Maple Leafs defensemen Morgan Reilly handed five-game suspension

Maple Leafs defensemen Morgan Reilly handed five-game suspension

Ugly late-game penalty creates controversy

By Ryan Mosher

TORONTO (Feb. 15, 2024) – On Tuesday Feb. 13, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly was suspended five games for a cross-check delivered to the head of Ottawa Senators forward Ridley Greig on Saturday at the Canadia Tire Centre.

Rielly reacted when Grieg took a slapshot into an empty net with six seconds remaining. The defenseman considered the play disrespectful and believed it deserved a response. He skated towards Greig and delivered a blow to the head.

There are two different schools of thought on the incident. Many younger players and fans thought the act was egregious and uncalled for, but older ones believed the response was warranted.

Teammate Ryan Reaves appreciated Rielly’s response and was disappointed with the NHL’s reaction. Per The Hockey News’ David Alter, Reaves even went as far as to say “Make hockey violent again, a tattoo I should get”.

I believe the play from Grieg did merit a response, but Rielly’s actions were unacceptable. There are other ways to make a statement and stand up for your team when you feel disrespected. An intentional cross-check to the head is never an acceptable play.

Rielly was offered an in-person hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety to discuss a punishment. An in-person hearing typically results in a longer suspension, compared to a telephone hearing.

A similar play by David Perron earlier in the season resulted in a six-game suspension from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

The reason for Rielly’s shorter suspension was his lack of disciplinary history. Rielly is historically a clean player, and this was his first offense, whereas Perron did have a prior offence. The forward received a $5,000 fine in 2022, the maximum amount under the current CBA, when he cross-checked Nazeem Kadri.

The NHL is often criticized for being wildly inconsistent when it comes to suspensions. However, their decision regarding this incident appears to be consistent when compared to the Perron incident.

Rielly filed an appeal against the suspension and an in-person meeting with commissioner Gary Bettman has been scheduled for tomorrow. Realistically the best-case scenario for Rielly is a one-game reduction of his suspension, but I don’t see that as a likely outcome.