The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly has been suspended five games for cross-checking Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig in the head. Rielly committed the offense after Greig had taken a slap shot into Toronto’s empty net on Saturday night.
The veteran defender had a virtual hearing with the league on Tuesday after his previously planned in-person hearing was canceled due to travel and weather concerns.
The highly talked about play happened as the Senators were wrapping up a 5-3 victory over the Maple Leafs. Greig wound up and blasted home the empty-net goal with just five seconds remaining on the clock which Rielly clearly took as a sign of disrespect.
Infuriated by the breaking of unwritten rules, Rielly leaped and cross-checked Greig in the face. After the ensuing melee was cleared up, the 29-year-old blueliner was handed a cross-checking major penalty and ejected from the game.
Despite not being suspended or fined once before in his career spanning 11 NHL seasons, Rielly has received the second-longest punishment any NHL player has faced this season for an on-ice action. The only player with a longer suspension this year is David Perron, who happened to be the direct precedent for this case.
Perron was suspended six games in December for cross-checking Ottawa’s Artem Zub in the head. Perron appealed that suspension and it was upheld by commissioner Gary Bettman after further review. The longest suspension this season, 41 games, was given to the Senators’ Shane Pinto for activities related to sports wagering.
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 will miss games against the St. Louis Blues (2), Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, and Arizona Coyotes. He’ll be eligible to return against the Vegas Golden Knights on February 22. His loss will be a major one for the Maple Leafs as he is their leading minutes man and has 42 points (7g, 35a) in 49 games.
Toronto is currently clinging onto one of the wild card playoff positions in the Eastern Conference and is just 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Here’s the press release from the league on the suspension:
Rielly suspended 5 games for Maple Leafs after cross-checking Greig of Senators
NEW YORK — Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly has been suspended for five games, without pay, for cross-checking Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig during NHL Game No. 812 in Ottawa on Saturday, Feb. 10, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.
The incident occurred at 19:54 of the third period. Rielly was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for cross-checking.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Rielly will forfeit $195,312.50. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
