Not many NHL fans were pleased to see Capitals forward Tom Wilson in Las Vegas for his first-ever All-Star weekend appearance. As per his usual, he didn’t care about away fans’ reactions to his presence.
Wilson took the ice in Saturday’s All-Star game semifinal between the Metropolitan and Pacific division. He didn’t waste any time scoring.
Wilson’s tally, assisted by Washington teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov, came 13 seconds into the contest. That makes it the fastest goal ever in the 3-on-3 All-Star Game format. The second-fastest goal in All-Star history behind only Rick Nash’s strike in 2009, per NHL Public Relations.
Kuznetsov would go on to score the opening goal in the final of the All-Star Game as well.
Wilson and Kuznetsov both made the trek to Las Vegas for All-Star weekend as replacements—Wilson for Metropolitan division captain Alex Ovechkin and Kuznetsov for Rangers defenseman Adam Fox. Wilson performed especially well considering it’s his first ever appearance at the star-studded event.
The Capitals’ duo competed at different skills competitions on Friday night as well. Wilson tried his hand at Fastest Shot, clocking in at 101.1 mph which wasn’t enough to best Victor Hedman.