It’s payback time for Matt Carkner.
Before the Senators’ defenceman left his west end home Monday, he bet wife Kary he’d win the hardest shot competition at the Senators’ skills event at Scotiabank Place.
If Carkner lost, he was looking at plenty of housework. Instead, he’ll be enjoying a foot massage after his 101-mph blast in front of 14,216 fans.
“She didn’t think I could get the hardest shot,” said Carkner, who has hit 101.5 in the past. “I think I came out with a big win there.”
It wasn’t an easy victory for Carkner. The big blueliner had to deal with Binghamton callup Colin Greening, who topped out at 100.5 mph in the preliminary round before losing in the finals.
“Things haven’t been particularly going our way, so to have a fun day at the rink for the fans was a good thing,” said Carkner, who couldn’t top Mike Fisher’s club record of 105 mph set in 2008.
But it was Greening who stole the show. Not only did he give Carkner a run for his money in the hardest shot, Greening set a new Senators’ record for the fastest skater.
Greening breezed a lap in 13.665 seconds, beating Antoine Vermette’s record 13.709 set in 2004.
Blueliner Erik Karlsson recorded a time of 13.700 to top Vermette as well.
“I thought Erik Karlsson was going to get that for sure,” said Greening. “When I saw I was next, I was just like, ‘Don’t get embarrassed.’ I’ve done a few fastest skaters and things like that, but nothing like this.”
Greening also won some ribbing from his teammates.’
“He’s the fastest man alive,” said Jason Spezza.
Chris Phillips’ Team Red won the event by a count of 22-16 to beat Daniel Alfredsson’s Team White.
The big winners were the fans and charities.
The Sens Foundation and the NHLPA Goals and Dreams Fund will donate $75,000 to Roger’s House, the Daron Fund at the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health on behalf of Metro and the NHL.
bruce.garrioch@sunmedia.ca
