During Canada's 10-2 preliminary round victory over France at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Canadian forward Tom Wilson fought French defenseman Pierre Crinon in the third period. The altercation occurred several minutes after Crinon hit Canadian center Nathan MacKinnon with an elbow to the head while MacKinnon was behind the net without the puck. Referees initially called a major penalty on the hit but reduced it to a two-minute minor after video review. Crinon apologized to MacKinnon for the hit.
After Crinon exited the penalty box following a Canadian power play goal, Wilson delivered a hard check on him and the two began grappling. The fight consisted mainly of wrestling with the players grabbing each other's jerseys rather than throwing punches. Under International Ice Hockey Federation rules, fighting is classified as a game misconduct rather than a five-minute major as in the NHL, so both players were ejected with about seven minutes remaining. Wilson had already recorded a goal and an assist before the fight, achieving what's known as a "Gordie Howe hat trick."
Canadian teammates including Connor McDavid, Drew Doughty, and MacKinnon himself expressed support for Wilson's actions, characterizing it as defending a teammate. Coach Jon Cooper called it "harmless in the grand scheme of things." Initial reports suggested Wilson could face supplemental discipline from the IIHF, though later reporting indicated neither player would be suspended.