Ryan O'Reilly looks back on playing for the Maple Leafs with fond memories.
The 32-year-old Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe-winner was acquired by Toronto, along with Noel Acciari, in February to help round out the Maple Leafs' roster as they entered the playoffs.
For O'Reilly, being from Ontario, it was a big deal for he, his friends, and his family to be playing for, who he calls, "hockey's team".
The veteran forward did contribute to getting the Maple Leafs over one hump, in winning a playoff round. But he and the team couldn't get any further, ultimately being eliminated in five games by the Florida Panthers.
O'Reilly was an unrestricted free agent following the playoff exit, and while Toronto was a team he loved playing for, the 32-year-old decided to part ways with the club to sign a four-year, $18 million contract with the Nashville Predators.
Ahead of his return to Toronto this weekend, O'Reilly joined Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on 'Leafs Morning Take' to discuss what it was like to play for his hometown team and whatt went into his decision to sign elsewhere this past summer.
O'Reilly said playing for the Maple Leafs was "so special," especially being from Ontario.
"Toronto is hockey's team, it has the biggest fanbase, it's talked about the most," the veteran forward told Alberga and Rosehill. "I hear from all my buddies every year, what's right, what's wrong with the team, everything. And then getting a chance to play there was incredible. You feel that pressure of it, but it's super special to have the opportunity and really enjoy it."
When O'Reilly decided he wasn't going to remain in Toronto following last season, there was a lot of chatter about the decision and what really happened. Though more than anything else, the 32-year-old just wanted to have a big role within a team.
"There's so many things that went into that decision," he said. "I think Toronto is a place, too, when things don't go well, it's easy to kind of get buried.
"For the point in my career, I think I had a lot left, and I think I wanted to be in kind of a bigger role and have more of an impact and I think Nashville was that place, and so I was able to work that out. But there's so many good things about Toronto, playing there, the team, obviously, is so good, but we just felt like this was the better fit."
O'Reilly said that, for a while, he and his family "strongly considered" a return to Toronto was possible. However, the 32-year-old mentioned that while it was an amazing place to play, being in the limelight was a lot for him.
"It was a tough decision for sure," he said on Leafs Morning Take.
Nevertheless, it was always something he wanted to experience firsthand.
"Where I'm from is about two-and-a-half hours west of Toronto, a small town, Seaforth, Ontario. I think everyone's always supported me throughout my career, but once I was putting on that Maple Leafs jersey, I was playing for their team too," O'Reilly said.
"And it's crazy just, you know, the people that come out of the wood work and people stopping my family whenever they see them and wanting to break down the line combos and what's going on with the PK and such. It's crazy.
"Like, it's so much more than just a game and getting to see that firsthand, and even this summer, going back there, the people, how much they just love it, love the Leafs and being a part of it. It was just crazy to see how much beyond just the game of hockey it is."
The 32-year-old returns to Toronto for the first time since playing for the team on Saturday night. And while O'Reilly says he'll "definitely have a little extra in the tank," it's still going to be eccentric for him.
"When you look at numbers and the games I've played in Toronto, it wasn't that many, but for me, it feels like I spent a lot of time there," O'Reilly said.
"Just the emotions of it, winning a playoff series there, being a part of that. It's a short time but a very impactful time in my career. So, it will be different. Again, growing up there, having so much family and friends and such, it's always cool going back and playing there."
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