The NHL has verified that Morgan Rielly’s suspension has been affirmed following an appeal to commissioner Gary Bettman last week.
Rielly received the suspension after cross-checking Ottawa Senators’ Ridly Greig in the head during the closing moments of a game earlier this month. The Maple Leafs defenseman was offered an in-person hearing at the league offices in New York early last week, resulting in a five-game suspension.
The NHLPA sought to decrease the suspension to three games for several reasons, primarily contending that the principal point of contact of the crosscheck was Greig’s body, not his head. They also argued that Rielly had no prior suspension history and that Greig sustained no injury from the incident.
Bettman upheld the suspension, deeming it appropriate given Rielly’s deliberate cross-check on Greig with a significant time lapse between the goal and the infraction. He also cited Rielly’s clean disciplinary record and the lack of injury to Greig as factors in the decision to impose the five-game suspension.
Rielly will sit out Toronto’s upcoming matchup against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday but will be eligible to return for the game against Vegas on Thursday.
In 50 games this season, the fifth overall pick from the 2012 draft has recorded seven goals and 36 assists. Throughout his 769-game NHL career, the former Moose Jaw Warrior has amassed 80 goals and 377 assists, with 37 points in 50 playoff games.
Despite Rielly’s absence, the Maple Leafs have performed impressively, winning all four games. This recent streak has propelled the Leafs from a wild-card position to third place in the Atlantic Division, boasting an 8-2-0 record in their last ten games. Toronto currently holds a three-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first wild-card spot and a four-point lead over Detroit for the final playoff position.
