Ryan O'Reilly reveals what playing in Toronto is really like

There are often times that we hear from some certain hockey fans in Canada that when a high profile player declines to play in a Canadian city, it's because they simply don't want to be able to (or can't) handle the pressure that comes from suiting up for a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens. 

Players who have played for either team will be the first to say that while the hockey tradition is second to none in Canada, the pressure from both fans and media and essentially living in a fishbowl is something that they can usually do without.

Now with the Nashville Predators, O'Reilly is shedding more light on his time with the Leafs, as well as voicing his true thoughts on former teammate Mitch Marner. 

“It’s so much more than just your average team; it’s one of the faces of hockey,” O'Reilly said while taking part in the Smilezone Celebrity Golf Tournament in Brampton, Ontario. “Even the fans here [at the golf tournament] want to know every little detail about the team. You can tell it’s just something so much bigger; it’s the game of hockey in a special way.”

As far as his former teammate Marner is concerned, O'Reilly had nothing but positive things to say about him and his competitive nature. 

“He brings so many things. He’s so competitive, but I think just how elusive he is. With the way he can create plays, and just being off balance, and being able to put these pucks in the right areas. Just such a competitor,” O’Reilly said. “Getting to play with him in the short time I did, it was just so fun. You see the way he sees the game, at such a unique level."

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