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<\/p>\nRidly Greig will learn his fate to start next season on Monday.<\/p>\n
The Ottawa Senators\u2019 winger is scheduled to have his virtual hearing with the National Hockey League\u2019s Department of Player Safety for his sucker punch to the head of Sean Walker of the Carolina Hurricanes during the club\u2019s 4-2 loss in Game 4 last Saturday at the Canadian Tire Centre.<\/p>\n
Since the Senators were eliminated from the playoffs in a sweep by the Hurricanes and Steve Staios, the club\u2019s president of hockey operations and general manager, left for Europe almost immediately after the series, Greig\u2019s hearing was delayed.<\/p>\n
Greig can\u2019t serve the suspension until the start of next year.<\/p>\n
The hockey world was incensed after Greig punched Walker while he was being gripped by Ottawa\u2019s Warren Foegele during a melee in the second period after Tyler Kleven hit Carolina defenceman Alexander Nikishin so hard that he suffered a concussion.<\/p>\n
Foegele had Walker in a headlock at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to do a better job controlling my emotions,\u201d Greig said, following the club\u2019s exiting meetings on Monday. \u201cThat\u2019s all I will say about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greig will be suspended, which means he won\u2019t be able to start the 2026-27 regular season on time. The hearing won\u2019t be in person, which means Greig won\u2019t be able to receive more than five games.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t a surprise. Walker did get payback later in the game, but if the officials had seen Greig\u2019s sucker punch, he likely wouldn\u2019t have been in the game.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ottawa Senator Ridly Greig talking to the media at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa Monday.<\/p>\n
So, what will Greig get?<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t Greig\u2019s first infraction. He was suspended for two games to start the 2021-22 campaign after he cross-checked Pierre-Luc Dubois, then of the Winnipeg Jets, during a pre-season game. He was for one game to finish the exhibition season and the first game of the year.<\/p>\n
The betting money in NHL circles is on Greig, 23, getting two or three games from George Parros, the league\u2019s head of player safety. There was some talk immediately after the incident that Greig might not get any punishment at all, but the outrage about the punch has been next level.<\/p>\n
The response was visceral.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was gutless and disgusting,\u201d Hockey Night in Canada\u2019s Kelly Hrudey told the audience following the game last Saturday. \u201cThat is so dirty for Ridly Greig. That\u2019s just awful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hrudey even applauded Walker hitting Greig from behind later in the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love that when a guy gets retribution,\u201d said Hrudey. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to do that, then you deserve that back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa wasn\u2019t sure he liked Greig getting hit from behind by Walker, but he didn\u2019t like the original incident, either.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has to be some honour in hockey,\u201d said Bieksa.<\/p>\n
Carolina coach Rod Brind\u2019Amour told reporters that the incident with Greig is why the person supervising the series for the NHL should be allowed to speak with the officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to look at it way more seriously,\u201d Brind\u2019Amour said. \u201cNo. 1 is the safety of players. The only reason that guy (Greig) did that is because he looked and no one is watching. He doesn\u2019t get called for it and we somehow end up shorthanded on that \u2026 that\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n