French ice hockey player Pierre Crinon faces potential criminal charges in France following a fight with Canadian forward Tom Wilson during Olympic play, according to reports from French newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré. The renewed legal scrutiny stems from an incident that occurred last November, previously dismissed by courts, involving Crinon and a goaltender in the French league.
The fight with Wilson occurred during Canada’s 10-2 victory over France on Sunday, February 16, 2026, resulting in both players being ejected from the game under International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) rules. Unlike the National Hockey League, where fighting results in a five-minute major penalty, We see a game misconduct under IIHF regulations. Following the ejection and subsequent taunting of the crowd, the French Ice Hockey Federation suspended Crinon for the remainder of the Olympic tournament. France was subsequently eliminated from contention, losing 5-1 to Germany on Tuesday.
However, the incident with Wilson prompted the Public Prosecutor of Grenoble to reopen a case concerning an altercation from November 30th. Crinon is accused of punching Matt O’Connor, then the goaltender for Angers, during a league match. O’Connor sustained an eye injury as a result of the punch and filed a criminal complaint. While the complaint was initially dismissed, the prosecutor has decided to pursue charges after viewing Crinon’s fight with Wilson.
According to the translation of the Le Dauphiné Libéré report, Crinon will be prosecuted for “intentional violence resulting in an ITT of less than eight days” – a legal term referring to total incapacity for function. O’Connor was unable to work for three days following the incident. The charge is considered a petty offense, potentially carrying a fine of up to 1,500 euros. More severe cases, involving longer periods of incapacitation, can result in prison sentences of up to three years and fines of 45,000 euros.
A hearing in the case is scheduled to take place in Grenoble on May 27th.
