Ridly Greig Breaks Silence And Sends A Message To Leafs Nation
Photo credit: The Hockey News
Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig finally broke the silence and addressed Saturday's incident with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly for the first time following his team's win Tuesday.
Ridly Greig Voices Out For The First Time Following Incident
Ottawa Senators forward addressed the media and spoke about the incident that has sent shockwaves through the hockey world.
"Just a lot of adrenaline," Greig said of his decision to score on the empty net with a slap shot, per TSN. "Just the heat of the moment, heat of the game. It was an emotional game. Just got a breakaway and thought I'd bury it."
Greig was unsure if Ottawa's Canadian Tire Centre being filled with Maple Leafs fans impacted his decision.
"It definitely doesn't feel good when the fans are 75% Leafs fans, but I don't know if that factored in or not."
Rielly took exception to how Greig scored the empty-netter and cross-checked him after the play. The Maple Leafs defender was suspended five games Tuesday as a result after an in-person hearing.
The Senators rookie admitted Rielly's reaction caught him a bit off guard.
"I don't think you're ever expecting a guy to come cross-check you in the face," Greig said. "But I'm also not sure if he meant to do that."
The incident has garnered significant attention, but the 21-year-old has done his best to avoid the debate.
"I've tried to stay offline the past couple days," Greig said. "Everybody's gonna have an opinion on it. Probably either gonna love it or hate it. Doesn't matter to me."
Greig noted the ovation he received from Senators fans during Tuesday's game was "pretty, pretty cool.''
| POLL | ||
14 FEVRIER | 465 ANSWERS Ridly Greig Breaks Silence And Sends A Message To Leafs Nation Do you think Ridly Greig is trending as one of the most hated players in the NHL? | ||
| Yes, he's a pest | 151 | 32.5 % |
| Not even close | 314 | 67.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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