Three NHLers, including Datsyuk, two Women's players, and two builders will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.
There'll be a special ceremony on Friday for all of the Hall of Famers being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this weekend before the puck drops between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings,
One of the players being inducted is Pavel Datsyuk, who spent all 14 seasons of his NHL career with the Red Wings. Ahead of Toronto's optional morning skate on Friday, Morgan Rielly spoke about what he remembers about playing against one of the shiftiest players the NHL has ever seen.
"The only memory that jumps out is (former Maple Leafs head coach) Randy Carlyle aggressively trying to keep me off the ice when he was on the ice in my first season," the defenseman said with a smile.
"I was fine with it. It was a little demoralizing though. But he's an incredible player and one of those guys that everyone idolizes in how he plays. He was a special player."
The two players have faced each other six times at the NHL level. Rielly remembers the now 46-year-old's power with the puck.
"He was incredible and you could talk about it all day," Rielly said. "His strength on the puck, his defensive ability and all of that stuff. But yeah, just a really special player."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVHZWbSfWb8[/embed]
But did Carlyle really make him jump off the ice every time Datsyuk stepped onto it?
"Oh yeah. Just like calling me off the ice. Which, again, I understand. But, a bit demoralizing in the moment," Rielly said.
"I think that's just the way of a young defenseman playing against a future Hall of Famer."
Three NHLers in Datsyuk, Shea Weber, and Jeremy Roenick will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Monday, alongside Women's players Krissy Wendel and Natalie Darwitz and builders David Poile and Colin Campbell.
Rielly said on Friday that he hasn't been to the Hall of Fame in a couple of years, but calls it a memorable spot.
"It's a very special place and playing here in Toronto, that's just one of the things that we're tied to a bit in a way, and we're very lucky for that."