My Thoughts on the Rielly Suspension

 

Photo From Sportsnet

Saturday night while the Leafs were in the nation's Capital Ottawa’s Ridly Greig would send a slap shot into the open Leaf goal. Morgan Rielly would take exception to this by cross-checking the Sens forward. We all knew a suspension was coming and the Department of Player Safety handed down a five-game suspension. Here is where I have an issue with the decision. First off if this crosscheck is worth a five-game ban, fine but that better be the standard. Here’s the thing anyone who watches this game and follows this league knows that there is no standard when it comes to discipline in the National Hockey League. That same incident could happen in another game and that player won’t receive a five-game suspension. He may receive fewer games, a fine, or nothing at all. The number one issue fans have with player safety rulings is that they are always a coin flip. You never know what the penalty will be if there even is one handed down. Morgan Reilly has been in the league since 2013, he is currently in his 11^th season as a Maple Leaf and until yesterday has never been fined or suspended. Player Safety has always said that they consider a player’s history when deciding on a punishment. It is obvious that didn’t happen because Reilly gets five games when Brad Marchand who has a list of incidents involving slew footing as a repeat offender where he usually gets a fine or nothing at all Timothy Liljegren earlier in the season comes to mind.

George Parros is the league's chief of discipline he took that role when he retired after falling to the ice and knocking himself out. This happened in a fight against Toronto’s Colton Orr. Since Parros has been in charge the Leafs who everyone considers to be soft have led the league in suspensions and if you can’t find the irony in that then I don’t know what to tell you.

Now I know people are going to read this and think “Oh here’s an upset Leaf fan” and they’re right I am upset, but I am upset because I know there’s going to be another cross-checking incident and the punishment will not be a five-game suspension. Last night on the TSN broadcast, during the first intermission of the Leafs Blues game Darren Dreger explained part of the reason why Rielly was given five games was because Greig wasn’t expecting a retaliation. That is without a doubt the dumbest thing I have heard an analyst say because if he didn’t expect someone to retaliate then Ridly is hands down an idiot. Darren needs to watch the video again. Ridley takes the slap shot then looks right at Morgan and sees him skating toward Greig and you honestly believe he didn’t know something was going to happen?

You have heard the Leafs give their thoughts on the incident and you have even heard players on other teams give their thoughts and they all say the same thing “It was appropriate” Ottawa’s Ridly Greig wanted to show up their opponent because the only time anyone pays attention to that embarrassing franchise is when they beat Toronto in the Regular Season. Grieg showed up the opponent and he almost had his head taken off and deservedly so because we all know that if the Leafs did that to Ottawa or any opponent there would be the appropriate retaliation.

 

I have said it so many times before the National Hockey League needs to adopt the IIHF’s formula for discipline. If an infraction carries a five-game suspension as a minimum, then it’s the same penalty for everyone. You never hear international fans complain about the length of a suspension, they may be disappointed with the decision, but you don’t hear them say “It’s too long” Why? Because the IIHF is consistent with their discipline. If the NHL would do the right thing and use this method, you have fewer fans and teams complaining about punishments handed down. The sad part is until Gary Bettman wants his league to be taken seriously things are going to stay the same and the player safety department is going to do what they always do…. Flip a coin.