Switzerland forward Kevin Fiala out of Olympics because of a leg injury

MILAN (AP) — Switzerland forward Kevin Fiala is out for the rest of the Milan Cortina Olympics after undergoing surgery on his injured left leg.

Fiala was taken off the ice on a stretcher late in Switzerland's game against Canada on Friday. The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation on Saturday called it a lower leg injury that was ending his time at the Games, and a spokesperson confirmed that Fiala had surgery.

Neither Switzerland nor the Los Angeles Kings would confirm exactly what the operation was or that it is likely to end his season in the NHL, as well.

“Very obviously sad, and it sucks for him and for us,” Kings teammate Adrian Kempe said after Sweden's game against Slovakia. “It’s really tough for him personally and for us as a team. You know how much he means to our team back home in L.A . It’s just very unfortunate for him that it comes in a tournament like this that we’ve been looking forward to playing in for so long. I feel for him.”

The 29-year-old winger went down when he collided with Tom Wilson with just under three minutes left in Canada's 5-1 victory.

Fiala backed into a hit on Wilson near the boards, their legs got tangled up and both players fell to the ice. Fiala couldn't get up and after a stoppage in play medical personnel attended to him.

“Just unlucky,” Wilson said after the game. "He’s a competitor, obviously. At this point, it’s the Olympic Games, and I feel terrible that he may not be able to keep playing and just sending his family and him my best. You never want to see a guy go down in a tournament like this, especially. It sucks for the country, for their team, and just wishing him a quick recovery.”

Fiala was placed face down on a stretcher, and his left leg appeared to be in an air cast as he was wheeled out.

“Tough moment for Kevin and the whole team, obviously,” Switzerland coach Patrick Fischer said.

No penalty was assessed on the play.

“It was an accident,” Fischer said.

Fiala is in his 12th NHL season and fourth with the Kings. He has 40 points in 56 games this season.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Injured Switzerland's Kevin Fiala is stretchered off the ice by paramedics, during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Canada and Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Injured Switzerland's Kevin Fiala lays on the ice after being hit by Canada's Tom Wilson, second left, during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Canada and Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada's Sam Bennett, left, challenges Switzerland's Kevin Fiala during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Canada and Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mercedes is among “three or four potential buyers” for a 24% stake in rival Formula 1 team Alpine, the French team's executive adviser Flavio Briatore said Friday.

Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Briatore said Mercedes was keen on the minority share — held by a private equity firm which has worked with sports stars like Patrick Mahomes — but suggested it wouldn't come with influence over how Alpine is run. He also dismissed reports Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was in talks to buy the stake on his own behalf.

“Every day is a new situation. I don’t know what is the latest one, but what I say is that I know it’s a negotiation with Mercedes, not with Toto, with Mercedes, and we see. In this moment we have three or four potential buyers,” said Briatore, who has been Alpine's de-facto team boss since last year.

Asked if that could lead to conflict-of-interest concerns about Mercedes — which already supplies Alpine's engines — gaining influence over how it's run or how it votes on future rule changes, Briatore suggested any minority shareholder would be a “passenger” in those talks.

“Normally one company, 75% decide and the 25% is a passenger, and this is the reality,” Briatore said.

Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is also among the interested parties, Alpine said last month.

Alpine is majority-owned by French automaker Renault, which sold the 24% stake to a group led by private equity firm Otro Capital, which attracted attention by including sports stars like Mahomes and Travis Kelce and the actor Ryan Reynolds in its investment group.

Alpine is coming off a tough year as it placed last in the constructors' standings in 2025. Pierre Gasly earned the team's first point with 10th in Australia last week but Briatore said he wasn't pleased with the team's progress as F1 begins a new era of regulations.

“We are not happy at all. Our performance was very weak and was a combination of different factors, and we know what is the major problem we have in the car,” he said.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore arrives at the track ahead of the first practice session for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly of France steers his car during the sprint qualifying ahead of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix, in Shanghai, China, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)