Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly faces suspension for mind-checking Senators’ Ridly Greig

Toronto Maple Leafs All-Star defenseman Morgan Rielly is facing a potentially lengthy suspension for his reaction to an Ottawa Senators goal Saturday night.

The NHL’s Player Safety Department announced on Sunday that it has offered Rielly a personal hearing (possible suspension for six or more games) for a head check on Senators striker Ridly Greig after he scored a goal. The hearing was scheduled to take place Tuesday afternoon at the NHL office in New York, but took place switched to a virtual one due to expected bad weather.

Greig had put the finishing touches to the 5-3 Battle of Ontario win with an empty-net goal in the final seconds, but he fired the puck into the net with a point-blank slap shot, a violation of the NHL’s unwritten code .

Rielly, annoyed at the way the goal was scored, followed Greig as he ran back to his teammates to celebrate, then checked him in the air. Greig went down to the ice and stayed down as the crush began, but eventually he got back up.

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The on-ice referees presented Rielly with a cross-check, which was upheld upon review. He also received a game misconduct penalty.

Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said he thought Rielly’s reaction was appropriate.

“I think he’s reacting to a play,” Keefe told reporters. “Your player has the right to do whatever he wants in that moment and our players have the right to react. These are the emotions of the game.”

Senators coach Jacques Martin said Rielly’s hit was “not a hockey play.” Asked about the way Greig scored the goal, he said: “He put the puck in the net. Whether he pushes him or shoots him shouldn’t matter.”

The Player Safety Department suspended David Perron of the Detroit Red Wings for six games earlier this season for taking a cross-check to the head during a game against the Senators. Perron responded to an injury to his captain Dylan Larkin.

Rielly, who was never suspended, was voted by fans into this month’s All-Star Game in Toronto and was one of four Maple Leafs players on Matthews’ victorious team.

NHL player security has already been busy this weekend, suspending Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov for two games on Saturday for an illegal check on the head of Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond. The Canucks play Sunday afternoon, so the hearing took place hours after Saturday’s game. Zadorov will forfeit more than $39,000 in salary.

On Sunday, the department fined Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk a maximum of $5,000 for spearing Washington Capitals forward Max Pacioretty in Saturday’s game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Morgan Rielly head-checks Ridly Greig, faces suspension