France has banned defenceman Pierre Crinon from participating for the rest of the Olympic hockey tournament. This suspension follows a skirmish with Canadian and Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson and taunts toward Canadian players and fans.
A rare sight to see. A fight in an IIHF game on the Olympic stage too. Not great. Tom Wilson vs. Pierre Crinon.
— Ben Steiner (@bensteiner00.bsky.social) 2026-02-15T17:57:21.971Z
French Ice Hockey Federation Suspends Pierre Crinon
The French Ice Hockey Federation, in a press release, had a hearing with Crinon and decided upon this sanction. The organization deemed Crinon’s attitude to be “a clear violation of the Olympic spirit” and furthermore undermining the sport of hockey. During the Canada-France game on Sunday, in a 10-2 loss for France, Crinon was assessed a five-minute major and a match penalty for fighting. Wilson was also given the same penalty. It is worthy of note that IIHF rules effectively bring fighting to a minimum, as players who fight are ejected from the game. After the penalty was handed out, Crinon was seen making spirited motions toward the Canadian bench and fans. The IIHF did not impose any sanctions of their own following this game.
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
Crinon being in the French roster was controversial right when it was announced among French fans. During his current season with Brûleurs de Loups, he received a seven-game suspension for punching a maskless goaltender. His history of unruly behaviour has made him a polarizing figure in French hockey.
Crinon got suspended 7 games for repeatedly punching a maskless goalie to the ice and injuring his eye.
And this is the guy people wanna defend over our own Canadian Tom Wilson btw pic.twitter.com/1ycvSINHx8
— HFTV (@HFTVSports) February 15, 2026
What It Means
Crinon’s teammates, Sacha Treille and Dylan Fabre, were interviewed about the situation. Treille mentioned fighting is not something he would like to see on the Olympic stage, while Fabre did not think the fight was necessary. Team Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon appreciated that Wilson stood up for him. MacKinnon was the recipient of a high hit from Crinon earlier in the game.
Crinon’s suspension may very well be a one-game suspension, as they are not favoured to win against Germany in the qualifying round on Tuesday. France will take on Germany at 6:10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Main photo by: David W Cerny/Reuters via Imagn Images
