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Calgary Flames forward Gridin criticized by Sportsnet analyst after Griddy celebration

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Oct 27 2026, 4:23 pm
Calgary Flames forward Gridin criticized by Sportsnet analyst after Griddy celebration
Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

Calgary Flames forward Matvei Gridin was having a ton of fun on Monday night, but not everybody was impressed.

Gridin looked every bit like the player Flames fans saw a season ago, scoring twice in what turned out to be a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Gridin beat Sergei Bobrovsky cleanly on the short side to give the Flames a 1-0 lead early in the first period. But it was his second goal of the night that sparked a debate.

Gridin’s nickname is Griddy, so it made perfect sense to many that he broke out the Griddy dance after scoring his second of the night. While the celebration was a hit with Flames fans, it didn’t exactly receive universal approval.

Justin Williams, a studio analyst for Sportsnet, felt the celebration was a little excessive, particularly with so much time left in the game.

“He does the Griddy. I don’t love that in the second period,” the former NHL forward said. “With two periods left. I wasn’t tough when I played, but I at least would have went and had a conversation with that guy being like, ‘Come on, man. We’re in the second period, that’s not a game winner.'”

Not everybody on the panel agreed.

Another former NHL forward and fellow Sportsnet analyst Luke Gazdic poked some fun at Williams’ take.

“It’s the no fun league, hey,” Gazdic joked.

“I might be in his ear a little bit, but I don’t mind it, though, man. A little flair, a little personality.”

As fate would have it, the panel, which also included host David Amber, spoke with Gridin after the game. The young forward explained that he’d been thinking about doing the celebration for a while, although he admitted some of his teammates felt it might have been a little over the top.

“My nickname is Griddy, so I thought about it for a long time and I [thought] it was a good time to do it,” Gridin said. “Guys love it. They said it was a little too much, but they love it.”

One thing is certain: Flames fans loved the celebration. As Gazdic pointed out, it showed some personality at a time when those kinds of moments can be a welcome change from the usual goal celebrations around the NHL.

Flames fans have plenty of other reasons to be excited, too. Monday’s victory marked the fourth straight win for Ryan Huska’s squad, which has quickly turned things around after a rough start to the season. The Flames now sit at 5-6-0 through 11 games, giving their fans plenty of reason to believe this team is starting to find its footing.

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