Morgan Rielly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Morgan Rielly
Rielly with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024
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 defenceman (a player who helps protect the team's goal) and is an alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Maple Leafs chose him as their fifth overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Before joining the NHL, Rielly played for the Moose Jaw Warriors. He has also played for Canada in international games, winning a gold medal at the 2016 World Championship.

Morgan Rielly's Hockey Journey

Starting in Amateur Hockey

Morgan Rielly began his journey in hockey playing for the Notre Dame Hounds in Saskatchewan. He was a top-scoring defenceman, meaning he scored a lot of points for his position. His team even won Canada's national championship for young players.

In 2009, the Moose Jaw Warriors picked Rielly second overall in their draft. He joined the Warriors for the 2010–11 season. He was seen as a very promising player for the NHL draft. During the 2011–12 season, he had a knee injury that made him miss most of the games. However, he still ranked high among North American skaters.

The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Rielly in the first round, fifth overall, in 2012. He signed a contract with them soon after. He played one more season with the Warriors before moving on to professional hockey.

Becoming a Professional Player

Rielly started his professional career with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL) at the end of the 2012–13 season. The AHL is a league where players often develop their skills before joining the NHL.

He made his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 5, 2013. On December 16, 2013, he scored his very first NHL goal against Marc-André Fleury.

During the 2015–16 season, Rielly became a key player for the Maple Leafs. He played more minutes and set new personal records for goals, assists, and total points. In April 2016, he signed a six-year contract with the team.

Before the 2016–17 season, Rielly was named one of the Maple Leafs' alternate captains. This means he helps lead the team on the ice. He had a great game on November 11, 2016, scoring one goal and assisting on three others.

Rielly during the 2017–18 season. He had a career-high 52 points, helping the Leafs reach the playoffs.

In the 2017–18 season, Rielly continued to improve. He and fellow defenceman Jake Gardiner were the first two Maple Leafs defencemen in over a decade to score at least 50 points in a season. Rielly finished the season with a career-high 52 points. This helped the Maple Leafs make it to the playoffs for the second year in a row.

The 2018–19 season was another strong year for Rielly. He had a career-high four assists in a game against the Dallas Stars. He even passed Bobby Orr, a famous hockey player, for the most points by a defenceman in a team's first five games of a season. He was named one of the NHL's "3 Stars of the Week" twice that season for his excellent play.

On January 23, 2019, Rielly became the first Maple Leafs defenceman since 2008 to have two seasons in a row with 50 points or more. He scored his 20th goal of the season on March 16, 2019, which was the first time a Maple Leafs defenceman had done that since 1990. He ended the season with a career-high 72 points.

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

The 2022–23 season was a big one for Rielly and the Maple Leafs. After many years of not getting past the first round of the playoffs, Rielly played a huge role in their success against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 3 and tied the game in Game 4, helping the Leafs win their first playoff series since 2004!

In February 2024, Rielly was suspended for five games after an incident in a game against the Ottawa Senators.

Playing for Canada

Morgan Rielly has proudly represented Canada in many international hockey tournaments.

• In 2011, he helped Team Pacific win a bronze medal at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge.
• Later that year, he was part of the Canadian team that won a gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
• He also played in the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships, where Canada finished fourth.

In 2013, Rielly played for Canada at the World Junior Championships. He also joined Canada's team for the 2014 and 2016 IIHF World Championships. At the 2016 tournament, he was named one of Canada's most valuable players. Canada won the gold medal, beating Finland 2–0 in the final game. Rielly played the most ice time of any Canadian player and was named to the tournament's All-Star team.

In 2016, Rielly was also part of Team North America for the World Cup of Hockey. This team was made up of young North American players aged 23 or younger. He played alongside future Maple Leafs teammate Auston Matthews.

Morgan Rielly's Life Off the Ice

Morgan Rielly grew up as a big fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team he now plays for. His family from Hamilton, Ontario, also supports the Maple Leafs. His mother, Shirley, is a cancer researcher and owns a medical company.

For a while, Rielly lived with his teammate Jake Gardiner. They remained good friends even after they stopped being roommates.

In 2023, it was reported that Rielly was engaged to Canadian ice dancer Tessa Virtue, a famous Olympic athlete. They met through a mutual friend and got married later that year. They welcomed their first child in July 2024.

Rielly has also spoken out about important issues. When the NHL made a rule about themed jerseys and pride tape, Rielly said that players would continue to support causes they believe in, like the LGBT community. He stated that players want to be allies and part of the community.

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

Images for kids

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  Rielly at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey