TEMPE, Ariz. – Morgan Rielly has broken his silence.
Suspended five games by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety after he delivered a cross-check to the head of Senators forward Ridly Greig in the dying moments of Ottawa’s 5-3 victory on Feb. 10, the Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman addressed the situation for the first time Wednesday.
Rielly, who was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct, lunged at Greig up high after the centre fired a slapshot into an empty net from close range with 5.1 seconds left in regulation.
Greig wasn’t injured on the play that led to furious debate about hockey’s unwritten rules in the modern game.
It was just a reactionary thing,” Rielly, who has sat out four games, told reporters in Tempe, Ariz., on Wednesday of the play that led to his ban. “I felt like I just wanted to address something. It got away from me. It was not intended to be executed the way it was.
“It’s been an opportunity to learn and grow a little bit.