Maple Leafs Recall Cole McWard

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly exited Saturday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after just five minutes of ice time. In response to his injury, Toronto has recalled right-defender Cole McWard on Sunday morning per James Mirtle of The Athletic. The Maple Leafs assigned forward Vinni Lettieri to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in a corresponding move per David Alter of The Hockey News.

McWard may not get the chance to step into the lineup if Rielly’s absence is short-term. The Maple Leafs are also carrying left-defender Dakota Mermis, who has already played in three games this season. Mermis has no scoring, two shot blocks, three hits, and four penalty minutes in his appearances. He played in 11 games with Toronto last season, notching one goal and nine blocks. Mermis also appeared in 51 games with the Marlies across the 2025-26 regular season and playoffs. He recorded 17 points and 60 penalty minutes. For Sunday’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils, Mermis is likely to move onto the bottom pair while Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson earn extra minutes.

If he does play, McWard will be making his Maple Leafs debut, and playing in just the 10th game of his NHL career. He appeared in six games with the Vancouver Canucks between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Those appearances were marked by one goal, five hits, and six blocks. He also appeared in three games with the New York Islanders last season and recorded no scoring, four hits, and five blocks.

McWard has filled utility roles in the minor-leagues around his NHL stints. He won a Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks in 2024-25, while chipping in 28 points, 18 penalty minutes, and a plus-7 to 79 total games during the championship run. Across his full career, McWard has scored 74 points in 194 AHL games, including four assists in seven games this season.