French Hockey Player Barred From Olympics After Fight

Pierre Crinon's is done playing Olympic hockey for the rest of these winter games—and not because of anything on the scoreboard. France's defenseman has been sidelined for the rest of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games after tangling with Canada's Tom Wilson during a lopsided 10-2 loss, a scuffle that followed a hit on Canadian star Nathan MacKinnon that USA Today describes as "questionable." Fighting isn't allowed in Olympic hockey, and Crinon was tossed from the game; what sealed his fate, the French Ice Hockey Federation said, was what came next. As he headed to the locker room, he waved his arms and gestured to the largely pro-Canada crowd to get louder, conduct officials called "a clear violation of the Olympic spirit" in a statement announcing his suspension.

The decision, made with France's National Olympic and Sports Committee, means Crinon will miss at least Tuesday's game against Germany as France seeks its first win (following its loss to Canada, the team sits 0-0-3 with a -15 goal differential). The 30-year-old brings baggage: he previously drew a seven-game ban in France for repeatedly punching an unmasked goalie, and has ranked among Ligue Magnus leaders in penalty minutes in recent seasons. The New York Times calls the on-ice fight "an Olympic rarity." Both he and Wilson received two-minute penalties for roughing and 25-minute penalties for fighting, NBC Sports reports.