NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks - Source: Imagn — Ryan O'Reilly talks aobut former team the Toronto Maple Leafs (IMAGN)

Toronto Maple Leafs experience draws candid response from $18,000,000 worth Ryan O'Reilly

Modified Jul 22, 2024 21:24 GMT

A seasoned NHL player, Ryan O'Reilly joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in Feb. 2023. However, after just one playoff run, he opted for a fresh start, signing with the Nashville Predators during the 2023 free agency. O'Reilly, valued at $18,000,000, shared his unique perspective on playing for one of hockey's most storied franchises.

Speaking at the Smilezone Celebrity Golf Tournament in Brampton, Ontario, on Monday, O'Reilly reflected on his brief but intense time with the Maple Leafs.

“It’s so much more than just your average team; it’s one of the faces of hockey,” O'Reilly remarked. “Even the fans here [at the golf tournament] want to know every little detail about the team. You can tell it’s just something so much bigger; it’s the game of hockey in a special way.”

In a September 2023 statement with Sportsnet, O'Reilly, after joining the Nashville Predators, elaborated on the amplified atmosphere in Toronto.

“You could tell everything’s amplified,” O'Reilly said. “I don’t do it often, but it was a good thing when I played there that I didn’t turn on the TV much or turn on the radio because there are so many outlets talking about it. Everything’s covering it, talking about it. Here, it gets a little time on the TV, but it’s not everything. It is more than just a game there.”

Ryan O'Reilly praised ex-Maple Leafs teammate Mitch Marner

Mitch Marner has been mentioned in trade rumors, with Ryan O'Reilly pushing for the Nashville Predators to get him. Despite O'Reilly's efforts, Predators general manager Barry Trotz chose to sign free agents Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei.

O'Reilly's comments show how impressed he was with Marner, even though he now plays for the Predators. At a charity golf event, O'Reilly praised Marner's competitive skills.

“He brings so many things. He’s so competitive, but I think just how elusive he is. With the way he can create plays, and just being off balance, and being able to put these pucks in the right areas. Just such a competitor,” O’Reilly said (via TSN.com).

“Getting to play with him in the short time I did, it was just so fun. You see the way he sees the game, at such a unique level," he added.

Despite joining Nashville in July 2023, O'Reilly admires Marner and the Leafs.