How a Wrestling Belt Became the Player of the Game Award for the Maple Leafs This Season
Rielly #Rielly
WWE Wrestler Edge gifted the belt to Morgan Rielly, who accepted it on behalf of the team.
Morgan Rielly had arranged for both he and a friend (who is a big Edge fan) to meet WWE superstar Edge when the wrestler was in town for an episode of WWE Raw at Scotiabank Arena on August 22.
Edge, who was already being honored by the Maple Leafs with crossover merchandise, came prepared and presented Rielly with a custom made WWE belt to give to the team.
Rielly, was initially apprehensive about accepting the title, fearing it might be the only copy in existence.
“I couldn’t take it because once you hold it, it’s real and well made,” Rielly recalled.
But once he was assured that there were multiple versions of it, Rielly accepted the gift on behalf of the franchise.
If you are a fan of Edge, the belt will certainly look family. The superstar, real name Adam Copeland, is originally from Orangeville, Ontario and a big Leafs fan. He’s seen in several previous social media posts sporting the same title.
The title came to light as Toronto’s new player-of-the game tradition. The Maple Leafs shared a video of John Tavares awarding the belt to Justin Holl following the team’s 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins.
Once the belt was in Rielly’s possession, the thought shifted to what to do with it. One idea tossed around was awarding it to their fantasy football winner, but they ultimately settled on player-of-the-game award to allow for everyone to get involved.
“It’s just a good way to acknowledge wins a bit more than just another game,” Rielly said. “It’s a good way to acknowledge good performances and to enjoy wins and make them feel more meaningful.”
It’s not the first time the Maple Leafs had a player-of-the-game award. During the 2019-20 season, the team used a basketball as a tribute to the Toronto Raptors who had just the NBA championship.
During the 2014-15 season, interim head coach Peter Horachek introduced a camo jacket. Initially won by Leo Komarov, the player awarded to Horachek when he picked up his first win as a head coach on Jan. 9, 2015.
The tradition didn’t last as Horachek had to hold on to it as the Leafs went on to lose 11 consecutive games.
“They probably had it burned,” Rielly joked.
But the new tradition of handing out a belt seems to be winning over the team.
“I haven’t touched it yet but it looks like a pretty legit belt,” Auston Matthews said. “Not sure where we’re getting these from but it’s pretty legit.”
The current title holder is Erik Kallgren, who picked up his first win of the season in a 29-save performance against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.