Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly expecting first child with Olympian Tessa Virtue

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly is about to take on his toughest challenge yet: fatherhood.

Tessa Virtue, the retired Olympic ice dancer and Rielly’s wife, subtly announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday that she is pregnant with the couple’s first child.

Virtue, 35, posted a slideshow of seven different photos, with the fifth one being a mirror selfie of herself in a New York Yankees ballcap and a black swimsuit that showed a very noticeable baby bump.

Although she chose not to directly acknowledge her pregnancy in the caption, writing, “Some snaps from my favourites folder from a few weeks back,” her followers and the rest of the public certainly caught on, leaving more than 1,500 comments in the first three hours after her post went live.

Virtue and Rielly, 30, were married in two private and secret wedding ceremonies last summer. They publicly confirmed their marriage in February of this year.

Rielly has reportedly been in a relationship with Virtue since 2020 and they have been frequently seen together in public in the years since. They also share a dog named Zoe.

It’s now been nearly 12 full years since the Maple Leafs selected Rielly with the No. 5 overall selection in the 2012 NHL Draft. The Vancouver, BC product has grown immeasurably on and off the ice since joining the organization more than a decade ago.

Through 791 career games over parts of 11 seasons with the Maple Leafs, Rielly has collected 80 goals and 472 points. He’s added 11 goals and 40 points in 57 playoff contests.

In 72 games with the Maple Leafs during the 2023-24 regular season, Rielly amassed seven goals and 58 points. He managed three assists in the team’s Round 1 playoff loss to the Boston Bruins.

With her ice dancing partner Scott Moir (with whom she skated from 1997 to 2019), Virtue won Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2018 and silver in 2014. She is also a three-time World Champion and an eight-time Canadian National Champion.

After retiring in 2019, Virtue was named to the Order of Canada and inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. Along with Moir, she remains one of the most decorated, recognizable, and beloved athletes in Canadian history.