Tom Wilson Ejected for Fighting at Winter Olympics, Will Canada Star Miss KO Bracket?

Team Canada winger Tom Wilson was ejected for fighting late in Sunday's 10-2 win over France in the men's hockey preliminary round at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

Wilson was assessed an automatic five-minute major and game misconduct after dropping the gloves with France's Pierre Crinon in the third period.

The fight took place minutes after Crinon took a two-minute minor after connecting for a hard hit on Team Canada star Nathan MacKinnon.

Wilson's automatic ejection from the game does not come with an automatic one-game suspension, although the IIHF could still choose to impose further discipline, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman noted.

Canada is set to advance to the knockout round after defeating Czechia, Switzerland and France in group play.

The ejection came one game after Wilson made a hit that resulted in an injury for Switzerland's Kevin Fiala during Canada's preliminary-round win on Friday.

Fiala fell awkwardly after the collision with Wilson and left the game on a stretcher. His injury necessitated surgery and is likely to end his season with the Los Angeles Kings.

This time it was a Canadian player on the wrong end of an awkward hit after Crinon caught MacKinnon in the face with his shoulder on a high hit behind the French net.

Both Crinon and Wilson have a reputation for fighting in their respective professional leagues.

Crinon was suspended for seven games from France's Ligue Magnus in December after punching an opposing goaltender. He ranks third in the league with 66 penalty minutes in 29 games.

Wilson ranks 11th in the NHL with 78 penalty minutes in 50 games this season with the Washington Capitals. He is by far the league leader in the category since entering the NHL in 2013.

The Capitals winger has been a key player for Team Canada so far during the 2026 Winter Games. He has contributed three points (one goal, two assists) in three games.

Brad Marchand was scratched from Canada's preliminary-round win over France, although head coach Jon Cooper told reporters Sunday that he would be playing in the knockout round.

Seth Jarvis, a healthy scratch for Canada's Olympic opener against Czechia, could be a candidate to drop from the lineup if Marchand returns and Wilson does not receive supplemental discipline from the IIHF ahead of the quarterfinals.

Which opponent Canada is taking on with a trip to the semifinals on the line will depend on both how the rest of the preliminary round shapes up and what takes place in the qualification playoffs.

If the current bracket remains in place through Sunday, Canada would take on either Czechia or Germany in the quarterfinals.