Capitals' Reirden calls Wilson's hit 'incidental contact'

Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden didn't agree with the ejection of winger Tom Wilson on Friday night.

Wilson was assessed a match penalty for a hit to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Brett Seney late in the second period, but Reirden feels it was hardly worth even a minor penalty.

"I'm still trying to see how it's a penalty," Reirden said, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. "I think any other player, I don't know if -- it's maybe an interference call. Maybe."

This was easily the most fired up Reirden has been about anything this season.

- Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) December 1, 2018

Reirden continued to say the play was incidental in nature.

"I'm having a really tough time with this one," he said, according to The Athletic's Chris Kuc. "Because he isn't even intending to make a hit. It's incidental contact.

"This guy is doing everything he can to try to play the right way and this is how things are happening," the coach added. "It's a tough situation. We just had two players that have concussions they don't even call a penalty on."

Seney said postgame that he thought Wilson made contact with his shoulder.

"It was more kind of back of my shoulder," Seney said, according to Khurshudyan. "I don't know if he was intending to do it or what. I haven't had the chance to look at it yet."

Wilson was playing in just his ninth game since returning from a 14-game suspension for a hit on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist during the preseason.

Seney was able to return for the third period of Friday's contest after going through concussion protocol.

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