Bettman had an odd suggestion for Leafs’ Rielly in suspension appeal

Today, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that he’d be upholding a suspension against Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly.

Rielly was serving a five-game ban for his cross-check on Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig, whom the Toronto defenceman had hit following a slap-shot empty-net goal in the waning stages of a game between the two teams on February 10.

Via the NHLPA, Rielly had tabled an appeal to Bettman, suggesting a shortening of his five-game suspension.

But four days after Rielly’s in-person hearing in New York — and after Rielly had already served four of the five games — the NHL’s top boss announced today he’d be upholding the decision from the NHL Department of Player Safety.

The majority of the ruling, which is 11 pages long, reads mostly how you’d expect: Bettman felt the play was “reckless,” “unnecessary,” “forceful,” and “intentional,” and he deemed the five-game suspension a worthy one.

According to Bettman, Rielly admitted that he went after Greig for a play that he felt was meant to embarrass the Leafs, and the commissioner felt that play was “not accidental,” with Rielly using his stick “as a weapon” to strike Greig.

But perhaps most interesting in the ruling was Bettman’s suggestion for how Rielly should’ve dealt with his anger: a bit of a softer form of violence.

“Mr. Rielly pursued Mr. Grieg for some time, and had sufficient opportunity to engage him in a different manner, e.g., with a push or a shove or even dropping his gloves to fight. Had he done so, there would likely be no need for supplementary discipline,” Bettman wrote.

It’s interesting to see the commissioner of a league suggest that course of action in the closing stages of a game instead of, well, not physically engaging with another player at all. Hockey has a long history of players taking matters into their own hands to solve on-ice disputes, but it’s a little strange to see the league commissioner suggesting a player challenge another one to a fight.

In any case, the suspension hasn’t slowed the Leafs down much, as they’ve gone 4-0 in his absence.

The Leafs play their final of five games without Rielly tomorrow when they travel to Arizona to take on the Coyotes at Mullett Arena. Puck drop is set for 10 pm ET.