How much money will Morgan Rielly forfeit because of five-game suspension?

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly finds himself in hot water with the NHL Department of Player Safety following the Ottawa Senators game on Tuesday. Rielly has been handed a five-game suspension and will forfeit $195,312.50 in pay.

Rielly was suspended for clubbing Ottawa forward Ridly Greig on the head during the closing moments of the 5-3 defeat to the Senators. The violent act happened right after Greig scored an empty-net goal, leading to Rielly getting kicked out of the game.

The plan was for New York to host Rielly's disciplinary hearing in person, but a snowstorm forced it to shift to an online setup.

Rielly has been a standout for the Maple Leafs but he will have to sit it out until Feb. 22.

The swift docking of close to $200,000 marked how seriously the NHL views its players' conduct and safety.

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Analyst condemns Morgan Rielly's cross-check, calls suspension justified

NHL analyst Craig Button didn't mince words when discussing Morgan Rielly's controversial cross-check.

Rielly's actions led to a five-game suspension, drawing sharp criticism from Button.

"The act of cross-checking somebody in the head can never be defended under any circumstances."

He emphasized the lack of justification for such a move regardless of the emotions involved.

Drawing comparisons to previous suspensions in the league, Button highlighted the severity of Rielly's actions.

He referenced David Perron's six-game suspension for a similar incident, noting that Rielly's cross-check was even more egregious, as it occurred outside the flow of play.

Button stressed that regardless of any perceived provocation from Greig's unconventional goal, Rielly's response was unacceptable:

"Certainly it doesn't warrant a cross-check to the head. And there's nothing that should put a player ... into that situation. And certainly Morgan Rielly is going to pay a price."