Feature photo courtesy of Dara Greig
It was a sibling reunion that was well worth the wait for pro hockey forwards Ridly and Dara Greig.
It had been eight or nine years since Ridly, now in his third NHL season with the Ottawa Senators, had been in the stands to watch his younger sister, Dara, who is in her first PWHL season with the Montreal Victoire.
On Dec. 6, with a little help from the hockey gods and their respective schedules, the siblings finally got the opportunity when Dara took to the ice at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa in what resulted in a 2-1 win against the Ottawa Charge.
“It was unreal, especially to watch her play at CTC,” said Ridly, 22, of the game that produced a record crowd of 11,065 for the Charge home game. “My mom and grandma were also there. It was a proud brother moment. It’s been great to see her rewarded for all her hard work throughout the years.
“The hockey is great too. They don’t mess around out there. It gets pretty physical and it’s fun to watch.”
Dara was equally as excited to have her brother cheering her on.
“That was super cool,” said Dara, who will turn 24 later this month. “It was special for my family. We didn’t really know that it was going to work out. I made the team and when the schedule came out, it lined up perfectly in that Ridly had the home game at the same time. I’ll definitely remember it for a long time.”
The moment brought back a flood of early hockey memories for both siblings.
Growing up in hockey-rich Alberta, Ridly and Dara, along with their sister Kyra (who would go on to play three seasons at Lethbridge University), spent countless hours on the pond just a slapshot away from their family home.
“We had a pond behind the house as well and a good group of friends who we played pond hockey with over Christmas break and whenever we were home over the winter, especially when we were young
Photo courtesy of Dara Greig
er,” recalled Dara.
It’s also a fond recollection for Ridly.
“We put in a lot of hours playing shinny on the pond. We would go out on our days off or during Christmastime. We would go out in the morning and then not come in until it was too dark to play.”
They also honed their skills with a shooting tarp in the family garage.
One would play net while the other took their best shot.
Disagreements were minimal, but memorable, according to both.
“We would have one stand in front of it to be the goalie and the other shooting,” said Dara. “With the real puck, you can’t hit someone, but I think he did it on purpose a couple times, which might have started a couple fights.”
Those clashes are now very much a thing of the past.
“We get along better than we did when we were kids,” said Ridly. “I probably started my share of those disagreements, but maybe we can say she got the extra two in the box for being the instigator.”
The two siblings did, however, find common ground in minor hockey.
For a time, the siblings played on the same team.
“It was cool for me being the middle child because I got to play with Kyra growing up and I got to play with Ridly growing up in minor hockey as well,” recalled Dara. “That was special. Ridly and I played spring hockey together. I played with the boys and Ridly and I became close through hockey.
“We were linemates a little bit growing up,” she continued. “It was fun in the boys’ tournaments because Ridly didn’t hit a growth spurt until later on, so he was the smallest player and I was the only girl – it was a funny dynamic, but it helped us grow as players.”
Ridly views those days in a similar light.
“I was playing an age group up, but because her birthday is one day before the cutoff, they let her play too. That was a pretty cool experience.”
Their love of the game was handed down from their father, Mark Greig, who played 125 regular-season NHL games between 1990 to 2003.
Both had outstanding careers prior to their pro experiences.
Ridly suited up with the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings, posting 191 points, including 76 goals, in 183 games while the Senators selected him 28th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Dara had a decorated U.S. collegiate career, highlighted by a 2021 National Championship triumph with the Wisconsin Badgers.
In her final collegiate campaign in 2023-24, with Colgate University, she produced 42 points in 40 games.
The Victoire selected Dara 23rd overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft.
“It’s been unreal,” she said. “The team has been awesome and I’m finally getting settled in. It’s been a lot of fun so far.”
Dara doesn’t have to look far for support, including from her younger brother.
“It’s unreal for me to have my dad as a mentor and my brother too. After the game in Ottawa, Ridly was texting me about it and just helping me through my journey at the pro level. I am pretty lucky to have him as a mentor.”
And someone who happens to play a very similar style of hockey.
“I think we both have a mean streak and like to be physical, maybe a little bit of a pest for the other team,” offered Dara. “We battled pretty hard with one another growing up, but it made us into the players we are today.”
“I can probably agree,” Ridly said with a laugh. “She is very smart, so she has that bang-on.”
And while he won’t have many chances to watch Dara play live, Ridly is happy to hold status as one of his sister’s biggest fans.
“I try to watch her play as much as I can,” said Ridly. “Unfortunately, I miss a few games, but it’s been great to watch her play and find her way in the PWHL.”
He has high praise for the impact Dara and Kyra have had on his career.
“I’m very fortunate to have been around my sisters growing up and seeing how much they love hockey. It made it contagious for me. I have always looked up to them.”
