After the NHL Players’ Association filed an appeal, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld Morgan Rielly’s five-game sentence for cross-checking.
The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman was suspended by the league’s department of player safety last week for cross-checking Senators winger Ridly Greig’s head in the closing seconds of Ottawa’s 5-3 victory on February 10.
With 5.1 seconds remaining in regulation, Greig took a close-range slapshot into an empty net as Rielly, who was called for a major penalty and game misconduct, jumped at him high. Greig was not hurt during the play.
The appeal’s decision by Bettman is final. If a player is suspended for six or more games, they only have the option to appeal the decision to an impartial arbiter later.
The NHL’s New York headquarters hosted the meeting between Bettman and Rielly’s attorneys on Friday.
The NHLPA contended, as per Bettman’s decision, that Rielly had no intention of hitting Greig in the head because the main point of contact was his torso prior to the stick riding up Greig’s arm.
The NHLPA highlighted Greig’s injury-free record and Rielly’s spotless record, noting that the blueliner had not been suspended in his 819 games played, including playoffs. Additionally, it contended that, given previous sanctions for comparable offenses, the Department of Player Safety’s decision was harsh.
Rielly had enough time, according to Bettman’s ruling, to approach Greig in a different way, “e.g. with a push or a shove or even by dropping his gloves to fight.”
According to Bettman, “had he done so, there probably would not have been a need for additional discipline.”
