02/15/26 02:46:00
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02/15 14:41 CST Tom Wilson fights in Canada's game vs. France at the Olympics
Tom Wilson fights in Canada's game vs. France at the Olympics
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer
MILAN (AP) --- Who says there's no fighting in hockey at the Olympics? Tom
Wilson clearly does not care that it's shunned in international play.
Wilson dropped the gloves late in Canada's 10-2 rout of France on Sunday, going
after the player who delivered a forearm to the head of teammate Nathan
MacKinnon minutes earlier.
"Obviously fighting isn't a big thing in this tournament, but when a guy takes
a run at one of our big guys, that's what Willy does," three-time Olympian Drew
Doughty said. "I mean, he does a lot more than that, but it was great to see
him step up."
Wilson fought Pierre Crinon, who was given a two-minute minor penalty and
apologized to MacKinnon after the hit in the third period. Scoring 25 seconds
into the ensuing power play was not good enough punishment in the eyes of
Canada's players.
"We didn't like the hit: felt like it was late and high," tournament leading
scorer Connor McDavid said. "Willy just finishes a check and the guy jumps him,
and Willy's just protecting himself. That's all he can do. That's the type of
guy he is, type of teammate he is. Nothing but respect for him."
Unlike the NHL, where it is a 5-minute major penalty, fighting is a game
misconduct under International Ice Hockey Federation rules, so Wilson and
Crinon were ejected. The outcome was already long determined, and Wilson only
missed the final seven minutes of the game.
"We're used to a lot more than that happening, so it was pretty harmless in the
grand scheme of things," coach Jon Cooper said. "Sticking up for his teammates,
that's an easy one for him."
Wilson also had a goal and an assist, along with the fight giving him what is
known in hockey as a "Gordie Howe hat trick."
The 31-year-old winger is one of just a few new players for Canada who did not
play at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago, when there were three fights in the
first nine seconds of the team's first game against the U.S.
Wilson's fight came exactly a year after those, when Canada's Brandon Hagel,
Sam Bennett and Colton Parayko fought Americans Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk
and J.T. Miller.
"Listen, I don't think we can go through this tournament without seeing one,"
Hagel said, smiling. "It was probably the talk about him coming to the
tournament. But that's just what Willy does: He sticks up for teammates."
MacKinnon, who was slow to get up and spent some time on the bench before
returning, appreciated Wilson standing up for him.
"That guy obviously didn't want to fight Tom," MacKinnon said. "He just wanted
to wrestle. I wouldn't want to fight Tom either."
Wilson was a no-doubt pick for his physicality and ability to retrieve pucks,
along with producing at a high level back in North America with the Washington
Capitals. He is their leading scorer with 49 points in 50 games this season.
He's likely to be the Capitals' captain when Alex Ovechkin retires, and Cooper
called Wilson "outstanding in the locker room." Fighting at the Olympics only
gives Wilson, who did not speak to reporters afterward, more street cred with
his teammates.
"We know Willy's got our backs," Bennett said. "He's going to protect all our
guys and bring the energy. We love that from Willy. He's going to do anything
for our team."
Feisty goaltender Jordan Binnington, who has been known to jab a player or two
with his blocker when he's displeased, loved it, too.
"I definitely wasn't surprised," Binnington said. "That's hockey, right? That's
hockey."
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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