“It means more to me to be with this organization than it ever has,” the veteran defenseman told NHL.com on Wednesday. “I think that’s because I’ve had a lot of time for reflection.
“In the end, you end up feeling more grateful and more excited. I feel like it’s a new opportunity and the excitement has only grown.”
The 32-year-old has spent his entire 13-year NHL career with the Maple Leafs after being selected No. 5 by Toronto in the 2012 Draft. He is second behind Hall of Famer Borje Salming (768 points) on the franchise’s alI-time scoring list for defensemen with 549 points and is 49 games shy of 1,000 NHL games played.
On the other hand, his 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists) in 78 games in 2025-26 were his fewest in six seasons, leading to plenty of conjecture that he would be a part of the makeover under new general manager John Chayka. To that end, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported in June that Rielly’s agent, J.P. Barry, had submitted a list of four Western Conference teams his client would be willing to be moved to.
Rielly did not comment on that report but did tell reporters at the Hockey Night In Brampton charity event at CAA Centre on Wednesday that playing in the hockey fishbowl of Toronto for more than a decade has taught him how to tune out the noise.
“I think you kind of learn from your experiences in the past,” he said. “And again, I feel pretty fortunate. I have a lot of good people around me. And I’ve really enjoyed the offseason. I’ve been training hard and really look forward to get going.
“I don’t think it’s anything different.”
His preparations might not be. But the organization he plays for certainly is.
Chayka’s remodeling of the franchise includes incoming players like two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, 2026 No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna and coveted defenseman Darren Raddysh, who’s already played golf with Rielly on a number of occasions.
Rielly will be reunited with a familiar face and voice in Jim Hiller. The 57-year-old, who was named the 41st coach in Maple Leafs history on June 17, was an assistant to Mike Babcock with Toronto from 2015-19 and ran the power play, a unit on which Rielly played a significant part.
“I think when there’s a down year like we had, you almost welcome change,” Rielly said, referring to the Maple Leafs last-place finish in the Atlantic Division. “I mean, you’re excited and driven and motivated to bounce back and play well. So, as a group, I think we’re looking forward to get going.”
