Wednesday, February 18, 2026-Pierre Crinon, a defenseman for the France national ice hockey team, has been suspended for the remainder of the Olympic ice hockey tournament by the French Ice Hockey Federation after a heated altercation with Tom Wilson of the Canada men's national ice hockey team.
The incident occurred late in France’s group-stage loss to Canada, when Crinon and Wilson dropped the gloves — a rare sight in Olympic play where fighting is explicitly against tournament rules. Both players were ejected from the game under International Ice Hockey Federation guidelines.
The French federation went further by imposing an additional suspension on Crinon, barring him from participating in any further games, including France’s upcoming qualification match against Germany and any potential later rounds.
Officials said Crinon’s behavior as he left the ice — including provocative actions they felt violated the Olympic spirit and values of the sport — was unacceptable and warranted extra discipline. His absence was felt by teammates, some of whom criticized the decision as excessive given that fighting — while banned in Olympic hockey — is a common part of professional play elsewhere.
France finished at the bottom of their group and was eliminated in a subsequent playoff match, leaving Crinon sidelined for the duration of the Games. The suspension underscores how strict Olympic sports conduct standards are compared with professional leagues, and has sparked debate among French players and fans about the balance between competitive aggression and sportsmanship on hockey’s biggest stage.
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