Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig will miss two games for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The suspension, which includes one preseason and one regular season game, came after some illegal stickwork during Sunday night’s game in Winnipeg.
Grieg delivered a high cross-check midway through the second period. He was given a major penalty and a game misconduct by referees Dean Morton and Ghislain Hebert.
The hit – along with the penalty and suspension – come after the league’s well-publicized crackdown on cross-checking.
From Player Safety:
“Grieg sees Dubois coming, moves the puck, then raises his stick both up and away from his body directly into the face of Dubois.”
“This is not a case of inadvertent contact that can occur when a player reflexively pulls his stick up in a defensive motion when bracing for unexpected contact. Greig sees Dubois coming and decides to both elevate his stick and extend it outward, making direct and forceful contact with Dubois’s head.”
Interesting to see Player Safety taking the approach of including regular season games in the punishment, raising the stakes both via the significance of the games and from a monetary perspective. Players don’t receive a salary in the preseason, so a suspension does not result in a financial loss.
Grieg forfeits $4,470.83 in salary as a result of the suspension.
