The Ottawa Senators took to social media on Friday to tease one of their bobbleheads that they will be giving away this season.
The clip features a shot of Sens forward Ridly Greig taking a slapshot into an empty net taken from a game against the Maple Leafs during the 2023-24 season. Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly wasn't impressed with the fashion in which Greig took his freebie. He retaliated by cross-checking Greig in the head. Rielly was given a five-game suspension for the offense.
What’s interesting is that the date of the game for the giveaway isn’t against the Maple Leafs but rather when they host the Florida Panthers on Jan. 10, 2026. Now that makes some sense because the building is usually filled with Maple Leafs fans who make the drive east on Ontario’s highways. I surmised on X that if this were given away on a Leafs night, Leafs fans attending may dispose of the giveaway.
One user replied that they don’t usually have giveaways for games where the team is expected to sell out, which makes a lot of sense. But still, the celebration of Greig inducing Rielly to get suspended is certainly a moment the Sens Sickos (their self-described fan base) love to re-live.
The Senators made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2017 and gave the Maple Leafs a good run in their first round. Despite going down 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Sens stormed back to win two more games as tensions in Leaf land rose about the thought of a possible reverse sweep.
The Sens look like a team on the rise while the Maple Leafs will look to reclaim first place in the Atlantic Division this season. But one thing is for sure, when both the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs field competitive teams, it’s only a good thing as the ‘Battle of Ontario’ rages on.
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