'Make Hockey Violent Again': Maple Leafs' Ryan Reaves Reacts to Morgan Rielly's In-Person Hearing With NHL Department of Player Safety

Rielly faces the possibility of being suspended for six games or more after the league determined that an in-person hearing was necessary. It doesn't guarantee that Rielly will be suspended for six games. But it's rare to not see it go that way.

"I thought it was going to be a fine to be honest," Reaves said.  "Maybe one (game). But again, I come from a different era of hockey where I don’t even think that would have been a fine to be honest. The other kid might have got a call that said ‘smarten up'."

Reaves was candidate about his thoughts was also didn't like that the Senators' social media team made Greig their performer of the game with "one slap-away goal".

The Leafs took particular exception to what precipitated Rielly's reaction. With the Leafs down 4-3, they pulled their goaltender. Greig found himself with the puck on a breakaway toward an empty net and took a slapshot in, a gesture that didn't go over too well with Toronto.

Was there a way for Rielly to retaliate in a different way than how he did on Saturday

Reaves didn't think so.

"Guy takes a clapper to our net and then what, you’re supposed to play patty cake with him? There’s got to be a message sent," Reaves said. "I don’t think a push is a message to be honest with you. I thought it was appropriate."

The Maple Leafs spent an off-season trying to add more toughness to their game but getting a lengthy suspension to one of their top players certainly isn't how they envisioned it. 

Reaves, 37, says it's a different game and league than the one he joined in 2010 and Greig's way of handling the empty-net goal is just something that would never be tolerated.

These young kids these days, they’re playing a different brand of hockey than I’m used to. The code has changed a little bit," Reaves said. "The game has changed a lot and it’s unfortunate that a young kid like that can get away with something like that and then one of our best players is going to get suspended for it. 

"Make hockey violent again, get that tattooed on me."