Jon Cooper on Tom Wilson's scuffle against France: "Pretty harmless, in the grand scheme of things, of what we're used to"

"I told our guys before the game that we can't put ourselves in a position where we are going to sit here and pick our opponent: "Let's do this, to avoid this." We are Canada. In the end, we want to just improve our game. The second you start saying, "We have to score this many goals, or avoid this opponent," it is just a recipe for disaster. For us, it was just about getting better. And we have. To me, we just wanted to avoid the qualification game. Get the extra day of rest, let's see where the chips fall, and go play the games. I think the guys have done that. It has been a pleasure to coach them for the last three games."

"I'll have to rewatch it. This is hockey. When you put 40 guys on the ice together for a competition, it doesn't matter what country you are from. Someone is going to tick somebody off. [Wilson] plays hard. I am sure whoever he was up against there does the same thing. Pretty harmless, in the grand scheme of things, of what we're used to. It is just boys being boys."

"A point-per-period... I have to digest that for a second. Hey, listen, you can't throw around "best player in the world" easily. You can debate it all you want, but he is most definitely up there. I would never start talking in those terms unless I knew him off the ice - how he works, how he conducts himself, and his humility. It is super impressive to watch. He deserves this. He is playing in the best tournament in the world and is shining like this. I don't know. It is pretty fun to watch."

Canada focused on improving its play and securing a more favorable path by avoiding a qualification game, prioritizing performance over manipulating opponents. The team aimed to gain an extra day of rest and advance on merit, showing measurable progress across recent games. A scuffle involving Tom Wilson was characterized as routine physical hockey, largely harmless and expected in competitive play. Connor McDavid maintained a point-per-period pace, demonstrating elite skill, humility, and consistent excellence while shining in the tournament.

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