily take Wilson on their side because they feel safe when he’s around.
Next: Wedge Antilles