Settled back in his hometown of North Vancouver, Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly is still searching for a new normal amid the global COVID-19 pandemic that forced the NHL to pause its 2019-20 season three weeks ago.
“There’s no escaping it and it’s a strange time for everyone,” Rielly said on a conference call with reporters on Thursday. “It’s been challenging at times [to cope] but I know that we’re all experiencing that, we’re all in it together and nobody is really prepared to do the quarantine and experience this much alone time and downtime if you will.”
In the wide-ranging media session, Rielly touched on everything from his current hobbies and advancements in the kitchen, to the Leafs’ inconsistencies this year and his own recovery from a broken foot that stole eight weeks of his season.
Those topics and more are below in five takeaways from Rielly’s conference call.
1. No easy answers for NHL’s return
When the NHL halted operations on March 12, the league did so with no firm idea of when or if the 2019-20 campaign would start up again, either to finish out the regular season or even jump right into the playoffs. There’s been little clarity on the matter in weeks since, although public health and safety are obviously top concerns for the league and its teams in making a decision.
Like everyone else around the NHL, Rielly has theorized about what a resumption might look like but hasn’t landed on any good answers.
“I think that’s what we’re all kind of wondering right now,” Rielly said. “I don’t know. But I can tell you that we do have calls as a team and as players around the league, and we talk about those sorts of things. A point comes where it’s not really in our control. But I guess the question is how late is too late? I don’t know. I know as players, we all want to play, and have a chance to play in playoffs, but health comes first, there’s no question about that. So, we’re kind of in a holding pattern because we’re trying to do what’s best for general health, for people everywhere. It’s obviously much bigger than hockey. I can tell you that the players miss playing, want to play, and it’s certainly strange not being out there. But at this point, I think we have to do what’s best for the general health in the big picture.”
2. Foot healed just in time – for another pause
When Rielly blocked a shot in the first period of Toronto’s game against Florida on Jan.12, he ended up with a broken foot that took eight weeks to heal. When the blueliner returned to action, it was on March 10, in a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at home. The NHL hit pause two nights later, an especially frustrating development for Rielly after two long months of rehabbing. But he’s determined to see the positive in how that situation played out.
“I’m happy I played one [game], because I think I’d be going crazy if I hadn’t played since early January,” Rielly said. “That was truly a long process of trying to heal and trying to keep yourself in shape. Eight weeks go by and you’re really working hard to get back and then to play one game, it’s certainly not ideal. When you’re training in the gym and trying to get back to play, you’re picturing playing 12 or 13 games, and then playoffs, not taking a pause again. But in that same breath, if I hadn’t come back and played one game, it would make it worse.
“When I look back at the injured foot, that’s one of those things where you don’t have complete control over it, it’s a bump in the road over the course of a long year. It’s obviously not what you want when you prepare for a season and you try to stay healthy, you try to do what you can to keep yourself in the lineup and obviously I wasn’t expecting to miss eight weeks. That was a bit out of my control so you do your best to rehab and try to get healthy and I think I did that.”
3. Inconsistency issues everywhere
A year ago, Rielly was firmly in discussions as a potential Norris Trophy contender, putting up a career-high 72 points (20 goals, 52 assists) in 82 games over the 2018-19 season. His numbers took a dip in 2019-20, to where he sits with 27 points (three goals, 24 assists) in 47 games to date.
In many ways, Rielly’s own ups and downs have mirrored those of the Leafs, a team that went through a November coaching change, and slid in and out of the playoff picture before taking a firmer hold of third place in the Atlantic Division before the NHL’s pause.
“I think that there were times where I was good and I think that there are times where I felt that I could have been better,” Rielly said. “And I think that’s a bit how we as a team look back at the year and the games that we did play. Both [I] and the team would like to be more consistent and I think that’s a goal for us both moving forward. I think that’s my job as an individual to be prepared and be consistent and, as a group, we want to be more consistent than we were this year.
“With the bad is always good [though]. I thought that we answered the bell at times when we had to against some pretty good teams. And then the downs were the games where you’re supposed to win or you really expect a good team to be able to win and we weren’t able to execute that. But I can’t really put my finger on [why]. But I think you have to keep in mind that there were positives over the course of the season. And when hockey does resume, I think we know that we have to be better and we have to be more consistent and I think that this time [off] is important for the players to really think about that.”
4. Cooking it up, in good company
Rielly has been holed up at home in Vancouver with his girlfriend – Canadian Olympic figure skating champion Tessa Virtue, a relationship he’s reluctant to talk about but one that has helped get him through this unexpected stretch.
“We’re both in it together, we’re trying to keep each other sane and we’re doing what we can to do our part and just quarantine,” Rielly said. “I really won’t talk about it too much, I’ll just say that I’m glad I’m not alone because I think that can be challenging.”
Staying indoors has meant a lot more home cooking for Rielly, who isn’t used to preparing quite so much of his own food but he’s found the process enjoyable.
“We’ve been cooking every meal and that’s new to me; normally you’d eat at the rink or you go out for dinner if you’re on the road,” he said.
“We’ve been barbecuing chicken and steak and then doing some pasta and stuff. The only thing I haven’t gotten to that I don’t have the confidence yet for is fish. I don’t want to undercook it and then we’ve got a whole other situation on our hands.”
When he’s not in the kitchen, Rielly’s been passing his time with movies, puzzles and books, including one on mental health gifted to him by Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas.
“If you’ve played for Kyle for long enough, he’s probably given you a book, whether it’s at Christmas or at the end of the year or something like that,” Rielly said. “I probably won’t give the name of it, just because it was personal, but it’s not anything that’s too serious. I’m pretty much open to just about anything. I just read ‘Shoe Dog’ [by Nike creator Phil Knight] which I liked a lot. And then I just read a book not too long ago called ‘Educated’ [by Tara Westover] which I really liked as well.”
5. Pause to reflect
If Rielly had his way, he and the Leafs would be finishing out the regular season and gearing up for the playoffs this week. Instead, he’s searching for a new routine that suits self-isolation and taking advantage of the opportunity to look back on what was – and what could still be ahead.
“I’ve just been trying to keep in touch with teammates and friends and family and do some home workouts and just try to keep your mind busy,” Rielly said. “It’s been important just to have a routine and try to create a schedule to keep yourself on pace to maintain a little bit of fitness. I’m still working at it, I certainly think that I can do a better job of maintaining my schedule but I’ve just been trying to keep myself on track, and that’s been home workouts in the morning, make some phone calls, read something and spend some time at home.
“During a pause like this, you have lots of time to process what happened over the course of the year so far. And you look back and you reflect and you picture things going differently, what you liked, what you didn’t like, and this is a really good opportunity for players to do some thinking about that kind of stuff. It’s hard not to do, especially when you get in touch with people from the team, or friends, you talk about the year. But you’re also focused on trying to keep yourself in shape in the event the year resumes. So I think it’s a mix of trying to keep yourself focused and also do some reflecting.”
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said Thursday the forfeitures that volleyball teams are willing to take to avoid playing San Jose State is “not what we celebrate in college athletics” and that she is heartbroken over what has transpired this season surrounding the Spartans and their opponents.
Four teams have canceled games against San Jose State: Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State and Wyoming, with none of the schools explicitly saying why they were forfeiting.
A group of Nevada players issued a statement saying they will not take the floor when the Wolf Pack are scheduled to host the Spartans on Oct. 26. They cited their “right to safety and fair competition,” though their school reaffirmed Thursday that the match is still planned and that state law bars forfeiture “for reasons related to gender identity or expression.”
All those schools, except Southern Utah, are in the Mountain West. New Mexico, also in the MWC, went ahead with its home match on Thursday night, which was won by the Spartans, 3-1, the team’s first victory since Sept. 24.
“It breaks my heart because they’re human beings, young people, student-athletes on both sides of this issue that are getting a lot of national negative attention,” Nevarez said in an interview with The Associated Press at Mountain West basketball media days. “It just doesn’t feel right to me.”
Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the cancellations, citing a need for fairness in women’s sports. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee in this year’s presidential race, this week referenced an unidentified volleyball match when he was asked during a Fox News town hall about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“I saw the slam, it was a slam. I never saw a ball hit so hard, hit the girl in the head,” Trump replied before he was asked what can be done. “You just ban it. The president bans it. You just don’t let it happen.”
After Trump’s comment, San Diego State issued a statement that said “it has been incorrectly reported that an San Diego State University student-athlete was hit in the face with a volleyball during match play with San Jose State University. The ball bounced off the shoulder of the student-athlete, and the athlete was uninjured and did not miss a play.”
San Jose State has not made any direct comments about the politicians’ “fairness” references, and Nevarez did not go into details.
“I’m learning a lot about the issue,” Nevarez said. “I don’t know a lot of the language yet or the science or the understanding nationally of how this issue plays out. The external influences are so far on either side. We have an election year. It’s political, so, yeah, it feels like a no-win based on all the external pressure.”
The cancellations could mean some teams will not qualify for the conference tournament Nov. 27-30 in Las Vegas, where the top six schools are slated to compete for the league championship.
“The student-athlete (in question) meets the eligibility standard, so if a team does not play them, it’s a forfeit, meaning they take a loss,” Nevarez said.
Ahead of the Oct. 26 match in Reno. Nevada released a statement acknowledging that “a majority of the Wolf Pack women’s volleyball team” had decided to forfeit against San Jose State. The school said only the university can take that step but any player who decides not to play would face no punishment.
OTTAWA – Travis Green might not have liked the end result, but he’s counting on his team learning from the effort.
Green’s Ottawa Senators were handed a 3-1 loss by the New Jersey Devils Thursday night in a game that highlighted the importance of sticking with things.
“I thought both teams played pretty well,” said Green. “I thought we had a lot of the game that I liked, but I thought there’s a few moments where it got away. We got away from our game, and they stuck with their game a little longer.
“There’s always momentum back and forth for one team to create some chances. It’s a fine line between winning and losing in the league, especially when you’re playing, two good teams are playing.”
Jacob Markstrom’s 30 saves also played a part, with the Devils goaltender only getting beat with 65 seconds left in regulation as the Senators were on the power play with an empty net.
Brady Tkachuk tipped a Claude Giroux shot to spoil Markstrom’s shutout bid.
“Outstanding,” said Devils coach Sheldon Keefe of his goaltender. “Just terrible that he doesn’t get the shutout that he deserves in this one here.
“You feel for him when they make that (penalty) call. You can just kind of feel like it’s going to give them a little extra life. But he was outstanding for us, no question.”
The two teams were scoreless after the first period, where each had to fight for every opportunity. Noah Gregor rang a shot off the crossbar for the Senators, but otherwise, neither team was able to generate much offensively.
The Devils capitalized in the second as a power play expired with Erik Haula redirecting a Johnathan Kovacevic shot past Anton Forsberg, who made 32 saves.
Less than four minutes later, Nathan Bastian took advantage of a Giroux giveaway and beat Forsberg low blocker for his first of the season with the Devils short-handed.
“I liked our second period a lot,” Keefe said. “We took hold of the game and didn’t give up much, and when we did, I thought it was really from the perimeter, only a couple there.”
The Devils tightened up defensively in the third and were able to make it 3-0 when Paul Cotter was left alone in the slot.
“I think for stretches of the game we played the right way and kind of get in on the forecheck and play that way,” said Senators centre Nick Cousins. “It seems like when we get down a couple goals, we kind of change our game, which isn’t a recipe for success in this league.
“I think we’ve just got to keep doing the right things over and over again, even when it’s 2-0.”
With the Senators just four games in and still learning and adjusting to a new system, Green understands there will be growing pains along the way.
“We’re also trying to define our game,” he said. “I think we’re getting there. Both teams play fast. It was a fast skating game. There wasn’t a lot of room to move out there for either team.”
In his short tenure behind the Senators bench, Green has seen his team play very different styles of games and knows there will be nights like this along the way, but learning from them will be key.
“There’s going to be a lot of nights where you kind of got to earn everything you get,” admitted Green. “It’s not going to be freewheeling. Good teams don’t play freewheeling hockey.
“You learn when you win, you learn when you lose games that you don’t play well. You learn when you lose games that you had a pretty good game but you still lose and you’ve got to find a way. Good teams find a way to win those games.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens fell 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. They also lost their top minute-muncher in the process.
Matheson logged 7:35 in ice time during the first period but did not return for the second because of an upper-body injury. When or how Matheson sustained the injury was not clear. The Canadiens said he would be re-evaluated on Friday.
The game was tied at 1 before he exited, forcing the Canadiens to play with five defencemen for 40 minutes.
“Mike is one of the biggest parts of our D core, and I think losing him — he’s playing against top line, playing power play and we want him on the ice — definitely losing him was a big loss,” teammate David Savard said. “We got to figure out a way to get the two points, even if a player goes out.”
The 30-year-old Matheson of Pointe-Claire, Que., led all Canadiens defencemen with 62 points and a 25:33 average ice time last season.
With his absence, rookie sensation Lane Hutson played a whopping 30:05 in only his seventh NHL game. The next closest player? Kaiden Guhle at 23:09.
Head coach Martin St. Louis was impressed with how the 20-year-old Hutson handled the challenge.
“Lane doesn’t take a shift off,” head coach Martin St. Louis said. “I love the consistency of his compete level, and he drives possession. For a guy who played 30 minutes, I think he gave everything he could to try and help the team.
“I’m not surprised. I know it’s challenging at this level, losing Mike definitely made him play many minutes, chasing the game made him play many minutes, but I just love his compete level.”
Canadiens fans have been clamouring for Hutson — a five-foot-nine, 162-pound defenceman with world-class skill — to take Matheson’s spot on the No. 1 power play.
The Canadiens, however, went 0-for-3 with Hutson running the show after Matheson went down. In the first instance, Kirby Dach took a hooking penalty early in the man-advantage to end it. On the second, the Canadiens failed to generate any zone time.
The third came in the final minutes, but the Kings buried an empty-netter.
“It wasn’t a lack of opportunity, lots of ice time, lots of shifts,” Hutson said. “It was good, it was fun, but obviously you want to be on the other side of it, winning.
“Means a lot (to get that opportunity), but obviously, you want to get more out of that opportunity. It’s a lot of ice, and you want to keep taking steps in the right direction.”
‘IMMATURE EFFORT’
The Canadiens fell to a Kings team that had lost three straight games and was coming off a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Under those circumstances, the Canadiens were brutally honest with themselves after the game.
“Definitely disappointed,” captain Nick Suzuki said. “It was an immature effort from us, especially with them playing yesterday and getting in late, so I think we gave them too much life, and let them feel comfortable in the game. It’s on us to be a lot better than that.”
Before the game, St. Louis stressed the need for a good first period against a fatigued Los Angeles side. That’s not what he saw Thursday night.
“I think we had 14 turnovers in the first period. It’s unacceptable. It gives them life,” he said. “Then you’re chasing the game for the second half of it — we didn’t play to our standard.
“I’m really disappointed. Really disappointed.”
BIG SAVE DAVE
Kings goalie David Rittich played his second game in two nights — an unusual occurrence in this day and age of the NHL. He made 25 saves after allowing four goals on 14 shots in Toronto.
“We always believe in him anyway, but he performed today pretty well and bounced back,” defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov said. “It’s probably like most important for himself, that’s huge, and for the team. He played outstanding today.”
LONG ROAD
The Kings are opening the season on a seven-game road trip because of renovations at Crypto.com Arena. They’ve collected six of a possible 10 points so far.
“Pretty much worse (than expected),” forward Phillip Danault said. “We’ve been on the road for three weeks … It’s good team-bonding, whether we should do it again I’m not sure, but it has turned out well let’s say with six points out of 10.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
