Morgan Rielly Issued A Five Game Suspension
Morgan Rielly is receiving the long-awaited suspension. The NHL’s department of Player Safety is handing the Maple Leafs defenseman a five-game suspension according to Kevin Weekes. After a couple of days, the fallout surrounding his explosive reaction against Ridly Greig of the Ottawa Senators is settling. Weekes initially confirmed the news earlier this afternoon:
**Breaking News**
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) February 13, 2024
I’m told @MapleLeafs Reilly will receive a 5 Game Suspension. #LeafsForever #HockeyX #HockeyTwitter
Ever since the incident, the hockey community will not stop debating the topic. Old-school fans think Rielly should not be penalized and that Greig broke the unwritten “code” of the game. The scene here is as follows: winning 4-3 with seconds remaining, Greig had a 1-on-0 with an empty net. In the Battle of Ontario, tensions were always going to be elevated. To the crowd’s delight, Greig took a slapshot into the net, which drew a reaction from the Maple Leafs defenseman. A scrum predictably ensued, and players on both sides had a lot to say.
One of the main voices the media sought out was that of Ryan Reaves. The 37-year-old joined the Leafs in the offseason for… physicality reasons. He is not a very good player these days, and has been in and out of the lineup for Sheldon Keefe so far. Reavo did play against the Sens but was not on the ice when the incident occurred. The fact of the matter is that he does not really add anything to this team besides some sandpaper. Regardless, he had one of the most infamous postgame quotes of the bunch:
“I thought it was appropriate,” Reaves said. “I don’t see how a kid that young thinks it’s appropriate to do something like that. I thought ‘Good on Mo.’ Hopefully it’s not too harsh on him and I don’t think it should be.”
“Make hockey violent again, get that tattooed on me.”
Ryan Reaves via David Alter, The Hockey News
New Tricks For Old Dogs
Has the game changed? Yes, absolutely. The emphasis on finishing checks and physicality is certainly less than it once was. Younger players are taught to play with more speed, skill, and in some cases, flair. Players like Trevor Zegras are a prime example of that. He certainly has things to work on in his game. However, the fans gravitate towards him. For better or worse, hockey is being defined more and more by skill-based players and not physical ones. There are definitely hard-nosed players still in the league and being developed today.
Does an older player on the Sens like Claude Giroux slap the puck in if he was there? Honestly, I would say probably not. Again, this is me talking. I do not think Greig did anything wrong. It was a heated game and he fed into the emotions to claim a feel-good win. Moments like these will simply bring the conflicting schools of thought back into the forefront.
Is hockey still a “tough” sport? Morgan Rielly’s five game suspension will have many people debating that question.
