Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly faces the possibility of a lengthy suspension after the NHL department of player safety announced Sunday that the veteran will have an in-person hearing on Tuesday over his cross-check at the end of Toronto’s 5-3 loss to Ottawa.
Rielly cross-checked Ottawa’s Ridly Greig after the Senators forward chased down a loose puck and wound up for a slap shot at the hash marks into the empty net to clinch Ottawa’s win.
An in-person hearing allows the possibility of a suspension of six games or more.
Rielly has played 767 NHL games and has never faced supplemental discipline from the league.
“I thought (Rielly’s reaction) was appropriate,” Keefe told reporters in Ottawa. “He’s reacting to a play. Their player has the right to react in that moment, and our players have the right to react. That’s the emotion of the game.”
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