Morgan Rielly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Morgan Rielly
Rielly with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017
Born	(1994-03-09) March 9, 1994 (age 31) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Toronto Maple Leafs
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	5th overall, 2012 Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career	2013–present

Morgan Rielly (born March 9, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a defence player and is an alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs. This team is part of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The Maple Leafs chose Rielly in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He was the fifth player picked overall. Before joining the NHL, Rielly played for the Moose Jaw Warriors. This team is in the Western Hockey League. Rielly has also played for Canada in international games. He won a gold medal at the 2016 World Championship.

Morgan Rielly's Hockey Journey

Starting in Amateur Hockey

Morgan Rielly began his hockey journey with the Moose Jaw Warriors. He was chosen by them in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. Before joining the WHL, Rielly played for the Notre Dame Hounds. He was the top-scoring defence player in his league. His team even won Canada's national midget championship.

Rielly joined the Warriors for the 2010–11 WHL season. He played in 65 games and scored 28 points. In the 2011–12 WHL season, Rielly was a top player to watch for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He had a knee injury but still played well. He was ranked fifth among North American skaters.

The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Rielly in the first round. He signed a contract with them before the 2012–13 NHL lockout. He spent the 2012–13 season with the Warriors.

Becoming a Professional Player

Rielly started his professional career in the 2012–13 season. He played for the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL). At the start of the 2013–14 NHL season, Rielly joined the Maple Leafs. He played his first NHL game on October 5, 2013. On December 16, 2013, he scored his first NHL goal.

During the 2015–16 season, Rielly received much praise. His coach, Mike Babcock, and team management liked his play. He also played more minutes on the ice. Rielly signed a six-year contract in April 2016. Before the 2016–17 season, he became an alternate captain for the Maple Leafs.

On November 11, 2016, Rielly had his first four-point game. He scored one goal and had three assists. He finished the season with 27 points in 76 games.

Rielly during the 2017–18 season. He had a career high of 52 points.

In the 2017–18 season, Rielly got injured but returned to play. He and Jake Gardiner were the first Leafs defence players to score 50 points since 2007. Rielly ended the season with a career-high 52 points. This helped the Leafs reach the playoffs for the second time in a row.

During the 2018–19 season, Rielly had a great start. On October 9, 2018, he had four assists in one game. This brought him to ten points in his first four games. He even passed Bobby Orr for points by a defence player in a team's first five games. Rielly was named one of the NHL's 3 Stars of the Week. He was the first NHL defence player to reach 40 points that year.

On January 23, 2019, Rielly made history for the Maple Leafs. He became the first defence player to have two 50-point seasons in a row. He scored his 20th goal of the season on March 16, 2019. This made him the first Leafs defence player to score 20 goals in a season since 1990. Rielly finished the season with a career-high 72 points.

In October 2021, Rielly signed an eight-year contract extension with the Maple Leafs.

The 2022–23 regular season was challenging for Rielly. He missed games due to a knee injury. However, he played a key role in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. He scored the game-winning goal in overtime in Game 3. He also scored the game-tying goal in Game 4. The Leafs won their first playoff series since 2004.

Playing for Canada

Rielly at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
Gold	2011 Czech Republic/Slovakia
World Championships
Gold	2016 Russia
Representing Canada Pacific
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Bronze	2011 Canada

Morgan Rielly has proudly represented Canada in many international games. He started playing in regional and age-group competitions. At the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, he helped his team win a bronze medal. Later that year, Rielly was part of Canada's gold medal team. This was at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Rielly also played in the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships. Canada finished fourth in that tournament. During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Rielly played for Canada at the 2013 IIHF World U20 Championships. Canada again finished in fourth place.

In 2014, Rielly was on Canada’s team for the 2014 IIHF World Championship. He was also named to Canada's team for the 2016 IIHF World Championship. He was chosen as one of Canada's most valuable players. Canada won the tournament with a 2–0 victory over Finland. Rielly played the most ice time of any Canadian player. He was named to the tournament All-Star team.

For the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, Rielly played for Team North America. This team was made up of young North American players. He scored two points in three games.

Morgan Rielly's Personal Life

Morgan Rielly grew up as a big fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. His family from Hamilton, Ontario also supports the Maple Leafs. His mother, Shirley, is a cancer researcher. She also owns a medical company. Rielly has an older brother. He has Irish family roots.

For some time, Rielly lived with his teammate Jake Gardiner. They remained good friends even after they stopped being roommates. Rielly was a groomsman at Gardiner's wedding.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011	Canada Pacific	WHC17			6	2	3	5	4
2011	Canada	WJC18	4th		7	2	1	3	0
2012	Canada	IH18			5	1	3	4	2
2013	Canada	WJC	4th		6	1	2	3	0
2014	Canada	WC	5th		8	1	2	3	0
2016	Canada	WC			10	1	2	3	2
2016	Team North America	WCH	5th		3	1	1	2	0
Junior totals					24	6	9	15	6
Senior totals					21	3	5	8	2

Awards and Honours