Morgan Rielly is the captain of a stacked NHL team for the Maple Leafs defenseman’s fifth Hockey Night in Brampton on Wednesday.
This week, the charity event begins with the aim of raising money for Peel Memorial Hospital, which will be Brampton’s second hospital.
Last year’s event collected close to $6.7 million, and the Cortellucci family contributed $50 million to the William Osler Health System Foundation.
Kris Versteeg, Phil Oreskovic, Erik Gudbranson, and Lightning prospect Ethan Czata are among the players Rielly skates with this year.
A lineup made for charity rather than standings points includes Paul Coffey, Ryan Getzlaf, Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, and Gary Roberts.
Although the award in this case is a fully operating hospital wing, it is still the hockey equivalent of an all-star show.
Rielly finished the season with 36 points and a minus-18 rating in 78 games for Toronto, following a disappointing campaign.
The Maple Leafs ended the season with a 32-36-14 record, punctuated by a seven-game losing streak that no one in the locker room wants to recall.
Jim Hiller, the new coach, takes over a team that is still looking for answers.
Toronto gambled on a new coach shaking loose a team that finished 28th overall when it hired Jim Hiller as head coach on June 17.
How much goodwill would a captain’s armband on a Wednesday night in August actually buy back in a city that is so desperate for victories?
The simple portion is the charity night. Hiller’s genuine responsibility behind the bench is to turn that record around.
Rielly’s name has come up in trade rumors in the past, and off-seasons like this one seldom put an end to such conversations.
As a result, Reilly is anticipated to be questioned about his rumored departure from Toronto during his first interaction with the media since the speculation began.
There’s no resolution to any of that on a Wednesday night in Brampton. The actual response will emerge when training camp begins and Rielly’s name is either placed on the roster or not.
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