Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs] defenseman Morgan Rielly will join Team Canada for the World Championships in Switzerland next month, TSN's Darren Dreger reports. According to Dreger [https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2048772500406874470%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=], Rielly joins a few other names who've decided to play for Canada at the Worlds, including San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini, Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele, New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, and potential 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna. Fellow Maple Leafs teammate John Tavares [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/why-maple-leafs-john-tavares-wants-to-represent-canada-at-world-championships] said in his end-of-season media availability that "things are trending" in the direction of representing Canada at the annual tournament. "Obviously want to be playing for the Stanley Cup," Tavares said during the team's locker cleanout day [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqmB7seJxvQ], "but anytime you get the opportunity to represent your country, and certainly the stage that I'm at, you don't take it lightly. "And I think for me, it can only benefit me to go play and help Canada, but also, I think what's ahead of me in my career." If you had asked Rielly what Tavares was asked nearly two weeks ago about representing Canada, he'd probably echo the same sentiments. Rielly has played for Canada twice at the World Championships, winning gold in 2016. Along with a gold medal, Rielly was also voted a Top-3 player on Canada that year, scoring three points in 10 games. He hasn't represented Canada since. The veteran defenseman did, however, play for Team North America a few months later at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, tallying a goal and an assist in three games. North America, though, didn't make it past the round-robin stage of the tournament. It wasn't the easiest of seasons for Rielly [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/its-crossed-my-mind-morgan-rielly-unsure-about-his-maple-leafs-future-before-final-home-game-of-season], who struggled defensively at times over the course of the year. He finished with 11 goals and 36 points in 78 games and ranked second among Maple Leafs defensemen for points, behind Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who scored 39 points in the same number of games as Rielly. The 32-year-old's 0.47 points-per-game was the lowest it's been since the 2016-17 season [https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?reportType=season&seasonFrom=20162017&seasonTo=20162017&gameType=2&playerPlayedFor=franchise.5&sort=pointsPerGame&page=0&pageSize=50]. That year, Rielly scored just six goals and 27 points in 76 games for a 0.36 points-per-game. How Marlies' Veterans Ensured Maple Leafs Prospects Like Easton Cowan Will Get More Playoff Experience [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5a9548af-fb44-4568-b502-8796dc76ec60.jpeg] How Marlies' Veterans Ensured Maple Leafs Prospects Like Easton Cowan Will Get More Playoff Experience The Marlies' veteran trio of Shaw (two goals), Groulx, and Lettieri combined for four points in the 4-2 win over Rochester. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/how-marlies-veterans-ensured-maple-leafs-prospects-like-easton-cowan-will-get-more-playoff-experience] A strong stint with Canada may give Rielly a boost of confidence entering what will be a crucial summer of training. Because of his age and the state of his play, many, however, believe the defenseman could benefit from a change of scenery in the offseason. While Rielly has expressed that he wants to remain with the team that drafted him, he also understands what's at stake for the team this summer. "It's a challenging thing to answer when those conversations (of waiving his no-move clause) haven't happened yet," Rielly said in his end-of-season media availability [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mle-oaZcTTI&t=104s]. "After any year — but especially one that can be very disappointing — change is bound to happen. "I think, as an athlete, you have to be prepared for that, and it's not the first time it's crossed my mind... When that conversation happens, we'll deal with it accordingly." Rielly, Tavares, and the rest of Team Canada will open their World Championships [https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2026/wm/schedule] against Sweden on May 15. They'll play each of Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Czechia in the preliminary round, from May 15 to 24.
