By Janina Nuno Rios and Amy Tennery
MILAN, Feb 17 (Reuters) – French players railed against the suspension of defenceman Pierre Crinon by his own federation on Tuesday, after Germany knocked them out of the Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament 5-1 in their qualification playoff.
The French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG) said on Monday that it was removing Crinon from the tournament, after he fought with Canadian winger Tom Wilson in their final group game.
The FFHG said it was also unhappy with what it called Crinon’s “provocative behaviour” following the incident.
“We are a big family, when we come together we come as brothers and they just got rid of one of our brothers. So it’s a joke from the French committee,” said goaltender Antoine Keller.
“We needed him today and they just took him off of us for something that just happens every weekend in any hockey game.”
Fighting is common in the top-flight National Hockey League but strictly forbidden in Olympic play.
Germany booked a meeting with Slovakia in the last eight with a comprehensive performance at Santagiulia arena, where they never ceded the lead against the French, who leave Milan winless.
It was France’s first appearance in the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament since 2002.
“Not one of us thought there was anything dramatic about what he did,” said French captain Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. “Obviously, it’s been 20 years since they’ve seen hockey in the Olympics. So they were surprised about this kind of stuff.”
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios and Amy Tennery in Milan, editing by Ed Osmond)
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