The NHL has delivered its verdict. Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly receives a five-game suspension for his double-check against Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig.
The incident occurred at the very end of Saturday’s match between the two Ontario rivals. Greig scored into an empty net with a slapshot a few feet from the target, a move that Rielly clearly didn’t appreciate. Rielly responded by rushing towards Greig, stick in the air, and aimed at Greig in the head.
“This play occurs long after the goal was scored, late in the game, which was then out of reach, with the sole objective of revenge,” explains the NHL in the video announcing the suspension. And if we accept Rielly’s argument that his stick touches part of Greig’s body before hitting him in the head, this is not a case of the stick changing direction enough. Rielly has been chasing Greig long enough to have time to change the way he tackles him, or make sure to only hit Greig in the body. Rielly is in full control and chooses to bring his stick up to Greig’s head and neck.
“It’s not a hockey game. It is an intentional, powerful blow to the head, which uses the stick for revenge long after the goal. »
In this same video, the League recalls that Rielly has never been suspended or fined in 769 games in the circuit, an argument which could therefore have worked in favor of the Leafs defender.
After the game, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe called Rielly’s gesture “appropriate,” a term echoed by Leafs strongman Ryan Reaves, who had been benched for 11 minutes. at the time of the incident.
The NHL offered Rielly an in-person hearing, allowing it to suspend the player for six games or more if it deemed necessary. The appearance, however, took place virtually due to weather conditions in the New York area, where the NHL offices are located.
Rielly is the Maple Leafs’ most used player this season, with an average playing time of 24:21. In 50 games, he has 43 points (7 goals, 36 assists).