Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly to join Canada for 2026 IIHF World Championship

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly will join Canada for the 2026 IIHF World Championship, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports.

Rielly will join John Tavares at the upcoming tournament. Tavares told reporters he’d likely be joining Canada during the Maple Leafs’ end-of-year media availability on April 16, then confirmed his participation the following day. Rielly previously expressed interest in joining Canada on April 16. He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, and will be looking to add to his trophy case.

It will be an opportunity for Rielly to regain his form against quality competition. Rielly is coming off a season where his defensive form fell off a cliff, and he was on the ice for the second-most goals at 5-on-5 in the NHL. The 32-year-old posted 11 goals and 36 points in 78 games during the 2025-26 season. Although Rielly is the longest-tenured member of the Maple Leafs, it’s possible that the team will approach him about a trade this summer.

“It’s a challenging thing to answer when those conversations haven’t happened yet,” Rielly said on April 16. “But, you know, after a year like this, after any year, but especially one like this, as an athlete, you have to be prepared for that. You know, it’s not the first time that it’s crossed my mind.”

Rielly is one of several high-profile names to join Canada on Monday, as Macklin Celebrini, Mark Scheifele, Mathew Barzal and 2026 presumptive first overall pick Gavin McKenna will also join the team, Dreger reports.

There are several Maple Leafs ties to this year’s roster. Brad Treliving and Jason Spezza will oversee the roster as part of Canada’s management group, while Kyle Dubas will serve in an advisory role. Treliving was fired by the Maple Leafs on March 30, after a tumultuous 2025-26 campaign. Spezza serves as Dubas’ right-hand man with the Pittsburgh Penguins.