Toronto Maple Leafs' Pontus Holmberg may face suspension for retaliation on Ottawa Senators' Ridly Greig

A suspension could be on the horizon for the vicious hit Pontus Holmberg made on Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Grieg in last night's preseason game.

All five Senators players on the ice were skating toward the end of the Toronto Maple Leafs as the Senators were moving the puck out of their zone. It was then that Pontus Holmberg came up from behind on Ridly Grieg, dragged him on the ice, and tossed him aside. The back of Grieg's head bounced hard off the ice, and the Senators soon announced he wouldn't return to the game due to an upper-body injury, clearly caused by the hit.

Of course, fans were divided on the incident. Leafs fans immediately labeled Grieg a "diver" and minimized the severity of the play. Others felt it was a dirty hit that wasn't necessary. Some even wondered about whether it's even possible for a player to be suspended for a hit in a preseason game, and rightfully so, as guys like Tom Wilson have been suspended over similar plays in the past.

Some fans speculated that maybe Holmberg was looking for attention. He is battling for a roster spot this season, having played in 54 games last year, and with the new coaching staff, nothing is certain for him. Making a bold play, maybe even a controversial one, could have been a calculated move to capture the attention of the coaches.

It wasn't like he was just some random target, either. Odds are, Holmberg knew exactly who he was targeting. Coming up from behind, Holmberg would've had quite a clear view of Grieg's nameplate as he maybe sought retribution off an incident last season where Grieg scored into an empty net against the Leafs with a slapshot and caused all kinds of chaos. A play that even saw Morgan Rielly being suspended for retaliating against Grieg in February 2024.

This was probably only the beginning between these two teams, considering they hadn't even played a regular season game against each other. Expect tensions to flare once again the next time these two teams meet.

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