How a serious knee injury failed to derail a rising hockey star
In short: In 2011, Morgan Rielly faced a devastating torn ACL that threatened his professional ambitions. Yet, despite missing most of a season, he still emerged as one of North America's top prospects, eventually becoming a cornerstone for the Toronto Maple Leafs and a gold medalist for Canada.
Morgan Rielly's ascent to the NHL was nearly interrupted by a serious knee injury—a torn anterior cruciate ligament—during the 2011–12 WHL season. Even with that setback, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau placed him fifth among North American skaters that season, maintaining his status as a top prospect. This resilience paved the way for his selection by the Toronto Maple Leafs as the fifth overall pick in the 2012 NHL entry draft. Before his professional career, he played minor hockey for the Notre Dame Hounds in Saskatchewan. In his concluding year at the school, he led all defencemen in points within the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League.
Since his professional debut in 2012–13, Rielly has become a defining offensive force from the defenceman position. He has set various franchise records, including being the first Maple Leafs defenceman to net 20 goals in one season since Al Iafrate during 1989–90. He also became the first defenceman in franchise history to record consecutive 50-point seasons, a feat previously achieved by Tomáš Kaberle between 2005 and 2008. He also achieved a career-high 46 assists during the 2017–18 season. Additionally, he was the first defenceman that year to reach the 40-point mark.
Rielly's impact extends to the international stage, where he has represented Canada in multiple tournaments. His greatest achievement occurred at the 2016 World Championship, where he earned a tournament MVP award and helped lead Canada to gold. His longevity is evidenced by his recent achievements, such as becoming the second-highest scoring defenceman in franchise history by surpassing Tomáš Kaberle on the assist leaderboard in November 2025. His international success includes winning a gold medal at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He was also named to the All-Star team during the 2016 World Championship.
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