The Ottawa Senators' season ended on a frustrating note Saturday night, and for Ridly Greig, the fallout is just beginning. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Sunday that Greig will have a hearing for a roughing incident involving Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Sean Walker during the series-clinching Game 4.
The incident happened during a scrum at centre ice after the final buzzer. While teammate Warren Foegele had Walker tied up, Greig threw a sucker punch that quickly drew the ire of both the Hurricanes and national broadcasters. While no penalty was called on the ice at the time, the league stepped in quickly once the video made the rounds.
This isn't the first time Greig’s aggressive style has put him under the microscope, but the timing and nature of this one have drawn real criticism. Analysts on Hockey Night in Canada and NHL on TNT were quick to call the play "gutless," pointing out that Walker was in a vulnerable position while being held by Foegele.
Because the Senators were swept and their season is now over, any suspension handed down to Greig will carry over to the start of the 2026-27 regular season. It’s not a great way for the young forward to head into the summer, especially after a year where the team showed a lot during that late push to get back into the playoffs.
The hearing date and time haven’t been finalized yet, but Greig will be hearing from George Parros soon.
This is just another thing to add to the list as the Senators’ awful playoff run comes to an end. There are a ton of storylines coming out of them being swept in the first round. Whether it is the lack of performance from Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle, or the wasted goalie performance, or their inability to score on the power play. And now it is Greig letting emotions get the better of him and risking a suspension to start the 2026-27 season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google