The NHL Department of Player Safety has fined Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson $5,000 for roughing Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig during Saturday’s preseason finale in Montreal.
The incident came at 10:43 of the second period. Greig and Matheson were battling in front of the Canadiens net when Greig threw a cross-check to Matheson’s face. Matheson got up and retaliated, knocking Greig down with a punch and landing another while Greig was on the ice.
Both players received matching roughing minors on the play from referee Mike Sullivan – textbook de-escalation calls in a chippy preseason game.
Greig received no supplemental discipline from Player Safety for the cross-check to the face that started the exchange. He will, however, be suspended for the start of the regular season after picking up a two-game suspension for a sucker-punch of his own during Game 4 of the Sens’ playoff series loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
This is the third fine of Matheson’s career:
- April 2018: Fined $2,000 for diving/embellishment
- October 2018: Suspended two games for a hit on Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson
- August 2020 (Playoffs): Fined $2,500 for high-sticking the Islanders’ Brock Nelson
Player Safety Preseason Totals
Matheson’s fine is the third of the 2026 preseason:
- Sept. 22: Andrew Cristall (WSH) fined $2,250.86 for cross-checking Hunter McDonald
- Sept. 25: Ville Ottavainen (SEA) fined $2,190.72 for serving as the aggressor against Brennan Othmann
- Sept. 27: Mike Matheson (MTL) fined $5,000 for roughing Ridly Greig
Matheson’s fine is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement without a formal hearing.
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2. The NHL officials were referees Kendrick Nicholson (#30) and Mike Sullivan (#47) with linesmen Ryan Daisy (#81) and Brandon Grillo (#75).
