Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson marked his 700th career National League game by firing the puck into the opponents’ net three times on Thursday night.
The 29-year-old hockey player scored the first hat trick of his career in a 5-4 win over the Ducks in Anaheim.
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“It’s a very special night,” Wilson said in a postgame press conference.
“I have many fond memories when I think about my journey. I was around a lot of good people, great teammates, family and friends. I’ve been receiving a lot of support for some time now. It’s an honor to have played 700 games. There are never any guarantees in this league. It was a great win and a great evening. It is very nice.”
Wilson said it was because of Ducks players’ fears about Alexander Ovechkin’s shot that he could hit the target so often. The power forward scored two goals on the power play and the Caps captain collected assists on each of his two successes.
“’Ovi’ is such a threat. If you go to the net, he’s going to spot you and there’s a good chance you’re going to find a way to get the puck behind the red line,” Wilson said.
This Capitals game was the third in a series of five games on opposing ice. The Washington club now has a meeting with the Golden Knights in Vegas. This duel will take place on Saturday evening.