Decked out in his full Maple Leaf workout gear, Morgan Rielly walked a stride or two behind Auston Matthews as the two made their way to the ice Monday at the MasterCard Centre.

It was suggested to Rielly he could use a workout.

“I don’t need it,” said the defenceman, pointing his stick toward Matthews and smiling. “He does.”

Matthews, the No. 1 overall pick in June’s draft, looked back and laughed. It was all in jest of course, teammates getting on one another as they do in the spirit of bonding.

“He’s great,” Rielly said of the rookie centre. “He’s mature for his age. He’s got a very bright future. We’re all looking forward to it, being a part of it and helping him out with whatever that may be.”

Rielly has never had a letter on his jersey in his time with the Maple Leafs, but he certainly seems to be trending toward a leadership role.

“That’s not really for me to say,” said Rielly.

The defenceman understands the Leafs have assembled a core of young talent with the likes of 18-year-old Matthews, 19-year-old Mitch Marner and 20-year-old William Nylander.

And each can look to the 22-year-old Rielly as a younger player who not only survived but thrived in the spotlight of Toronto. For his part, Rielly said he’s ready to be an example for them.

“When you get that many young guys that are extremely talented that have a chance to make the jump, you have to take it upon yourself to help them out,” said Rielly. “But they are mature young men who know what they have to do.

“It comes down to making them feel comfortable, treating them like equals like you would anyone else. It goes without saying. It’s important but it can go a long way to making people feel comfortable.”

A handful of Leafs and Marlies worked out informally Monday, all in preparation for next month’s training camp.

Rielly and Matthews skated together for the first time Monday — Connor Brown was also out there with them — working with skills coach Darryl Belfry and skating coach Barb Underhill.

Rielly and Matthews will also be teammates on Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, comprised of the best Canadian and American players under 23. Camp for them opens Sept. 5 in Montreal.

“The closer it gets the more excited I get,” said Rielly. “We don’t really know what to expect, but that’s part of the fun. We know we have a good team, we’re motivated and we’re looking forward to getting together.”

Those games will be Rielly’s first with Matthews, but he’s already played at various international events with the likes of Connor McDavid, Sean Monahan and Mark Scheifele.

“I know most of the Canadians,” said Rielly. “It’s the Americans we’re going to have to get to know a little quicker.”

And Rielly believes the best-on-best format will only make him a better player.

“When you get a bunch of high-quality players together, you can always pick up things here and there, whether it’s something they’re doing in the gym or on the ice. You have to look at it as an opportunity to get better. We’re all going to have a chance to learn a bit about each other and how we play. It will be fun.”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

As for the Maple Leafs, Rielly said he can feel the excitement for the coming season, the team’s 100th.

“We’re all looking forward to it. We made some changes in the off-season,” said Rielly. “Whenever you add a player like Auston it adds some extra excitement. The fans are really looking forward to it, the guys are really looking forward to getting things going.

“It’s nice to know what to expect out of (coach Mike) Babcock, and the coaching staff and how high the standard is. After playing for him for a year you get a sense of how tough the camp is going to be and what his expectations are for us.”

Read more about: