Check out the leaves: Rielly offered to hear

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly was offered a private hearing Saturday night to check on Ridley Greig of the Ottawa Senators.

NHL Department of Player Safety announced the news on X channelformerly known as Twitter, on Sunday afternoon.

Rielly checks Greig's head after the Senators' player made an empty-net shot in the final 5.1 seconds of Saturday's game in Ottawa's 5-3 win.

After the game, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe supported Rielly's actions. “I thought it was appropriate,” Keefe said. “Our players have a right to answer.”

Toronto captain John Tavares said his team didn't like the empty-net result. “We'll stick together and stay in our place when we need to.”

The date and time of the court session has not been determined. Toronto hosts the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

A private hearing would allow the league to suspend Rielly, something that has never happened with a defenseman during his 11-season NHL career.