Canadian hockey player Tom Wilson violated the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) by causing a fight during a match at the 2026 Olympic Games. This happened in the third round of the group stage game against France (10:2).
The Olympic Games follow the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation, which differ from the system used in the NHL. While in the United States and Canada, hockey players receive a five-minute suspension for fighting, under the rules of the IIHF, this is a serious violation and is punishable by disqualification from the rink until the end of the match. For fighting, a hockey player can also be punished by missing the next game of his team.
Late in the third period of a match between Canada and France, forward Tom Wilson got into a fight with French hockey player Pierre Crinon. The fight was sparked by the Frenchman hitting Wilson's teammate Nathan McKinnon in the head with his forearm just moments earlier.
As a result, both hockey players who organized the “boxing on ice” at the Olympics were punished: Wilson was forced to watch the end of the match outside the rink, since he was the initiator of the fight, and Crinon received a two-minute suspension for participating in the fight.
Canada head coach John Cooper and Tom Wilson's teammates reacted positively to the incident, noting that fights are more common in the NHL, and it was not the first time Wilson had stood up for his teammates.
“We're used to much worse situations, so in the general context it was a pretty harmless decision. Protecting his teammates is not difficult for him,” said Canada coach John Cooper.
Canada finished first in the group stage of the 2026 Olympic Games, advancing them directly to the quarterfinals of the tournament, where they will face the winner of the match between the Czech Republic and Denmark.