France suspends Crinon following fight with Canada’s Wilson
Tom Wilson won’t miss Canada’s quarterfinal game at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics, but his opponent in a rare Olympic fight, Pierre Crinon, won’t hit Olympic ice again during this tournament.
France is suspending him at its own discretion.
In the final moments of Canada’s 10-2 win over France, Crinon laid a shoulder into the face of Canadian forward Nathan MacKinnon, sparking Wilson to step in and stand up for his teammate.
Wilson and Crinon initially engaged in a shoving match before dropping the gloves, a rare sight in Olympic hockey. Both were punished with game misconduct, but the IIHF opted not to suspend either for one game, as is often the case for fighting in international competition.
On Monday, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee announced that Crinon’s tournament is over and that he will be held out for the rest of the tournament, which may only include a final qualification game against Germany on Tuesday.
“The FFHG intends to remind everyone of the values of every player wearing the French national team jersey and their duty to set an example, particularly during the Olympic Games,” France’s Olympic Committee said in a media release.
“Pierre Crinon’s provocative behavior upon leaving the ice, even though he had just been ejected from the game for fighting, constitutes a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and also undermines the values of our sport.”
Pierre Crinon taking on the role of villain today. Slightly irrelevant at 10-2 to Canada ….
As Wilson left the ice calmly post-scuffle, Crinon embraced the moment, having gone toe-to-toe with one of the toughest players in the NHL. That response, rather than the fight, appears to have ended his Olympic tournament.
“It’s not something that you like to see in the Olympics,” said Crinon’s France teammate and goalscorer Sacha Treille. “Nothing to say about it really.”
Crinon’s inclusion on France’s Olympic roster was divisive from the start as well. While playing with Brûleurs de Loups in France’s top division, he had previously been suspended multiple times this season, including a seven-game ban after repeatedly punching a maskless opposing goalie.
Crinon got suspended 7 games for repeatedly punching a maskless goalie to the ice and injuring his eye. And this is the guy people wanna defend over our own Canadian Tom Wilson btw
According to Daily Faceoff’s Associate Editor and international expert, Steven Ellis, Crinon was not seen as a top-eight defensive option for France’s Olympic efforts.
Without Crinon, France will look to pull off an upset against Leon Draisaitl and Germany on Tuesday, with the winner set to face Slovakia in a quarterfinal clash on Wednesday.