Canada supported winger Tom Wilson after he engaged in a scuffle to defend a teammate during their decisive victory against France at the Winter Olympics. The 10-2 win by Canada had already provided ample excitement for the spectators when Wilson confronted an opposing player.
Although fighting is a common occurrence and accepted in ice hockey, it is typically discouraged in the Winter Olympics. Nevertheless, with Canada comfortably leading, veteran player Wilson from the Washington Capitals opted to challenge France’s Pierre Crinon.
The incident was triggered by Crinon’s aggressive hit on Nathan MacKinnon in the third period, where he struck MacKinnon in the face with his forearm. Crinon received a two-minute penalty, and Canada capitalized on the ensuing powerplay with a goal. However, Wilson believed that this was not enough retribution.
Despite knowing that his actions would lead to his expulsion from the game, the 31-year-old dropped his gloves to confront Crinon. The International Ice Hockey Federation considers fighting as misconduct, resulting in both Wilson and Crinon being ejected for the final seven minutes of the match.
For Canada, this penalty was deemed acceptable as they had already secured the victory and were advancing to the elimination phase of the men’s ice hockey competition in Italy. Wilson’s teammates in the Canada dressing room applauded his intervention.
Connor McDavid, a key player for Canada, expressed, “We didn’t like the hit: felt like it was late and high. 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.”
MacKinnon, another Canadian star, commented, “That guy obviously didn’t want to fight Tom. He just wanted to wrestle. I wouldn’t want to fight Tom either.”
In addition, Drew Doughty mentioned, “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. He does a lot more than that, but it was great to see him step up.”
Sam Bennett added, “We know Willy’s got our backs. 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.”
Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper showed approval of the incident, stating, “We’re used to a lot more than that happening, so it was pretty harmless in the grand scheme of things. Sticking up for his teammates, that’s an easy one for him.”
Reflecting the team’s sentiment, goaltender Jordan Binnington remarked, “I definitely wasn’t surprised. That’s hockey, right? That’s hockey.”