French hockey star to miss remainder of Winter Olympics after wild NHL-style brawl – Daily Express US

The Federation Francaise de Hockey sur Glace (FFHG) has banned Pierre Crinon for the rest of the Winter Olympics following his on-ice altercation with Team Canada’s Tom Wilson during Sunday’s lopsided 10-2 loss. During Canada’s dominant performance on Sunday, Crinon and Wilson engaged in fisticuffs in what marked the first Olympic hockey brawl since 1998.
The confrontation erupted after Crinon delivered a forearm strike to Team Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon, prompting Wilson to retaliate with a hit. Both athletes were immediately thrown out of the game, as fighting is prohibited in Olympic hockey, unlike in the NHL.
Whilst Olympic officials opted not to suspend either player, France has independently imposed disciplinary action. The FFHG issued a statement on Monday, announcing an internal ruling had been reached after thoroughly reviewing Sunday’s incident. “Following the France-Canada game and the attitude of player Pierre Crimon, on and off the ice, Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, president of the FFHG and deputy head of mission of the French delegation, heard the player in an interview in the presence of Fabien Saguez, head of mission of the Olympic delegation, the national technical director of the FFHG, and the staff of the French Team,” it read.
“This interview also aimed to remind the player of the personal commitments he made as part of his selection for the French Olympic Team.
“Regarding the match penalty for which he was sanctioned, the federation acknowledges the decision of the international federation – the body competent to rule on breaches of the rules of the game during the Olympic Games – not to take any further action against the players concerned.
Set The Express as a ‘Preferred Source’ to get quicker access to the news you value.“Nevertheless, the FFHG intends to remind everyone of the values of every player wearing the French national team jersey, as well as their duty to set an example, particularly during the Olympic Games.
“Therefore, Pierre Crinon’s provocative behavior upon leaving the ice, even though he had just been ejected from the game for fighting, constitutes a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and also undermines the values of our sport. Consequently, a decision has been made, in full agreement with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, not to allow his participation in the upcoming Olympic tournament game(s).”
France is set to face Germany in a crucial qualifier on Tuesday morning, with the victor moving on to challenge Slovakia in the quarterfinals. The losing team will be knocked out of the competition.
Germany is favored to clinch the qualifier, but France has complicated matters for the remaining roster by banning Crinon. France has yet to secure a victory at the Olympics, having lost all three preliminary games.
France kicked off the tournament with a 4-0 defeat to Switzerland, followed by a hard-fought 6-3 loss to the Czech Republic. They then suffered a crushing 10-goal onslaught from Team Canada.
However, Team Germany’s performance hasn’t lived up to fans’ expectations.
The Germans secured a 3-1 victory over Denmark, but were then stunned by a 4-3 defeat to Latvia. Team USA subsequently trounced Germany 5-1.
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