French defenseman Pierre Crinon suspended for rest of Olympic hockey tournament after fight
The French Ice Hockey Federation announced on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, that defenseman Pierre Crinon has been suspended for the rest of the Winter Olympic tournament after a fight with Canada's Tom Wilson and what the federation called provocative behavior as he left the ice. Crinon will miss France’s next match, a preliminary-round game against Germany at 3: 10 p. m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and would be ineligible if France advances beyond the qualification round.
Federation cites breach of Olympic values
The governing body said Crinon’s conduct after being ejected from the game constituted a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and undermined the sport’s values. The federation added the decision was made in alignment with the national Olympic committee and therefore barred Crinon from further participation in the tournament.
Officials highlighted not just the on-ice fight but the actions that followed as central to the punishment. Fans recorded Crinon gesturing toward the crowd and cupping his hands to his ears as he headed to the locker room, behavior the federation described as provocative and inconsistent with the expected demeanor of an Olympic athlete.
What happened on the ice and immediate fallout
The altercation took place late in the third period of a lopsided game that ended in a 10-2 victory for Canada. With roughly seven minutes remaining, Crinon and Wilson engaged in a fight that led to both players being ejected. Olympic rules do not allow five-minute major penalties for fighting, so neither player remained in the contest after the incident.
Earlier in the matchup, Crinon delivered a hit to a high-profile Canadian forward that drew a two-minute penalty, and the subsequent scrap appeared to be retaliation by the Canadian side. The game’s result widened France’s goal differential and left the team without points after the opening stages of the tournament.
Canada, which advanced from the preliminary phase, is scheduled for a quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday. The fight has drawn attention not only because of the players involved but also because fighting is far less tolerated in Olympic play than it is in some professional leagues, prompting swift internal disciplinary action from the French federation.
Disciplinary context and larger implications
Crinon’s suspension removes a veteran presence from a French roster that has yet to register a win in the Olympic campaign and is already carrying a negative goal differential. The federation’s decision sends a clear message about conduct expectations at the Games and could influence how other federations handle on-ice discipline going forward.
Beyond this tournament, the suspension adds scrutiny to Crinon’s past disciplinary record. In domestic competition he has previously faced lengthy bans and accumulated high penalty minutes, a history that likely weighed into the federation’s willingness to impose an extensive sanction. For France, losing a defenseman at this stage complicates roster decisions and defensive pairings as the team prepares for its next preliminary game and any potential qualification scenarios.
The episode underscores the tension between the physicality of ice hockey and the strict behavioral standards that national federations and Olympic authorities expect at the Games. For Crinon, the suspension is immediate and unequivocal: he will not play in France’s next match at 3: 10 p. m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 17, nor in any subsequent Olympic contests for the duration of the tournament.
Officials will monitor the situation as the tournament progresses, balancing competitive needs with the principle that athletes at the Olympics represent both sport and nation on an elevated stage.
