Pontus Holmberg targeted with criticism after intentionally injuring Ottawa's Ridly Greig

Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig made a name for himself last year in Toronto, and now a young Maple Leafs forward has looked for payback in the pre-season.

Last season there was plenty of drama between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, with veteran Morgan Rielly facing a suspension after cross-checking Ridly Greig in the face following a controversial empty-net goal.

Now, the pre-season has continued the personal attacks in the Battle of Ontario, with young forward Pontus Holmberg targeting Ridly Greig, taking him down to the ice and potentially injuring the young Senators forward. After a hard landing on the ice, it was confirmed that Greig would not return, and given how the NHL treats concussions in 2024, it's safe to assume that if that is involved in his injury in any way, he may be out for a little while heading into the regular season.

While most of the reaction involves Maple Leafs fans excusing the play due to Greig's actions a year ago, some Maple Leafs fans can see this for what it was; a dangerous, unnecessary play by a young forward looking to make a name for himself in the pre-season.

Sure, what Greig did may be against some old hockey rules that were invented out of respect for the game and your peers, but at a young age, he was simply playing the game the way he knew how, and the continued attacks are seemingly unnecessary. As for Holmberg, he was clearly just trying to make a physical play and show the Maple Leafs coaches that he can be a force in their bottom-six, but if these plays don't stop, this rivalry could brew even further and cause more mayhem in the regular season.

Source: House of Hockey
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