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The National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety, officially disciplined Montreal Canadiens veteran defenseman Mike Matheson after a physical incident during a preseason matchup against the Ottawa Senators. The league said Matheson got hit with a $5,000 fine, basically the highest amount the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement allows. This extra punishment came straight out of a really heated moment with Ottawa forward Ridly Greig about midway through the second period, in the exhibition game.
Incident context
The clash happened at 10:43 of the second period after Greig knocked Matheson down right in front of the Canadiens net. Matheson, looking for immediate payback, then responded with aggressive strikes, hitting Greig in the head and continuing to throw punches while Greig was still down on the ice, at that moment. Officials stepped in fast, and they separated the two players right away, handing out minor roughing penalties to both Matheson and Greig for what turned into a stoppage of play, full-on altercation.
Financial consequences
After a post-game review, league officials decided Matheson’s retaliatory hits merited more discipline than just the usual two minute minor penalty he already served. Per the guidelines in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the money from player safety fines is sent automatically to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. Even with the fine, and the loss that came with it, Matheson still showed a solid overall impact on the blue line, with two assists and a plus-three finish, in Montreal’s 4-2 win over their division rival.
Seasonal outlook
The ruling wraps up what was a pretty volatile preseason stretch for both Atlantic Division clubs, as they lock in rosters ahead of the regular season start. Matheson remains a key element of Montreal’s defensive group, especially after a productive year with seven goals and 30 assists in 78 games. Now the Canadiens shift their full operational attention toward the regular season opener versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Ottawa turns its focus to Toronto later during opening week.
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