The French hockey federation has imposed a ban on Pierre Crinon for the rest of the Winter Olympics following his altercation with Team Canada’s Tom Wilson during Sunday’s 10-2 defeat. Canada dominated France on Sunday, but Crinon and Wilson engaged in an unusual brawl, the first at an Olympics since 1998. Prior to this, Crinon had landed a forearm on Team Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon and was subsequently hit by Wilson.

Both players were immediately sent off, as, unlike in the NHL, fighting is not allowed in the Olympics. Neither Crinon nor Wilson faced additional sanctions after Olympic organisers decided against suspending either player, but France has now taken action. On Monday, the FFHG issued a statement confirming an internal decision made after a thorough review of Sunday’s incidents.

They said: “Following the France-Canada game and the attitude of player Pierre Crimon, on and off the ice, Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, president of the FFHG and deputy head of mission of the French delegation, heard the player in an interview in the presence of Fabien Saguez, head of mission of the Olympic delegation, the national technical director of the FFHG, and the staff of the French Team.

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

“This interview also aimed to remind the player of the personal commitments he made as part of his selection for the French Olympic Team.

“Regarding the match penalty for which he was sanctioned, the federation acknowledges the decision of the international federation – the body competent to rule on breaches of the rules of the game during the Olympic Games – not to take any further action against the players concerned.

“Nevertheless, the FFHG intends to remind everyone of the values of every player wearing the French national team jersey, as well as their duty to set an example, particularly during the Olympic Games.

“Therefore, Pierre Crinon’s provocative behaviour upon leaving the ice, even though he had just been ejected from the game for fighting, constitutes a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and also undermines the values of our sport. Consequently, a decision has been made, in full agreement with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, not to allow his participation in the upcoming Olympic tournament game(s).”

France take on Germany in a crucial qualifier on Tuesday morning, with the victors progressing to meet Slovakia in the quarter-finals. The losing side will be knocked out of the competition.

Germany are favourites, but France have made matters more difficult for the remaining squad after suspending Crinon. France are yet to register a victory at the Olympics, suffering defeat in all three preliminary fixtures.

France were handed a 4-0 loss to Switzerland, followed by a competitive 6-3 reverse against the Czech Republic. Team Canada then scored 10 goals against them.

However, Team Germany hasn’t delivered the performances supporters anticipated. The Germans defeated Denmark 3-1, but then endured a surprising 4-3 setback to Latvia. Team USA then overcame Germany 5-1.

This article first appeared on Mirror US.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page