At the Hockey Night in Brampton charity event on Wednesday, Morgan Rielly addressed the media for the first time since trade rumors surfaced around the Maple Leafs defenseman.
BRAMPTON, Ont. - Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly laced up the skates at the CAA Centre on Wednesday evening, serving his duties as one of the captains for Hockey Night in Brampton, with Mark Messier leading the other team.
While it was a fun night on the ice for a good cause - raising money to help build Brampton's second hospital - this was also the first time in which Rielly addressed the media following an off-season full of rumors regarding his future with the Maple Leafs.
There were rumblings of the longest active-tenured Maple Leaf potentially pursuing a change of scenery. But among all the noise, Rielly said he's unfazed by it all. After all, the 32-year-old has been in this market for 13 years, and it sounds like his time in Toronto isn't over.
"It's not as hard as it seems," Rielly said ahead of the charity game. "I feel very lucky to have great people around me."
Rielly trade rumors peaked earlier in the off-season. There were even reports of his representatives submitting a four-team list of Western Conference clubs to potentially get dealt to, amid the no-move clause in his contract.
Nothing has materialized over the summer, and with that, Rielly is still excited to be with the Maple Leafs moving forward.
"I just feel grateful to be a part of this organization and this team," Rielly said. "I think there's great things ahead, and I'm looking forward to being a part of it."
Though there have been suggestions of Rielly seeking a change of scenery, all the changes that the Maple Leafs' organization have experienced this summer could act as such.
There's a new GM in John Chayka, as well as plenty of new faces in the front office. In addition, there is an entirely new coaching staff, including former Leafs assistant coach Jim Hiller. Not to mention the acquisitions of Darren Raddysh, Sergei Bobrovsky and plenty more.
As it stands, Rielly will represent Toronto for the 14th straight year. All that time with the Maple Leafs sets the table for Rielly to reach the 1,000-game mark with the team.
"For me, I just want to play well, and I just want to help the team," Rielly said. "If you play long enough, you've got an opportunity to hit certain milestones, but that's not really what matters. It's more about the team, and obviously as a group, we want to improve what we did last season. I think for me, I just want to be a part of that and help with it."
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