For more than a decade, Morgan Rielly has been one of the most familiar faces in Toronto sports. But now, reports suggest the longtime Maple Leafs defenceman could potentially be headed elsewhere, and if that happens, it could mark a major change for one of Canada’s most recognizable sports couples.
Rielly has submitted a list of four teams he would be willing to be traded to, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, as trade discussions continue around the Leafs veteran. All four teams are reportedly in the Western Conference, though sources told the publication the list could still expand.
For hockey fans, that could mean the Leafs losing an amazing defenceman. But for everyone else, it could mean that arguably Toronto’s number one power couple, Rielly and his wife, Olympic figure skating icon Tessa Virtue, may eventually find themselves calling a different city home.
Rielly has spent his entire NHL career with the Leafs after being selected fifth overall in the 2012 NHL Draft. Over 13 seasons, he’s become the franchise’s longest-tenured player, ranking third all-time among Leafs defencemen in games played and second in points, making him one of the most accomplished blueliners in franchise history.
Because Rielly’s contract includes a no-trade clause, he has significant control over where a potential move could happen. Sportsnet didn’t identify the teams, but earlier this week, TSN insider Pierre LeBrun suggested that the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks could be high on Rielly’s list.
“Certainly, I know for a fact, he sent a Western Conference heavy list, suggested list to the Leafs, Morgan Rielly did, so we’ll see what the Leafs will do with that,” LeBrun said on TSN sports talk show OverDrive.
Are Matthew Knies and Morgan Rielly’s era in Toronto over? 🤔@PierreVLeBrun on the futures of Knies and Rielly with the Maple Leafs.#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/3pg0Qh0KQB
— OverDrive (@OverDrive1050) June 23, 2026
Still, the possibility of one of Canada’s most powerful sports couples leaving Toronto is enough to get people talking.
Virtue and Rielly married in 2023 and welcomed their first child, a baby boy named McCormick, in 2024. Although they’ve largely kept their relationship out of the spotlight, they’re still among Canada’s most recognizable sports couples. If a trade were eventually to go through, it would represent a huge lifestyle shift for them and, perhaps, fans as well.
“Gonna miss [Morgan]. Say what you will about the guy but he was an important part of the team for a long time. The first piece of the rebuild. Sucks it’s ending this way,” one Reddit user said in a recent thread on the topic, while another noted, “He’ll get a standing ovation whenever he comes back to Toronto. He’s handled every single day with class for this organization, he’ll be missed.”
Another summed up the mood entirely, writing, “I’m incredibly sad. If I ever see him at a bar, I’m offering to buy him a drink.”
