Morgan Rielly suspended for five games for cross-checking Ridly Greig in the head (Mod note in OP); upd: Rielly appealing his suspension (upheld)

[v00d00daddy]

So many people are in denial. If any player did this in another game the opposing team would react.

Should it be a cross check like Rielly? No. Too much. And he was punished accordingly.

But if your team does nothing at all they’d be ridiculed by all opponents and their coach would freak out on them for not responding.

 

[Korpse]

So many people are in denial. If any player did this in another game the opposing team would react.

Should it be a cross check like Rielly? No. Too much. And he was punished accordingly.

But if your team does nothing at all they’d be ridiculed by all opponents and their coach would freak out on them for not responding.

I personally am fine if a player feels the need to respond in a different manner but let’s not pretend that “the code” is something that is largely upheld. It’s just an excuse to use when a player has an unhinged reaction.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Looks like that data starts with the 17/18 season, so longer suspensions like...

Longest suspensions in NHL history | NHL.com

Wideman gets most games since Torres ban in 2015

www.nhl.com

...aren't accounted for. It looks like an image from discord. Any idea what site someone found the data on?

let me try to find the tweet. prob a Leafs homer one lol.
I just seem it pop up in my league's discord

Pretty sure the data is not accurate in more than one way. Washington has seen 12 suspensions since 17/18. 2 were Ovechkin all-star and 1 was Kuznetzov, but thats still 9 that would be applicable to the spreadsheet which would put them on the top of the list.

so it was a twitter leafs homer page. sorry for posting false info

 

[Ducer]

Indeed. Bettman and Parros both found the nut. What are the odds?

Just looking at your gif reminds how soft this league has become sigh the glory days.

 

[Strangle]

So Friedman said it was very rare but one of the only recent examples was with the Leafs.

Do you mean an HFboards poster wrote a purposely misleading post concerning the maple leafs?

I am ASTOUNDED!

 

[AzHawk]

I see, they were limiting it to Parros's Player Safety gig. I could only find this in terms of all-time stats, but it ranks teams by total dollar amount fined instead of total days suspended:

NHL | Spotrac.com

NHL homepage listing out teams, transactions and the latest news.

www.spotrac.com

I definitely don't know the answer, or if this site is even accurate, was mostly curious about the data.

 

[Seras]

Just because you do the right thing does not mean you will be rewarded as such, sometimes you must suffer for it while knowing you are doing the lords work.

 

[Strangle]

If you, like the OP I was responding to, also don't see the disrespect then I really can't help you, but one things for sure, definitely wouldn't want you as a teammate.

Its showboating and something that most players in the league don’t appreciate

This isn’t the f***ing NFL, with their garbage

NHL players have more class and sportsmanship than that. And that is maintained by the players on the ice

Anyone arguing against this as if they don’t understand it is just an idiot

Some fans, I’m sure, would love the NHL to turn into the NFL, where players have choreographed dance routines after every whistle. I don’t like those people though

 

[Kegu]

I see, they were limiting it to Parros's Player Safety gig. I could only find this in terms of all-time stats, but it ranks teams by total dollar amount fined instead of total days suspended:

NHL | Spotrac.com

NHL homepage listing out teams, transactions and the latest news.

www.spotrac.com

to be fair there were some caveats in the spreadsheet he posted so Evander Kanes suspension wouldn't have showed up, but its still not accurate.

Its showboating and something that most players in the league don’t appreciate

This isn’t the f***ing NFL, with their garbage

NHL players have more class and sportsmanship than that. And that is maintained by the players on the ice

Anyone arguing against this as if they don’t understand it is just an idiot

Enough class and sportsmanship to react like Rielly did.
Just because you can respond doesn't mean you should. Sometimes unwritten codes are bullshit and shouldnt exist.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Assuming his suspension got upheld? I saw Dangles rage on Twitter.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

If you, like the OP I was responding to, also don't see the disrespect then I really can't help you, but one things for sure, definitely wouldn't want you as a teammate.

Wouldn’t want someone taking stupid penalties. Feeling’s mutual. Honor-obsessed emotional weakness is not a good trait in general.

Would you have any reaction to what Grieg did? When he did it? How he did it?

I’d be more pissed that the game is all but decided more than I’d be by his actions.
So if I speak about Grieg specifically … no reaction.
And yeah, I have been historically the type to lose my shit, but mostly because of dirty or reckless shit that either risked an injury or outright caused ond. Not this barely noticeable act of small-time idiocy.

I will simply repeat my older post here, I find it tragicomical how many people find it more appropriate to have this response to a slapshot compared to someone reacting to an injury.

I personally am fine if a player feels the need to respond in a different manner but let’s not pretend that “the code” is something that is largely upheld. It’s just an excuse to use when a player has an unhinged reaction.

I have seen interpretation of “tHe cOdE” including shit like…
“For an injury against your player you should react by going after their goalie or star-player”

Instead of you know… THE GODDAMN PERPETRATOR.

 

[geebster]

Glad this got upheld and Bettman called the "oh but Grieg hurt our feelings by how he scored" arguments irrelevant. They really are when you have that much time to decide what to do and then go high with your stick.

I was pissed at Moore for his antics and rat behaviour but that in no way justified Bertuzzis actions. Same here. The only difference is that Grieg didn't get hurt, but if he was injured on that exact play would you be arguing that Rielly's feelies are a good enough reason? I'd suspect not.

If you are mad shove him or talk shit. Or maybe skate hard on the backcheck and not float in the first place. If someone did that to my team is be pissy but I'd talk shit and try to get him back next game.

 

[Sheppy]

The whataboutisms from Leaf fans is truly hilarious.

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

Good man, that Gary Bettman. The league has been in such good hands under his leadership. So glad the game has moved to a place where the true skill and level of talent (Greig) can be allowed to flourish without cavemen like Rielly being allowed to reduce everything beatings or 'donnybrooks.' It's embarrassing watching some of these old clips of the pre-Bettman era NHL. You'd be hard to even guess there was a game of hockey going on in between all the violence.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Glad this got upheld and Bettman called the "oh but Grieg hurt our feelings by how he scored" arguments irrelevant. They really are when you have that much time to decide what to do and then go high with your stick.

I was pissed at Moore for his antics and rat behaviour but that in no way justified Bertuzzis actions. Same here. The only difference is that Grieg didn't get hurt, but if he was injured on that exact play would you be arguing that Rielly's feelies are a good enough reason? I'd suspect not.

If you are mad shove him or talk shit. Or maybe skate hard on the backcheck and not float in the first place. If someone did that to my team is be pissy but I'd talk shit and try to get him back next game.

The Greig hurt our feelings because he scored is what some people have said that Leaf fans believe.

Good man, that Gary Bettman. The league has been in such good hands under his leadership. So glad the game has moved to a place where the true skill and level of talent (Greig) can be allowed to flourish without cavemen like Rielly being allowed to reduce everything beatings or 'donnybrooks.' It's embarrassing watching some of these old clips of the pre-Bettman era NHL. You'd be hard to even guess there was a game of hockey going on in between all the violence.

Fastastic! I love satire. This could be in the Onion!

 

[FerrisRox]

How much did this deserve with almost nothing left in an elimination game? Spoiler alert, it didn't even get a 2 minute penalty.

Two minutes for interference.

But what does that have to do with anything? How is an uncalled interference penalty connected to Morgan Rielly's suspension?

 

[Strangle]

Enough class and sportsmanship to react like Rielly did.
Just because you can respond doesn't mean you should. Sometimes unwritten codes are bullshit and shouldnt exist.

If you believe that, then you’re one of those fans I don’t like.

Every team in the league reacts that way if it happens to them, as they should.

You don’t show up your opponent in the NHL, or there are consequences. Don’t like that? Find another sport to watch. The NFL has tons of that bullshit, they’ll be happy to have you

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Two minutes for interference.

But what does that have to do with anything? How is an uncalled interference penalty connected to Morgan Rielly's suspension?

Well, I guess you could just read my post but just to help, here's what Bunting got a 3 game playoff suspension for a few games earlier. Look at both and you be the judge. And BTW, a 2 minute interference call against Staal would have meant everything to the Leafs at that point in the series/game so even your dismissal is not what you thought it was.

 

[KevinRedkey]

If you believe that, then you’re one of those fans I don’t like.

Every team in the league reacts that way if it happens to them, as they should.

You don’t show up your opponent in the NHL, or there are consequences. Don’t like that? Find another sport to watch. The NFL has tons of that bullshit, they’ll be happy to have you

The vast majority of fans believe a proper response is/was more along the lines of a face wash and fisticuffs.

 

[PaulD]

They’ve been posted in this thread over the course of the last couple weeks but Edmundson cross-checking Simmonds in the face (no punishment) Zegras cross-checking an opponent in the face (penalty only) and Greig himself cross checking an opponent in the face (1 regular season game) come to mind

we're those after a goal when the play had stopped or were they in to heat of the battle before the whistle or before the red light?

Dale Hunter got 21 games for almost exactly same dirty hit after Turgeon scored a goal. ( granted turgeon was injured on the hit)

 

[tapi]

A disappointing decision. To be fair, what Rielly did was stupid, but he was provoked and almost forced into action due to the breaking of unwritten code, which warranted a retribution. Rielly overreacted but a lesser punishment of 2-3 games would have been more justified, considering the circumstances.

 

[ALine]

being okay with Rielly’s response to a total hot dog move and being okay with the suspension he received are not mutually exclusive concepts. So much black and white in this thread but it’s okay to be okay with how it all went down.

Quite the lengthy justification for being upheld. All seems pretty legit reasoning. In this instance.

But we shall see going forward. What exactly is retribution vs self defence. Of the previous cases the NHLPA cited, Lizotte seemed to me to be pure retribution. Although not after the whistle, it was far removed from the play. To quote mike Lowry he was locked loaded and hunting his ass down.

Then there’s the forcefulness aspect, probably with respect to the skinner example cited.
Is a cross check to the side of a helmet worse than one directly to the chicklets.
Then there’s the trouba ‘high sticking’ from this season. Retribution? Sure is. After the play is dead? You betcha. And then there’s forcefulness. It’s a swing vs a bunt for a base hit. There’s a reason we have never seen anyone homer off a bunt.

If you’re okay with this, and I’m not saying I’m not, but if you aren’t there is plenty not to be okay with even from this season. And we will see going forward, how not okay the league and everyone here is with this sort of situation.

 

[Kegu]

If you believe that, then you’re one of those fans I don’t like.

Every team in the league reacts that way if it happens to them, as they should.

You don’t show up your opponent in the NHL, or there are consequences. Don’t like that? Find another sport to watch. The NFL has tons of that bullshit, they’ll be happy to have you

Believe what? That a response isn't always warranted, especially on the level that Rielly reacted? Guess you don't like me, not going to lose any sleep over it.
And no, every team does not react the way that Rielly reacted. Case in point is the Crosby reaction to zegras being a turd posted a few pages ago.

This talk about class and sportsmanship while simultaneously defending a cross check to the fact is comical.

 

[v00d00daddy]

Wouldn’t want someone taking stupid penalties. Feeling’s mutual. Honor-obsessed emotional weakness is not a good trait in general.

I’d be more pissed that the game is all but decided more than I’d be by his actions.
So if I speak about Grieg specifically … no reaction.
And yeah, I have been historically the type to lose my shit, but mostly because of dirty or reckless shit that either risked an injury or outright caused ond. Not this barely noticeable act of small-time idiocy.

I will simply repeat my older post here, I find it tragicomical how many people find it more appropriate to have this response to a slapshot compared to someone reacting to an injury.


I have seen interpretation of “tHe cOdE” including shit like…
“For an injury against your player you should react by going after their goalie or star-player”

Instead of you know… THE GODDAMN PERPETRATOR.

Hey I agree in theory. But think about this practically.

A 4th line fringe player that has a reputation of doing dirty things takes a dirty shot at your teams star player and hurts them. Like an 87/97/86 injured from a dirty play from a nobody.

You think the response is going after the 4th liner?

I don’t. Now…I don’t think the response should be a dirty play laid out on the 4th liners star teammate. But, I do think the 4th liners star players should all be targeted with more CLEAN attention than usual. Simple things like chipping the puck into the corner when their star is on, watch him go in for that puck and then level him with a clean hit. Totally disregard the scoreboard. Then they skate by the bench and tell the 4th liner that was dirty and hurt the star that it’s gonna happen like that for the rest of the game.

I don’t think this is a must to do. But I have zero issue with it. As long as you stay clean. Make the 4th liner/perpetrator and his team pay for his dirty play.

 

[KCbus]

Every team in the league reacts that way if it happens to them, as they should.

No, they don't.