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Tom Wilson found himself in no man’s land this weekend.
An enforcer in the NHL, the Team Canada star knew that dropping the gloves with France’s Pierre Crinon could launch him from Olympic competition — just as it did with the Frenchman himself.
The two men battled with about seven minutes left to play in the game, which Canada won 10-2. Both players were ejected from the game under Olympic rules, but the French Hockey Federation took it a step further and suspended Crinon for the remainder of the Games.
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Tom Wilson of Team Canada and Pierre Crinon of Team France battle in the third period during the men’s preliminary Group A match between Canada and France on day nine of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 15, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
Wilson, a member of the Washington Capitals, appeared to be seeking some payback for teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who took a hard hit earlier in the game, but it was clear Crinon wanted to take things to the next level as Wilson, the NHL’s active leader in penalty minutes, held back somewhat, but not completely.
“It was kind of a dirty hit, and it’s a little different in the Olympics how to do it. I obviously ended up with the same guy who had done it,” Wilson told the New York Post.
“Hockey is an emotional game. It’s a competitive game. And when you get with a big guy, you kind of have to make the decision quickly and the gloves came off. Got thrown down on the ice and from there it’s just kind of a melee. I mean, it’s fight or flight at that point, you’re just kind of figuring out what you’ve got, so of course it was a hand. It wasn’t a big deal with five minutes left.” the game that I could potentially get kicked out, I just wanted to stick up for our team.”
Pierre Crinon of France battles with Tom Wilson of Canada during the ice hockey men’s preliminary Group A match between Canada and France at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, on February 15, 2026. (Zhang Haofu/Xinhua via Getty Images)
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The French Hockey Federation determined that Crinon’s actions were against its values and announced that he would no longer play for them in the Olympics. France lost its playoff qualifier, 5-1, to Germany on Tuesday, marking the end of their run on the ice.
“The provocative behavior of Pierre Crinon when he left the ice, even though he had just been excluded from the game for a game, constitutes a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and also undermines the values of our sport,” the French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG) said via Reuters.
Pierre Crinon of Team France battles with Tom Wilson of Team Canada during the Ice Hockey – Group A match between Team Canada and Team France on day nine of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 15, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Xavier Laine/Getty Images)
“The decision was therefore taken, in full agreement with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, not to allow his participation in the next match(s) of the Olympic tournament.”
