BREAKING: Gary Bettman Explains His Decision To Uphold Toronto Maple Leafs Defenseman Morgan Rielly's Suspension

In his ruling on the Morgan Rielly suspension appeal, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman makes it clear that Ridley Greig's slapshot into the empty net before Rielly's cross-check was "utterly irrelevant."

"The cross-check was delivered as retribution for an unnecessary and seldom seen play that Mr. Rielly believed may have been intended to embarrass Toronto. Although much of the testimony offered by Messrs. Rielly, Treliving and Shanahan at the hearing concerned whether Mr. Greig's slap shot was provocative, that discussion is utterly irrelevant. Mr. Rielly's actions were not undertaken in self-defense. They were not accidental and they were not
reflexive. They were not simply careless or merely reckless. With plenty of time to think about what he was going to do next, Mr. Rielly approached Mr. Greig from the side then used his stick." - Gary Bettman