Wilson hopes to fulfill ‘dream’ of playing for Canada at Olympics

BRAMPTON, Ontario -- Tom Wilson sat on the edge of his seat and absorbed every exhilarating moment that was transpiring on the television in front of him, just like millions of viewers across Canada and the United States.

Every goal. Every punch. Every shift. All of it.

“All I could think about,” Wilson told NHL.com this week, “is that I wished I was there. So much. So badly.”

It was Feb. 15 when the round-robin game between Canada and the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-Off quickly became one for the ages, from the electric national anthems to three fights in the first nine seconds, to a ridiculous Connor McDavid goal, all in front of 21,105 screaming fans at Bell Centre in Montreal. That the visiting U.S., playing the villain role, deservedly would end up winning 3-1 only added to the spice of the story.

Wilson longingly sought to be part of that tale, the Washington Capitals forward hoping to use his unique blend of hustle and muscle to deliver both hits and points in the red-and-white Canada jersey he’d grown up in Toronto fantasizing of wearing one day. At the same time, he understands how deep the talent pool Canada has at its disposal and is the first to admit those selected over him were all deserving.

But being on the outside looking in for the 4 Nations Face-Off has fueled Wilson’s desire even more to represent his country at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 next February. To that end, Canada is holding an Olympic training camp in Calgary next month, and Wilson is expected to be one of the candidates taking part.

“Obviously, it’s a dream your whole life to be mentioned in that type of realm of the guys with that type of pedigree,” Wilson said during a 1-on-1 interview at the 11th annual Smilezone Celebrity Golf Tournament at Lionhead Golf Club. “There’s a lot of really good superstar names, and just to be even in the mix is a huge privilege. I’m just going to try and play as well as I can up until the final team is announced and put my name in the hat.

“Leading up to (4 Nations), obviously I was a little bummed not to be part of it. And then, leading up to it, I was like, ‘You know what? I’ll enjoy the break and not think too much about it.’”

That all changed, he said, when he tuned in for Canada-U.S. and watched the chaos surrounding the opening moments.

As they lined up for puck drop, U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk ignited things when he immediately invited Canadian forward Brandon Hagel to scrap, which he accepted.

One second later, Matthew's brother, Brady Tkachuk, and Canada center Sam Bennett did the same.

Six seconds after that, U.S. forward J.T. Miller and Canada defenseman Colton Parayko had their own bout.

“The way that started, I mean, it just added to how much I wanted to be in that game, be part of the team,” Wilson said.

As the NHL’s active leader in penalty minutes (1,532), Wilson is no stranger to the pugilist side of the sport. With the Olympics being staged on the smaller NHL-sized ice surface, the physicality the 6-foot-4, 225-pound right wing plays with, especially on the forecheck, would make him an imposing force for the opposition.

But there is much more to Wilson’s game than just brawn.

“He’ll beat you any way you want,” Capitals teammate Dylan Strome said. “He’s intimidating out there, sure, but he doesn’t get enough credit for his offensive skills.

“I watch him on a nightly basis and he’s the complete package, which is why I think he should be on that team.”

To Strome’s point: Wilson is coming off a season in which he set NHL career highs in goals (33), assists (32), points (65) and power play goals (11). Planting his hulking frame at the edge of the crease with the man-advantage understandably caused endless headaches for opposing goalies.

He also was a career-best plus-20 despite having 100 penalty minutes, a telling indication of how he’s evolved into a 200-foot player. In the process, Wilson spent a chunk of the season as Alex Ovechkin’s linemate and was the perfect deterrent to any opposing players with aspirations of taking liberties with the “Great 8.”

“Confidence is a big thing in our world, and seeing pucks go into the net definitely helps in that regard,” Wilson said when asked how his role has changed from that of an enforcer earlier in his career. “Over my time in the NHL, I’ve been blessed with some great coaches and teammates that helped give me more responsibility on the ice in each passing year. And for me, I think the biggest thing was just trying to take advantage of that.

“I was going to do whatever it took to make the League. I wanted to play in the NHL, and whether that was fighting a tough guy on the other team or chipping in on the penalty kill, I just wanted to do whatever it took. And then, when you play with world class players like Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, those guys helped me develop as a player and have helped me have a very cool run in my career.”

One he hopes will continue with Canada in Italy in seven months.

“He’s a special player with a unique combination of talents,” Strome said. “He deserves to be there.”