MILAN — Pierre Crinon, the French defenceman who fought Tom Wilson Sunday, has been banned from the remainder of the 2026 Olympic tournament.
Citing Crinon’s “provocative behaviour” as he left the Milano Santaguilia Arena, Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, president of the French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG) decided to ban Crinon from further competition, even though the IIHF had decided no further discipline was necessary for Crinon and Wilson after they had been dealt game misconducts.
In a statement released Monday night by the FFHG, Gerbeau argued that Crinon’s actions after he was kicked out of the game, a 10-2 blowout win for Team Canada, constituted “a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and also undermines the values of our sport.”
As he exited the ice, Crinon held his hands to his ears and waved his arms, riling up the crowd in the style of a wrestling villain. One fan threw a water bottle at him.
French captain Pierre-Edouard Bellmare, 40, who is used to playing NHLers, said he’s never seen a fight in international action before.
“I mean, that wasn’t a fight. Let’s be honest,” Bellmare said. “It was big hit on (Nathan MacKinnon), and then there was another one on (Connor) McDavid. I mean, obviously their guys are gonna wake up. And I’m OK with it.”
Bellemare hardly sounded proud of Crinon’s instigating actions.
“I don't know if I can go and tell our guys to pull off,” Bellemare said. “I know Wilson pulled off (hits) a few times, which was very generous, and that’s probably why he got pissed that some of our guys hit their guy. But unfortunately, as a small nation, we don’t have the luxury of time, realizing who has the puck.”
Gerbeau met with Crinon in the presence of Fabien Saguez, France’s Chef de Mission and the French team’s staff to remind Crinon of the personal commitments he made when he was selected for the national team.
While acknowledging the IIHF’s decision to not punish Crinon further, the French federation chose to reiterate the values of any player wearing the French national team sweater and “their duty to set an example.”
Team France faces Germany Tuesday in an elimination game. The winner goes on to face Slovakia in the quarterfinals.
