Opinion: Maple Leafs' Rielly Hit Was Bad, But It Was Not Dale Hunter 2.0

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly will have a hearing on Tuesday for Saturday's cross-check. Ken Campbell discusses the hit and a comparison it received.

When Morgan Rielly finds himself in front of the NHL's Department of Player Safety Tuesday for his cross-check on Ridly Greig of the Ottawa Senators, he’s basically going to attempt to defend the indefensible.

What Rielly did Saturday night was egregious and unnecessary, and that’s why he finds himself having to explain his actions. The reason why this cross-check is being taken far more seriously than others is that it had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with a hockey play.

On the other hand, those who compare it to the 21-game suspension Dale Hunter of the Washington Capitals received for a similar hit on Pierre Turgeon of the New York Islanders in 1993 have forgotten that Turgeon was concussed and suffered an injured arm which caused him to miss six of the seven games of the next series and limited his effectiveness in the Eastern Conference final. Greig, on the other hand, skated away unscathed and was a full participant the Senators’ practice on Monday.

They aren’t the same thing. In fact, they’re not even close. Here's more: