The French Hockey Federation banned Pierre Crinon from the remainder of the Milan Cortina Olympics on Monday, stemming from an incident that occurred during France’s men’s hockey matchup against Canada on Sunday.
In the final period of Sunday’s game, which Canada won 10–2, Crinon shouldered Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon in the face, which prompted Tom Wilson to come to his teammate’s defense. Wilson and Crinon ended up dropping gloves––an uncommon sight in Olympic hockey. Both players were issued a game misconduct, in line with the rules at the Milan Cortina Olympics. When walking to the locker room, Crinon was booed by a Pro-Canada section of fans, and he could be seen cupping his ears and gesturing in the direction of the crowd.
Pierre Crinon taking on the role of villain today. Slightly irrelevant at 10-2 to Canada …. pic.twitter.com/sDV5dZCA4i
— John McAllister (@john_mcal) February 15, 2026
Neither player was issued a suspension by the IIHF after Sunday’s incident. France, however, has opted to suspend Crinon on its own, citing his “provocative behavior” and a “violation of the Olympic spirit,” per Chris Johnston of The Athletic. It seems as if Crinon’s antics after the fight with Wilson played a significant role in the French Hockey Federation’s decision to ban him from the remainder of the Games.
France plays again on Tuesday in a qualification round matchup against Germany. If they lose, the team will be out of the Olympics, though they’d advance to the quarterfinals if they win.
Wilson, on the other hand, will be available to play for Canada in its next game on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as French Hockey Player Banned From Olympics After Fight With Canada's Tom Wilson.
