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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly cross checking Ottawa Senators forward Ridley Greig with head coach Sheldon Keefe on the right
Photo credit: Puck Reporter

Sheldon Keefe Rips The League For Having A Double Standard Against The Maple Leafs

Published February 12, 2024 at 5:40 PM
BY SAMER
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Following the Toronto Maple Leafs practice session on Monday afternoon, attention remained fixed on Morgan Rielly's crosscheck to Ridley Greig during Saturday night's game against the Ottawa Senators and the subsequent request for an in-person hearing from the Department of Player Safety.


Sheldon Keefe Calls Out The NHL For Double Standard Against The Leafs



Sheldon Keefe, the Leafs head coach, expressed surprise at the prospect of Rielly facing a potentially lengthy suspension. However, he noted that such outcomes are not entirely unexpected for the Leafs due to the heightened scrutiny they often face.


"I was surprised. We spend a lot of time watching pretty much every cross-check that's happened in the last number of years, and the ones that I thought were similar in nature to Morgan's were nothing close to requiring that. But at the same time, there's a history of events that happened in Toronto and with the Leafs they get more attention, more hype. That tends to lead to something such as this. So, to that end, not surprised. It's out of our hands and we'll get ready to play tomorrow."



Sheldon Keefe also had some strong words for his best defenseman who just a few weeks ago, was a candidate to win the Lady Byng. It's pretty much safe to say he won't be winning that trophy anymore.

"Just a couple weeks ago we were talking about him winning the Lady Byng & competing for that. He's a pretty exemplary guy & not just on our team but in the league in terms of how he conducts himself & how he plays a good, hard, honest game ..."


The team awaits the decision, expected to be announced on Tuesday, amid ongoing concerns about the consistency of suspensions being handed out from the Department of Player Safety this season.
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Sheldon Keefe Rips The League For Having A Double Standard Against The Maple Leafs

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