Sports

Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly suspended 5 games for cross-check

Published

9 months ago

February 13, 2024

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly has been suspended five games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for a cross-check to the head of Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig on Saturday night.

Rielly hit Greig with his stick after the Senators rookie scored an empty-net goal on a slap shot from close distance with 5.1 seconds remaining.

“In short, this is not a hockey play. This is an intentional, forceful strike to an opponent’s head, using a stick as a weapon to exact retribution on an opponent well after a goal is scored,” NHL Player Safety said in its ruling on Tuesday.

Rielly, 29, had no on-ice disciplinary history in his 11-year professional career. Greig wasn’t injured on the play.

The hearing was scheduled to be in person at the NHL’s New York City offices on Tuesday but a snowstorm forced the parties to meet remotely.

An in-person hearing gives the Department of Player Safety the option of suspending a player for six or more games, but Rielly only received a five-game ban. The length of the ban also means that only NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will hear the appeal should Rielly choose to fight it.

Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Rielly will forfeit $195,312.50. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

The incident happened after Greig’s empty-net goal — with untypical emphasis for the NHL — made it 5-3. Instead of sliding the puck in for the score, Greig blasted a slap shot from between the circles to the delight of the home fans, but not the Maple Leafs.

As Greig glided along the boards in celebration, he noticed Rielly skating towards him “with purpose and at some distances,” according to the Department of Player Safety ruling. Rielly then raised his stick high with both hands and intentionally hit Greig in the head “with substantial force.”

Rielly earned a major penalty for cross-checking and a game misconduct.

After the game, the Maple Leafs stood by Rielly’s actions, with coach Sheldon Keefe calling them “appropriate.” Captain John Tavares said his teammates will “stand our ground when necessary.”

Star center Auston Matthews said Rielly wasn’t a “malicious player” and that Greig’s provocative empty-netter deserved a response.

“Somebody was going to do it, especially after a play like that,” Matthews said. “I just don’t think it’s really necessary to go down there and ‘hardest shot competition’ into the net.”

Greig’s teammates acknowledged the Ottawa rookie may have broken an unspoken rule with his slap shot, but they felt Rielly’s response was too harsh.

“The emotions sometimes will get to you,” veteran forward Claude Giroux said. “I obviously don’t like to see him getting in the face there, but there’s not much really to say. Sometimes that kind of stuff happens.”

The incident sparked a leaguewide debate about Greig’s sportsmanship, the appropriateness of Reilly’s response and whether the Maple Leafs defenseman was being singled out by NHL Player Safety because he plays for one of the league’s most scrutinized teams.

The situation in which the incident occurred — after an empty-net goal, with around five seconds remaining in the game — was a significant factor in the NHL’s decision to suspend Rielly.

There have been other instances of cross-checks to opponents’ head that resulted in smaller suspensions because they happened during the course of play. Last season, Los Angeles Kings forward Blake Lizotte was suspended for one game for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey in the head after the two got physical during play. This season, Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane earned a one-game suspension for cross-checking Seattle’s Jared McCann in the neck while he was flat on the ice.

“This was not the case of two players mutually jousting where both players could reasonably expect escalating contact,” NHL Player Safety said. “This is also not an inadvertent or accidental use of the stick for hockey purposes.”

A comparable incident was that of David Perron‘s crosscheck on Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub, which resulted in a six-game suspension that the Detroit Red Wings forward has since appealed. Like with Rielly, the NHL viewed Perron’s cross-check as a retaliatory move after the Senators’ Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly both hit Detroit’s Dylan Larkin, leaving the Red Wings’ captain unconscious on the ice. Like Greig, Zub wasn’t injured.

Perron actually offered the same counter-argument in his argument that Rielly did: That his stick made contact with the body before striking the head of his opponent.

NHL Player Safety, however, determined Rielly’s incident “was not a case in which a stick is raised to an excusable level and is significantly deflected up to the head area.”

The NHL said Rielly had ample time not to raise his stick or to aim his cross-check to Greig’s body instead.

The Maple Leafs hold the Eastern Conference’s top wild card spot entering Tuesday’s play. Rielly is their top defenseman in points (43) and minutes played (24:21).

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

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AP cricket:

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Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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