The debate all day today was how many games Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly was going to be suspended for following his cross-check to Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig at the end of last night's game. We may now finally have an answer to that debate as the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced today that Rielly has been offered an in-person hearing. The in-person hearing gives the DOPS the option to suspend Rielly for more than five games.
Rielly has never had issues in his career with supplemental discipline and would be a first-time offender. Jason Spezza was also a first-time offender when the DOPS suspended him six games for hitting Neal Pionk of the Winnipeg Jets a couple of seasons ago. Once again, it appears that because the head of the DOPS, George Parros is a former Montreal Canadien, he is going to have a bias opinion on the severity of Rielly's suspension.
Of the handful of times that the DOPS has offered a player an in-person hearing over the last 5-7 seasons, the Leafs have had 3 players targeted by Parros; Kadri, Spezza and now Rielly. At some point, the Leafs as an organization will have to step in and file a grievance against the league for continuing to employ someone who carries a clear bias against the Leafs.
