Morgan Rielly | Practice | October 27, 2025
It’s great. Love Joe. Um, great young man and um, it’s awesome having him back. What’s it like to obviously want to give him a space, but supporting through this process? I mean, you want to support everyone um, you know, over the course of a career or like a long season or whatever it might be. Uh, you know, we all go through things and, you know, in terms of playing a team sport, you want to be there for for each other. Um, so this is just a good opportunity for everyone to to rally and be there for everyone here and uh that’s what we’re going to do. Fans sometimes regret that you guys are just athletes people they see on the TV. They have other other things going on. I don’t know. I can’t really speak to that. Um I think I think in my experience um you know playing on a team has been a a huge privilege and you know playing team sports growing up. You create bonds with one another and that’s all I I focus on. I don’t worry about other people’s perspective on what we got going on. 500 goals is a lot of goals. How excited is the growth for for John and what he’s coming up to here? Yeah, I mean that’s a big milestone and um you know it feels like John has hit a couple of those in the last couple years and I can’t think of anyone uh uh more deserving and um he’s just a real example of what um what hard work and complete commitment will lead to and he’s just been um a great uh a great leader since day one and um you know we’re always very happy for guys when when you hit a milestone but um you know obviously that’s a big one laughing at the fact that uh you know much has been made about his preparation, the water, the food, the the suitcase, the pillow, any technology. Do you guys give it to him a little bit or you just go, “Wait a minute, this works. We we can’t Well, it’s definitely both.” I know. I It’s still It’s still fair game, but um no, he’s he’s um he’s a I mean, I don’t even want to say a good sport about it cuz that, you know, makes it sound like it’s it’s a it’s a joke at his expense or something. It’s not like that. He’s just that’s just how he rolls. And um as his teammates and his peers and stuff, we just respect it and you know, we like to, you know, joke around about a lot of things and keep things light and um you know, everyone’s a pretty good sport about it, but uh you know, I mean, what he’s able to do, I mean, the proofs in the pudding. So, uh I mean, call it a joke, call it whatever, but you know, uh Johnny’s doing just fine. Yeah. Do you steal anything from him over the years? Lots of stuff. I think I think we all have, you know, we all make jokes at each other’s expense, but uh I mean, you play together long enough, you start to pick up on things, and especially when it’s a guy like John or Austin or or Willie or whatever, when they’re doing something, I think, um I think you’re crazy not to give it a shot. Joshua where he is now compared to maybe game one. I think it’s great. I mean, he’s um obviously had a great weekend and uh he’s been playing really well for us and you know, he’s a big guy and um he’s using his body and he’s skating up and down the sheet and you know, two big goals. Um you know, obviously that uh that really goes a long way for our group. Tan does so much for you guys. Just how do you feel the defense has adjusted in his absence? Yeah, I think it’s been all right. Um I mean, I don’t think he replaced Tanny. I think uh I think you know other guys have to take on more responsibility and um adjust their roles a little bit and as we go here that’ll be a work in progress. Um but I think we’re doing a good job. I think we have uh you know open communication back there and uh you know we’re playing uh with different guys and you know different sides and stuff. So there’s a little bit of an adjustment there but it’s uh I mean really nothing we can’t handle.
Morgan Rielly addresses the media following Monday’s practice.
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