New York Rangers rip NHL for handling of Tom Wilson incidents

May 4 (UPI) -- The New York Rangers called for the firing of George Parros, head of the NHL Department of Player Safety, after the league decided against suspending Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson for a pair of incidents in a game this week.

The NHL fined Wilson $5,000 for punching Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich in the back of the head while he was defenseless on the ice during the second period of the Capitals' 6-3 win Monday night.

Moments later, Wilson threw Rangers star Artemi Panarin to the ice during a scrum between the teams.

"The New York Rangers are extremely disappointed that Capitals forward Tom Wilson was not suspended for his horrifying act of violence [Monday] night at Madison Square Garden," the team said in a statement Tuesday.

"Wilson is a repeat offender with a long history of these type of acts and we find it shocking that the NHL and their Department of Player Safety failed to take the appropriate action and suspend him indefinitely."

The Rangers said Panarin suffered a lower-body injury as a result of Wilson's actions. The injury kept Panarin out of the third period against the Capitals on Monday and ended his season with three games left.

Wilson was handed two minor roughing penalties and a 10-minute misconduct, but he returned to the contest in the third and scored a goal.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Wilson wouldn't receive a hearing for the incidents. He wasn't penalized further for the altercations with Buchnevich and Panarin.

"Wilson's dangerous and reckless actions caused an injury to Artemi Panarin that will prevent him from playing again this season," the Rangers said. "We view this as a dereliction of duty by NHL Head of Player Safety, George Parros, and believe he is unfit to continue in his current role."

Parros succeeded Stephane Quintal as the league's senior vice president of player safety in September 2017. Parros played 474 games in the NHL as an enforcer for the Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks, Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens.

Wilson has received five suspensions during Parros' tenure, most recently for seven games after injuring Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo on a boarding play in March.