Tom Wilson may have grown up in Toronto, but he wasn’t showing any love to the Maple Leafs' Noah Gregor on Wednesday.

At 7:45 of the third period during yesterday's 7-3 loss to the Leafs, the Washington Capitals forward once again found himself on the wrong side of a rather vicious penalty.

Wilson, coming back in his defensive zone, first came up behind Toronto forward Noah Gregor and hit him with a strong bump from the back.

Continuing the play, Wilson's stick then came up and whacked Gregor square in the face, prompting the Leaf to cover his face up before being held up by Wilson.

Tom Wilson is assessed a double-minor after this high-stick on Noah Gregor. pic.twitter.com/s16wPLfhEq

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 21, 2024

The referees gave Wilson a four-minute, double minor penalty for the incident.

Opinion was, well, divided on Wilson's intent on the play.

"The league may look at that afterwards," Sportsnet play-by-play announcer Chris Cuthbert said on the call, suggesting possible supplementary discipline for Wilson from the NHL Department of Player Safety.

"The original hit from behind, and then a little reaction from Gregor right there with the stick up, but you can tell immediately Wilson was like, 'Oh no, what did I do?' Just a dumb reflex," colour commentator Craig Simpson said.

Social media reaction wasn't exactly as kind to Wilson.

I keep coming back to this Tom Wilson high-stick. And by high-stick, I mean, attempted decapitation. What could possibly be the intent other than injury here? Dude even put his hips into it. This is as every bit as violent as the McSorley head chop on Donald Brashear.

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) March 21, 2024

Wilson has previously been suspended five times by the NHL, with any news of a possible hearing or fine likely to come out at some point today.

Gregor seemed to be okay, playing two more shifts in the third period. And while Toronto was already leading 6-3 at the time of the high stick, Toronto captain John Tavares added a little insurance with the team's seventh goal of the evening while on the lengthy power play gifted by Wilson.

After a back-to-back in Philadelphia and Washington, the Leafs are off from playing games each of the next two nights. They return to action Saturday in Toronto, where they host the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. on Hockey Night in Canada.