MILAN (AP) — Who says hockey doesn’t involve fighting? the Olympic Games? Tom Wilson clearly doesn’t care that it is shunned in the international game.
Wilson dropped the gloves let in Canada’s 10-2 loss to France on Sunday he went after the player who minutes earlier delivered a forearm to the head of teammate Nathan MacKinnon.
“Obviously fighting isn’t that important in this tournament, but when someone attacks 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 take it one step further.”
Wilson battled Pierre Crinon, who was assessed a two-minute minor penalty and apologized to MacKinnon after the goal in the third period. Scoring 25 seconds into the ensuing power play was not enough punishment in the eyes of the Canadian players.
“We didn’t like the hit: it felt like it was late and high,” said tournament top scorer Connor McDavid. “Willy is just finishing a check and the guy jumps him, and Willy is just protecting himself. That’s all he can do. That’s the type of guy he is, the type of teammate he is. Nothing but respect for him.”
Xavier Laine via Getty Images
Hassan Ammar via Associated Press
Unlike the NHL, where it is a 5-minute major penalty, fighting is a game foul under International Ice Hockey Federation rules, so Wilson and Crinon were ejected. The outcome had long been decided and Wilson only missed the last seven minutes of the match.
“We’re used to a lot more going on than that, so it was pretty harmless in the grand scheme of things,” coach Jon Cooper said. “Standing up for his teammates, that’s easy for him.”
Wilson also had a goal and an assist, and the fight gave him what is known in hockey as a “Gordie Howe hat trick.”
The 31-year-old winger is one of a handful of new players for Canada who did not play during the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago, when three fights in the first nine seconds of the team’s first game against the USA
Wilson’s fight came exactly a year later, when Canada’s Brandon Hagel, Sam Bennett and Colton Parayko fought Americans Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk and JT Miller.
“Listen, I don’t think we can go through this tournament without seeing one,” Hagel said with a smile. “There was probably talk of him coming to the tournament. But that is exactly what Willy does: he stands up for teammates.”
MacKinnon, who was slow to rise and spent some time on the bench before returning, appreciated Wilson standing up for him.
“That guy clearly didn’t want to fight Tom,” MacKinnon said. “He just wanted to wrestle. I wouldn’t want to fight Tom either.”
AP Photo/Hassan Ammar via Associated Press
Wilson was undoubtedly a choice because of his physicality and ability to get pucks, and because he produced at a high level in North America with the Washington Capitals. He is their leading scorer with 49 points in 50 games this season.
He will likely be the Capitals’ captain when Alex Ovechkin retires, and Cooper called Wilson “excellent in the locker room.” Fighting in the Olympics only gives Wilson, who did not speak to reporters afterward, more exposure to his teammates.
“We know Willy has our backs,” Bennett said. “He’s going to protect all our guys and bring the energy. We love that about Willy. He’s going to do everything for our team.”
Feisty goalkeeper Jordan Binningtonwho has been known to jab one or two players with his blocker when he’s disgruntled, loved it too.
“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Binnington said. “That’s hockey, right? That’s hockey.”
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
