Top Update: Maple Leafs Sends Off Three Top Key Players On Suspension Regarding Crisis….

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly was suspended five games for cross-checking Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig in the final seconds of the teams’ game over the weekend.

The NHL Players’ Association announced Wednesday it was filing an appeal on Rielly’s behalf, less than 24 hours since the league’s department of player safety handed down its ruling.

An in-person hearing, which was actually held virtually Tuesday because of snow in New York, allowed the league to suspend Rielly for six or more games. Because the suspension is under that mark, the only appeal is to Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Anything longer would have gone to Bettman and then, if requested, to a neutral arbitrator.

Rielly took exception to Greig firing a slap shot into an empty net with 5.1 seconds left Saturday night to make it 5-3 Senators. He cross-checked Greig in the head and left shoulder but did not injure the 21-year-old playing his first full professional season.

“This is not a hockey play,” the league said in a video explaining the suspension. “This is an intentional, forceful strike to an opponent’s head using the stick as a weapon to exact retribution on an opponent well after a goal has been scored.”

Rielly is eligible to return from suspension on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights.

TEMPE, Ariz. — Morgan Rielly is anxious to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup on Thursday when his team visits the Vegas Golden Knights.

The defenseman spoke to the media for the first time since he was suspended for five games following his cross-check to the head of Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig.

“Lots to be learned, grateful it’s almost over,” Rielly said following his team’s skate as they were preparing to take on the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena on Wednesday. “It’s been an opportunity to grow and learn a little bit and we’re almost over with it.”

Rielly was appreciative of the support he’s received from his teammates and the rest of the organization as the player attempted to appeal his five-game sentence last week. Along with his agent, J.P. Barry and representatives from the NHLPA, Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan and GM Brad Treliving joined Rielly on his trip to New York to appeal the original suspension in front of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

The Leafs defenseman confirmed his retaliatory cross-check of Greig, who took a slapshot into an empty net, was just a reaction to that and not done for any other reason.

“I just wanted to address something and it obviously got away from me,” Rielly said. “It was not intended to be executed the way that it was.”

Rielly communicated that at his appeal as well in the hope that his suspension would be reduced and was asked if the process to do that was difficult.

“I didn’t convince them of anything, so I guess so,” Rielly said. “I was just honest about how the play went down and what I was thinking and what I was trying to do.”

The Leafs are a perfect 4-0-0 without Rielly in the lineup as of this writing. The play of TJ Brodie and Timothy Liljegren have improved since Rielly stepped out of the lineup and it will make for some interesting lineup changes once Rielly returns.

“We’re obviously a little bit disappointed but at the end it’s out of our control,” Auston Matthews said of the Rielly’s failed appeal. ‘We’re just going to keep fighting and keep battling for him. I know once he comes back tomorrow he’s going to be ready to play.”