Morgan Rielly's appeal of five-game suspension to be heard on Friday

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The hearing for Morgan Rielly’s appeal of his five-game suspension will come on Friday afternoon in New York.

The in-person appeal will be heard before National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman.

The suspension, which marked the first time during Rielly’s 769-game NHL career that he has been punished by the league, was announced on Tuesday.

The Toronto Sun confirmed the Friday hearing after it was initially reported by TSN’s Chris Johnston.

The suspension was handed down after Rielly cross-checked Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig in the head during the game between the teams last Saturday and was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct.

Greig was not injured by the cross-check. Rielly was upset after Greig fired a slapshot into the empty Leafs’ net, while on a breakaway, to put the lid on a 5-3 Ottawa victory. 

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Rielly has sat two games, and as of now, is eligible to return next Thursday in Vegas against the Golden Knights. 

The National Hockey League Players’ Association appealed on behalf of Rielly. A source indicated that part of the appeal will include a discussion of previous decisions made by the NHL for similar incidents.

Bettman does not usually reduce suspensions, but did so in December 2021 after Jason Spezza, then with the Leafs, got six games for kneeing Neal Pionk of the Winnipeg Jets in the head. 

After Bettman heard Spezza’s appeal, three days passed before the NHL announced that the commissioner was upholding the suspension, but cutting it to four games.

On Thursday, Leafs captain John Tavares spoke to media for the first time since the Rielly suspension was announced. 

“Obviously, we think it’s high,” Tavares said. “I don’t think his intent was to get him as high as he did. But we want to stand our ground when situations like that happen.

“Rielly probably will speak for himself when the time comes, how he can handle it in a certain way and not leading to him missing games, but we loved the response that he showed, sticking up for the group and the way we compete and stand our ground and play for the logo on our chest. 

“He represents that more than anyone, I think, in this hockey club. We support him greatly and love him as a teammate and how he leads.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun