{"id":549842,"date":"2026-04-10T22:24:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T22:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/549842\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T22:24:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T22:24:26","slug":"tom-wilson-says-huge-hit-on-jack-mcbain-was-not-payback-for-breaking-alex-ovechkins-leg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/549842\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Wilson says huge hit on Jack McBain was not payback for breaking Alex Ovechkin\u2019s leg"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alex Ovechkin\u2019s<\/a> first appearance at Delta Center on November 18, 2024, was one of the most notable games of his career \u2014 and not for all good reasons.<\/p>\n

After notching a hat trick against the Vegas Golden Knights the day before<\/a>, Ovechkin scored twice in the Washington Capitals\u2019 6-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club, but left the game early due to a lower-body injury. With 14:30 remaining in regulation, Utah forward Jack McBain<\/a> cut across Washington\u2019s zone and made leg-on-leg contact with Ovechkin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jack McBain breaks Alex Ovechkin\u2019s leg with a hit<\/p>\n

Three days later, the Capitals revealed that McBain\u2019s hit fractured the fibula in Ovechkin\u2019s left leg<\/a>, pausing Ovi\u2019s goals chase and taking him off the ice for a rare serious injury.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward one year, four months, and eight days later, Ovechkin returned to Salt Lake City for a second time \u2014 with a healed leg and now the new owner of the NHL\u2019s all-time goals record. He responded with his 34th career hat trick<\/a> in the Capitals\u2019 7-4 victory over the Mammoth on March 26.<\/p>\n

The game was also particularly feisty<\/a> after Brandon Tanev<\/a> boarded Caps defender Matt Roy<\/a>. Tom Wilson<\/a> ended up setting a new career-high in penalty minutes with 21<\/a>, fighting Lawson Crouse<\/a> and earning a 10-minute misconduct.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I was obviously spent a lot of time in the box, but I didn\u2019t know that at the time it was, I don\u2019t know what my previous career high was,\u201d Wilson recently told RMNB. \u201cIt\u2019s not something to really pay attention to that much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson also leveled McBain with a huge hit at the end of the second period as the Mammoth centerman admired his pass in the defensive zone.<\/p>\n

Tom Wilson\u2019s big hit on Jack McBain<\/p>\n

After that big hit, the two later renewed acquaintances in the third period after Wilson was ushered back to the penalty box. McBain skated over to exchange words with Wilson, and the Capitals forward responded by blowing him a kiss<\/a>. The taunt enraged the Mammoth forward so much that the game\u2019s referees assessed him a misconduct.<\/p>\n

With such a charged-up game and the Capitals\u2019 focus on McBain specifically, many hockey fans surmised Wilson\u2019s hit to McBain was payback for breaking Ovechkin\u2019s leg a year before<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I mean, I know Jack a little bit off the ice,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cHe\u2019s an incredible person, obviously a great player. I got a lot of respect for him. He\u2019s also one of those guys that when the game\u2019s starting to get physical, he\u2019s right in the mix. You know, you\u2019re yapping back and forth with him, and that\u2019s the gamesmanship within the game, the game within the game. I think he\u2019s made some huge hits, and he\u2019s a tough kid that can fight. And in that game, I mean, it\u2019s just our team, it\u2019s one of those games where a big hit can help our team win. And momentum was huge in that game. So he\u2019s a big guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he, you know, it wasn\u2019t personal by any means,\u201d Wilson continued. \u201cThere was no memory or anything from last year. I think he obviously, it was unfortunate what happened, and we settled it last year, and we moved on. So I think more so he\u2019s just a guy that\u2019s always kind of in the mix, physical and tough and a good person all the way from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s reference to McBain settling the score is a nod to the two players\u2019 fight in the November 18, 2024, game, where the 26-year-old accepted a bout with the Capitals\u2019 enforcer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Not only did Wilson believe McBain\u2019s leg-on-leg hit was accidental, but so did Ovi himself<\/a>, who said in a Russian-language interview later in 2024-25 that the play was a \u201cshame\u201d and a \u201cpity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two teams\u2019 latest game this season also featured another first (beyond Ovechkin\u2019s first defensive-zone start<\/a>). After Brandon Duhaime<\/a> fought Tanev, every player from the Capitals bench emptied onto the ice to give \u2018Dewey\u2019 a fist-bump in the penalty box<\/a>. Wilson was noticeably cracking up beside him.<\/p>\n

Capitals thank Brandon Duhaime in penalty box<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I was laughing,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThat\u2019s pretty good, and shows what kind of teammate he is. Everyone loves him in here. So he\u2019s the first one to get up for anybody else. And I see everyone is returning the favor there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The back-and-forth game featured 11 goals, 65 shots, and 82 penalty minutes, and ultimately helped the Capitals remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, it was a big game for us,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cIt was a game where we, you know, I think it was a fun one. I think if you\u2019re a first-time hockey fan at that game, you\u2019re hooked for life. It had everything, physicality, scoring, great team game from us. It\u2019s one of those games where they kind of started it and woke us up a little bit. And then from there, we had a heck of a team effort, everybody pulling together, sticking up for each other, scoring goals. It was a lot of fun to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Ovi continuing to keep his form despite his leg break last season, Wilson responded, \u201cIt\u2019s incredible. He just keeps going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t