Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly will appeal his five-game suspension for his cross-check to Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig over the weekend, the Leafs said Wednesday.
The move to appeal was expected considering the length of the suspension for a player with no history of supplemental discipline in the NHL. This marks the first suspension of Rielly’s NHL career.
Toronto’s Morgan Rielly has been suspended for five games for cross-checking Ottawa’s Ridly Greig. https://t.co/4PzrR8N5FD
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) February 13, 2024
Rielly served the first game of the suspension Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues.
The outcome of the final matchup of the season between Toronto and Ottawa was already decided when Greig wound up for a slapshot into an empty net. That questionable bit of sportsmanship immediately drew Rielly’s rage. He confronted Greig and cross-checked him in and around the head, an after-the-whistle not-so-hockey play that didn’t sit well with NHL player safety.
Advertisement
In the department of player safety’s estimation, what differentiated Rielly’s cross-check from other similar plays drawing lighter sentences was, among other things, Rielly using his stick with “substantial force” with the sole purpose of “retribution.” Additionally, the department noted the incident occurred well after the goal and well after the game was settled.
Rielly argued in his hearing that his stick made contact with Greig’s body before hitting him in the head. But that didn’t sway player safety as Rielly had “sufficient opportunity to choose to engage him in a different manner or ensure that this cross-check is delivered solely to the body.”
“In short, this is not a hockey play. This is an intentional, forceful strike to an opponent’s head using the stick as a weapon to exact retribution on an opponent well after a goal has been scored,” a video from the department explaining the suspension said.
Rielly was offered an in-person hearing for his actions. He not only accepted, but was even planning to travel to the NHL’s head office in New York for the 1 p.m. ET Tuesday hearing rather than appear, as many players do these days, over Zoom. Then, that plan was called off because of inclement weather.
GO DEEPER
Mendes: Is there a 'right way' to score an empty net goal? Ridly Greig sparks leaguewide debate
Point being, however, Rielly and the Leafs felt it was important to explain his actions to George Parros, the head disciplinarian, in person. “Morgan just made it clear that he had no intention of the way that it looked or the way that it played out, but he’s going (to New York) to just make a point that he’s not just going to let it go away,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe explained Monday afternoon. Zoom ultimately had to suffice.
Keefe said he thought Rielly’s response to Greig was “appropriate.”
The Leafs, as a whole, weren’t pleased one bit with what they believe was an attempt by Greig to show them up.
Advertisement
To lose Rielly for five games is a serious blow to Toronto, which is already fighting for its playoff life. He’s their No. 1 defenseman, the player who logs more minutes than anyone on the team — by a lot. Rielly has totaled about 1,218 minutes this season. The next closest Leaf is Mitch Marner and he hasn’t even hit 1,100.
GO DEEPER
MMLR: Was Morgan Rielly wrong to confront Ridly Greig?
Rielly, alone, is responsible for 42 percent of the points Toronto has gotten from its blue line this season and 44 percent of the goals. He attended the All-Star Game for the first time earlier this month.
In his absence, the Leafs will have no choice but to lean more on T.J. Brodie, having a down year at 33, as well as Jake McCabe and Timothy Liljegren. McCabe will get a look at Rielly’s spot on Toronto’s No. 1 power-play unit.
GO DEEPER
What will the Maple Leafs look like without Morgan Rielly?
Liljegren will step into a more meaningful opportunity alongside Brodie on the team’s top pair.
It was a different team, but the Leafs were able to weather Rielly’s absence due to an injury last season. It’ll be a lot more difficult this time around.
Required reading
- What the Maple Leafs will look like without Morgan Rielly
- Was Morgan Rielly wrong to confront Ridly Greig?
- Mendes: Is there a ‘right way’ to score an empty net goal? Ridly Greig sparks leaguewide debate
(Photo: Chris Tanouye / Getty Images)
