Morgan Rielly cross check to the head of Ridley Greig (DOPS UPDATE: In Person Hearing - 6 games or more possible)

[Duffalufagus]

He`s getting 10 games.

 

[Boris Zubov]

Paraphrasing cause I didn't write anything down of course as I listened to it on a walk but more or less:

- Friedman agreed that Rielly went too far - referenced a past example where Rielly fought Morrissey over a hit on Robertson which would have been a better response with Greig, shouldn't have lost his cool on Saturday.
- Friedman agreed Rielly should be suspended, but thought it would be in the range of 2-4 games and was surprised by the in person based on past examples. Referenced Lizotte and Magiapanne suspensions, also Matthews getting two because it didn't ride up on Dahlin and was straight to the head.
- Friedman and Marek both stated that this is all a case of tribalism - if it was reversed and it was Robertson or Knies that did what Greig did, Tkachuk would have responded and Sens fans would want him to. Similarly, if it was reversed, Leafs fans would be mad at the Sens for responding.
- Similar to the above, Sens fans calling Leafs fans out cause it was 'just an empty net' would have the opposite opinion if it was reversed. Again, all an example of tribalism in sports. Both sides are being ridiculous kind of opinion.
- Referenced past players including Marc Methot who said what Greig did was a no-no and that Rielly should have responded, but went too far.
- Mentioned how the Leafs are always called soft with no pushback/response and if the Leafs didn't do anything they'd be ripped (again, went too far), and Leafs fans will like that he had pride to do something. Again mentioned Sens fans would be happy if Tkachuk did the same.
- Hard for people to be measured/neutral with their opinions (case and point this thread).
- Referenced the Giroux interview post-game and how he didn't say much about it either way. Mentione how they believe he didn't like what Greig did and understood why Rielly did something in response, but obviously didn't like the severity of it. Referenced him learning under Pronger who would have done something way worse than Rielly did.
- This puts the Leafs in an awful position being without Rielly for a prolonged period of time.
- Mentioned examples of in person hearings getting less than 6 - Kulikov and John Moore, and Spezza.
- Reignites the Leafs/Sens rivalry which is good for the league.

Probably missing some stuff but that was the crux of it off the top of my head. Recommend listening.

Friedman missed the mark a bit here & also neglected to bring another group into the discussion...neutral fans.

 

[NyQuil]

My guess is 3-4 games.

 

[Natey]

It's hard for fans to be neutral.

Right. And sports broadcasters are known to hate sports and always be neutral, lol.

 

[hamzarocks]

David Perron cross checked a guy in the head after the play was over. He had no suspension history. He got 6 games.

Morgan Rielly cross checked a guy in the head after the play was over. He has no suspension history. He gets __ games?

That was a terrible suspension as well.

6 games for a cross check where no one got hurt is absurd.

This thread is full of posts of cross checks/slashes to the face that got nothing or 1 game (chiasson, trouba, chara, edmunson etc)

Some ppl here want 10, 15, 20 games for that lol.

 

[Akrapovince]

Worse play from Kesler than Greig and infinitely better response from Flames.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

I get that hockey is an emotional game, but that was an overreaction. Grab him, facewash him, confront him if you're mad that you were disrespected or it was against a code of some sort. Those would have been better options. Thase are at least is hockey things to do IMO.

What Rielly did was stupid.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

You realize there are ways to respond that aren’t cross checks to the face, right?

Responding is new to them as a team give them a few more years they will figure out how to do it in a better way than last night

 

[Natey]

Friedman missed the mark a bit here & also neglected to bring another group into the discussion...neutral fans.

He just clumped them into a group saying you can't be neutral lol

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

Probably because 5 out of 11 of Washingtons suspensions are Tom Wilson

How much you pay the moving company to move them goalposts for you?

 

[ToDavid]

Really????

One player had a vicious elbow during a play. Another one atatcked with the stick a player long after the play was over. And you think that the first one is worse?

Yes... it's not even close.

 

[MCR74]

Crazy take so far from reality that i dont know if your serious or joking

a full charging head shot hit might get 10 games if the players injured hard

A cross check shouldnt get more than 3 or 4 games

I've never seen so many tin foil hat wearing, butthurt haters in one thread. My favorite is the Canucks fan asking for 25 games, which is a hell of a flex given his team's history with violent injuries.

 

[red devil]

 

[Rob Brown]

He just clumped them into a group saying you can't be neutral lol

His point was that fans of any team will have different opinions on the same situation depending on which side of it they are on, and if it was reversed they would probably also flip their opinions. It's really not that complicated.

 

[Natey]

That was a terrible suspension as well.

6 games for a cross check where no one got hurt is absurd.

This thread is full of posts of cross checks/slashes to the face that got nothing or 1 game (chiasson, trouba, chara, edmunson etc)

Some ppl here want 10, 15, 20 games for that lol.

Basing suspensions off getting hurt is absurd.

Such a stupid take that I'm not sure if you're serious or not

 

[Frosty415]

You have been proven wrong throughout the thread.

Looks like he wasn't.

 

[PatrickEaves]

That was a terrible suspension as well.

6 games for a cross check where no one got hurt is absurd.

This thread is full of posts of cross checks/slashes to the face that got nothing or 1 game (chiasson, trouba, chara, edmunson etc)

Some ppl here want 10, 15, 20 games for that lol.

Yeah you're right. In a sport struggling with a concussion epidemic, unnecessary headshots shouldn't be punished even 1/7th as much as getting a friend to set your fantasy football lineup for you.

 

[Danarqhy]

He should get anywhere from 10-20 for that weasel cheapshot straight to the head, but I think it'll be 6 just like Perron. Cheapshots targeting the head are the most trash things in hockey and should be removed from the game. If Reilly was a real man he would have challenged him to a fight instead of trying to injure him. Spineless rat behavior.

 

[Peasy]

Worse play from Kesler than Greig and infinitely better response from Flames.

Lol what a bunch of soft crybabies getting mad at someone puttin a puck into the empty net after the horn. Pathetic.

 

[NyQuil]

That was a terrible suspension as well.

6 games for a cross check where no one got hurt is absurd.

This thread is full of posts of cross checks/slashes to the face that got nothing or 1 game (chiasson, trouba, chara, edmunson etc)

I’m obviously in a biased position because both incidents involved Sens players, but my primary problem is that they took place after play was called.

Cross checks are going to happen around the net, shoving etc.

But stick work after the whistle blows is dangerous. In Zub’s case, he was completely unsuspecting because he was not even the player involved and was in the act of actually trying to protect Larkin on the ice and had waved the trainer over.

If you’re teaching players that the whistle ends play, you have to reinforce that by penalizing infractions when play is stopped more severely.

I think there’s a certain acceptance that hockey is a physical game but hitting guys with sticks when guys are presumably more vulnerable after the referee has halted play should also very much be against the “code”.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

So wait 8 months and beat them in a meaningless regular season game? How soft have we gotten?

Personally - IMO the options in order of my preference are:

1) Get in face and challenge him to drop the gloves.
2) Whoop their ass the next time you play. That means 10X as much as cheap-shotting the rat.

What you don't do:
1) Cheap shot someone in the head for a harmless play. NHL is doing everything they can to minimize head contact, and it's especially damning to do so completely outside the course of play.

 

[chet1926]

Yeah this one is bad. Personally think 15 or more games.

It was a dumb showboat move by Grieg but that doesn't give you the right straight up attack him with a cross check to the head well after the goal.

You need to get your head evaluated if that's your reaction to some showboating. Sure you can be angry at him, but handle it the right way and make him drop the gloves next game you play him and move the f*** on.

 

[Calderon]

Saw another very similar incident on Reddit while this thread was closed. IIRC the guys who went berserk were in Flames uniform. Might've been against the Jets. Was hardly even a slapshot. That guy probably doesn't have a forehead to speak of and would've done better trying his hand at MMA. Some hockey players are truly pathetic neanderthals with this s***.

On a sidenote I cringe when I read stories about old time hockey way back in Gordie Howe's era. Players really purposely injured opponents even though back then players' salaries were nowhere near what they have become (the risk of retaliation being great made this something to consider). And as I understand, the audience was in awe. Madness.

 

[hamzarocks]

Yeah you're right. In a sport struggling with a concussion epidemic, unnecessary headshots shouldn't be punished even 1/7th as much as getting a friend to set your fantasy football lineup for you.

There was no injury to the player, Rielly/perron too had no history of such play.

If Rielly had shown he targets other pkayers heads before and/or Greig was out for a while then a longer suspension makes sense

Here nothing happend to Greig besides falling down after a cross check. This happens 20 times a game in front of the net.

Of course, Rielly doing this after the play deserves a suspension. But 6-10 or 10+ games is beyond insane.

3 games is probably right amount for first time offender on a play that had no lasting impact to the opponent

 

[ToDavid]

David Perron cross checked a guy in the head after the play was over. He had no suspension history. He got 6 games.

Morgan Rielly cross checked a guy in the head after the play was over. He has no suspension history. He gets __ games?

David Perron went out of his way to lift his stick over Zub's outstretched hand to cross check him clean in the side of the temple. Rielly's stick rode up Greig's shoulder into his neck.

We've seen the latter a million times and the punishment ranges from nothing, fines, to 1-2 games. Rielly probably fits at the high end of that because he went after him after the whistle.

But DoPS is ultimately a PR department, so we all know they're going to throw the book at him because they don't like the amount of media attention this sort of thing gets when it involves the Leafs.