France has suspended defenseman Pierre Crinon from the remainder of the Olympic men's hockey tournament after his fight with Canada's Tom Wilson during their game on Sunday. The incident occurred late in the third period of Canada's dominant 10-2 victory over France.
The fight was triggered after Crinon delivered a high hit to the head of Canadian forward Nathan MacKinnon. Wilson, acting as enforcer, immediately retaliated, leading to the altercation. Both players received game misconduct penalties and were ejected from the game. While the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) did not impose any further sanctions, the French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG) decided to take action.
The FFHG stated that Crinon's behavior after the fight, which included taunting the Canadian bench and encouraging jeers from the crowd, was a "clear violation of the Olympic spirit" and undermined the values of the sport. Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, president of the FFHG, interviewed Crinon, and the decision was made to prevent him from participating in any further Olympic matches. France will face Germany in a qualification playoff game, without Crinon, to determine if they advance to the quarter finals. Tom Wilson, a Toronto native who plays for the Washington Capitals, also had a goal and an assist in the game, achieving a Gordie Howe hat trick.
