Hockey players say it all the time.
They’re taking the season one day at a time, not looking too far ahead, that sort of thing.
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For Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly, there’s a little more substance behind that way of thinking.
When the Leafs hit the ice on Oct. 12 for the 2022-23 regular-season opener in Montreal against the Canadiens, not only will Rielly embark on his 10th season with Toronto, the eight-year, $60-million US contract he signed last October will kick in.
“You want to hold up your end of the bargain (through the length of the contract), but the same time, I’m just worried about this season,” Rielly told the Toronto Sun. “There’s no guarantee you’re going to be here after eight years. There’s no guarantee you’re going to be here after four.
“It is comforting, but at the same time, you and I both know things can change overnight. There’s no sense in taking anything for granted.”
Rielly’s 29th birthday will come in March, and the West Vancouver native acknowledged he finds it a bit hard to believe that he is coming up on a decade in the NHL after the Leafs selected him fifth overall in the 2012 draft. The longest-serving current Leafs player has been durable, playing in all 82 games in three seasons and generally avoiding major injuries.
“I mean it in the best way — I feel like I’m just getting started,” Rielly said. “When I came in, we had some guys who were in their ninth, 10th, 11th seasons and I remember them talking about how old they were and how it’s a grind.
“I still feel like it’s our first day and it’s exciting and I feel healthy and young. It’s a great feeling to have.”
Yes, the failure to get past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs certainly is a thing in Toronto, but Rielly looks around the Leafs dressing room and finds himself continuing to marvel at the talent the club boasts. The potential for success is clear, even if the Leafs will require rebound years from new goalies Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov to make it real.
Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander are at a point where their best NHL days are ahead of them, and that’s considering what each has accomplished.
“Our team is in a position where every day at work is fun,” Rielly said. “There are a lot of guys in our group who feel like that, and it’s a good approach. It’s challenging and enjoyable.”
Rielly has played in 654 career games, brushing up against the Norris Trophy in 2018-19 when he set career highs with 20 goals and 72 points. He had his second-best offensive season a year ago, setting a career high with 58 assists and finishing with 68 points.
There’s little doubt, considering his hockey IQ and his sublime skating, that Rielly’s NHL runway remains long. If Rielly stays with the Leafs through the length of his eight-year deal, he will stand a good chance of becoming the franchise leader in games played. Now, it’s George Armstrong, who played in 1,188 games with the Leafs. Rielly is 16th in team history.
Again, though, it’s about the daily process.
“The longer you do it, it changes your perspective and you start to appreciate different parts about the job,” Rielly said. “After I did my contract with Lou (Lamoriello, the Leafs’ general manager at the time in 2016), for six years, I thought, ‘My God, if I make it six years, I’ll be surprised.’
“And then you get to the end of six years, and it goes by in a blink of an eye. That’s how I feel with eight years on the horizon. At the same time, you want to appreciate every day because once it’s over, it’s over.
“I think I’ve learned a lot and I think I’m matured. In the grand scheme of things, it’s still the most enjoyable thing I do in my entire life.”
tkoshan@postmedia.com
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