With a full day to digest the news that the NHL Department of Player Safety had left open the possibility of suspending Morgan Rielly six games or more for his cross-check of Ottawa’s Ridly Greig, the Toronto Maple Leafs were unable to hide their dismay at that decision.
“We spent a lot of time watching pretty much every cross-check that’s happened in the last number of years and the ones that I thought were similar in nature to Morgan’s were nothing close to requiring that,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said Monday. “At the same time, I think there’s a history also of events that happen in Toronto and with the Leafs that get more attention and more hype that tend to lead to something such as this.
“To that end, not surprised.”
Given the lengths the organization typically takes to stay above the fray and to avoid bulletin board-type comments, it was a sign of bubbling frustration behind the scenes.
Rielly’s hearing at the NHL’s New York office will take place at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday. It’s a shame it won’t be recorded for all to see.
The Leafs never imagined their top defenseman might be sidelined for as long as two weeks when the bus pulled away from Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night.
After seeing Greig fire a slap shot into an empty net to cap Ottawa’s 5-3 win, Rielly immediately sought retribution for a perceived slight against his team. He delivered a cross-check to Greig’s head with enough force to knock him off his feet and was ejected with seconds left on the clock.
“I think it definitely deserved a reaction,” said Leafs forward Auston Matthews. “Obviously Morgan’s not a malicious player or somebody that’s dirty, by any means. I think him approaching (Greig) was something that was just bound to happen, somebody was going to do it, especially after a play like that.
“I don’t think it’s really necessary to go down there and have a hardest shot competition into the net.”
Morgan Rielly was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct following his cross-check on Ridly Greig. (Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photography / Getty Images)
Rielly has no history of supplemental discipline, and Greig suffered no apparent injury on the play. He was a full participant at Senators practice on Monday.
Had the NHL Department of Player Safety opted to conduct Rielly’s disciplinary hearing over the phone, they couldn’t have handed down a suspension longer than five games. That they instead extended him the option of an in-person hearing was a clear sign that George Parros’ group is leaning toward something longer.
“I thought it was going to be a fine, to be honest,” said veteran Leafs forward Ryan Reaves. “A fine, maybe a one (game suspension). But I come from a different era of hockey where I don’t even think that would have been a fine, to be honest with you.
“The other kid might have got a call and said, ‘Smarten up.”’
As Rielly gets set for his hearing in New York, here’s a look at the factors that will determine how long he’ll be out of the Leafs lineup:
How does the process work?
It’s notable Rielly elected to take the NHL up on its offer of an in-person meeting. He’ll travel to New York with his agent (J.P. Barry of CAA Hockey), members of Leafs management and representatives from the NHL Players’ Association to state his case.
Since the COVID pandemic, players have had the option to conduct “in-person” hearings remotely via Zoom and many of them have opted to take it, including Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron when he was suspended six games for cross-checking in December.
Rielly will apply a more personal touch.
It’s believed the biggest thing working against him is the fact his cross-check was delivered after the play, and after a goal, rather than in the course of normal game action. It’s expected he’ll try to explain to Parros what he was thinking as he pursued Grieg and how the play got away from him.
“Morgan just made it clear that he had no intention of the way that it looked or the way that it played out, but he’s going (to New York) to just make a point that he’s not just going to let it go away,” said Keefe.
The NHL Department of Player Safety has handed out a range of different punishments for cross-checking infractions in recent years — ranging from a one-game suspension to Edmonton’s Alex Chiasson in 2021 to a four-game suspension to Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin in 2022 to the six-game ban handed to Perron.
While the in-person hearing allows player safety to give Rielly six games or more, it has the discretion to come in below that threshold.
Every game he might reduce the ban is valuable, for the Leafs as they continue battling for playoff positioning and for Rielly who stands to lose more than $39,000 in salary per game he’s ultimately suspended.
The comparisons to the Perron incident are unavoidable. He appealed his six-game suspension to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, only to have it upheld, and will take the case to a neutral arbitrator this summer.
In his ruling, Bettman noted that Perron had other options when he elected to defend an injured teammate rather than cross-checking Senators defenseman Artem Zub in the side of the head.
“He could have pushed or jabbed him or even dropped his gloves to fight, but he did not. Had he chosen other options to support his teammate he might still have been penalized, but the episode may have ended without supplementary discipline,” Bettman wrote.
The same, undoubtedly, applies to the decision made by Rielly.
What about Rielly’s history?
Rielly doesn’t run afoul of the rules very often.
He’s coming up on 800 regular season games in the NHL and has taken a grand total of 100 minor penalties. For context, Hampus Lindholm, taken one pick after Rielly in the 2012 draft, has taken 205 minors while playing in 45 fewer games.
Rielly finished fourth in voting for the Lady Byng Trophy in 2019 following a season that saw him get whistled for only seven minor penalties while playing over 23 minutes a night. Rielly was on the road to another Lady Byng-like season this year, with only four minor penalties through the first 50 games. He didn’t take the first one until game No. 41.
“I don’t think Mo has ever done anything dangerous before,” said teammate William Nylander. “What does he have, like, three penalties this year or something?”
Rielly has been called for only three five-minute majors in his entire career and that includes the one he got for cross-checking Greig on Saturday.
Last season, when the Leafs were playing the Jets in October, Rielly got five minutes for fighting and a two-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct when he confronted Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey.
Morrissey had just run over Rielly’s young teammate, Nick Robertson.
As with Greig over the weekend, Rielly was standing up for his team.
What are the options if Rielly doesn’t want to accept his punishment?
There’s a high probability this suspension will result in an appeal.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, players have 48 hours after a decision is handed down to officially file one in writing. They remain suspended if the term of the suspension is still ongoing, and Bettman is required to hear appeals on an expedited basis.
In the event the commissioner confirms a suspension at six games or longer, Section 18.13 of the CBA allows the player to take his case to a neutral arbitrator. He must file that appeal within seven days of Bettman’s ruling.
As Rielly awaits his fate, he’ll be hoping there’s no reason for his case to get that far.
(Top photo: Richard A. Whittaker / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
