Once Canada finished its Tuesday morning workout, Tom Wilson drew plenty of attention. That post-practice session gave Wilson his first opportunity to speak since the viral Olympic dust-up with French blueliner Pierre Crinon that got both men tossed and delivered him a Gordie Howe hat trick at the Games once deemed impossible.
His clash with Crinon was a reply to a play he characterized as dirty — an elbow Crinon delivered to the head of Nathan MacKinnon, Canada's standout pivot.
Speaking to the New York Post's Mollie Walker, Wilson described the sport as emotional and fiercely competitive, noting that colliding with a sizable opponent forces a snap decision, and off came the gloves.
Even though he wanted retribution, Wilson admitted he grasped that a certain limit couldn't be fully exceeded if he hoped to stay available throughout the remainder of his country's Olympic run.
Wilson explained to TSN that a hit of that nature puts you on edge, that he later ended up out there for a shift alongside the very same opponent, they became entangled, and he clearly knew who it was. He framed it as that player understanding a reply was coming and that the Canadians would defend their own. Wilson said he didn't necessarily expect things to turn into a scrap, yet it became one fast, then devolved into more of a grappling bout and a scrum, a kind of mayhem.
He continued that, once he emerged from the heap with Crinon ending up beneath him, he wanted to ensure he didn't carry things overboard, with the weightier games still ahead on his mind. Wilson said he felt the point landed that Canada would unite as a nation, and that they'd now put it behind them and shift focus to the quarterfinals.
When pressed about how he sensed where that boundary lay, Wilson credited his long history of rough play together with how well he knows NHL official Kyle Rehman, the referee assigned to work that game.
Wilson said you feel out the situation, that he's done this for ages and lived through countless such instances, and that you can sense when matters grow chaotic and recognize the moment things have crossed a line and a halt is needed.
He recalled Kyle, a ref he knows from the league, repeatedly telling him in effect that it was finished and time to quit. Wilson said he deliberately listens and stops, since the linesmen and officials have a job to do, that overstepping is never the goal, and that you read the moment, back your linemate, and then move on once it's run its course.
Wilson also kept the scoreline and the clock in mind. The Canadians sat ahead 10-2, and 6:59 remained in regulation.
Wilson added that with the outcome essentially settled, a possible ejection in the final five minutes wasn't much of a concern.
Once word got out that further punishment wasn't coming from either the IIHF or the IOC for the pair, the unusual Olympic fisticuffs faded — until France's hockey federation moved in with a sanction of its own against Crinon.
At 30, the defenseman had already been a contentious pick coming into the event, having sat seven games earlier that year in France's premier circuit for striking an unmasked goaltender. Citing that history plus his conduct after the bout, especially his jeering of spectators while heading toward the dressing area, France's federation kept him out for the tournament's remaining games.
Wilson noted that plenty probably goes into a ruling like that, that he isn't familiar with the man, the federation, or the league, and that his attention is on his own teammates and proving to them he'll give everything to secure a win — a sentiment he thinks everyone in the room shares about one another. He called it a major development that broke that morning, while stressing it wasn't his decision and wasn't really his place to offer an opinion.
Minus Crinon, France saw its medal hopes dashed by the Germans during a Tuesday-morning qualifier. Leon Draisaitl produced a goal and two assists for three points as the Germans prevailed 5-1.
Wilson and Canada are next on the ice for a quarterfinal versus Czechia on February 18.