Gary Bettman's final decision on Rielly's appeal has been announced

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been without their top defenseman for their past four games due to suspension, and now we know exactly when he could return to the lineup.

Morgan Rielly's suspension upheld by the NHL Commissioner

After being handed a five-game suspension for a cross-check to the face of Ridley Greig, Morgan Rielly faced the NHL Commissioner for an appeal, and it has now been announced that Gary Bettman upheld the NHL DoPS' decision.



This means that Toronto will be missing Rielly on Wednesday when they battle the Arizona Coyotes, but will be eligible for return on Thursday when they meet the reigning Stanley Cup Champions the Vegas Golden Knights.


It can be argued whether or not Greig's actions warranted a reaction, but no one deserves a cross check right to the face like that, and even after a relatively clean record throughout his career, this has been the absolute correct decision from Bettman and the NHL.