How did Tessa Virtue and Morgan Rielly meet
tessa virtuemorgan riellyice hockey

How did Tessa Virtue and Morgan Rielly meet

Marcus Sullivan
Marcus Sullivan
January 24, 2026

Tessa Virtue and Morgan Rielly represent something special in Canadian sports. She's a retired Olympic ice dancer. He's a star defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs. But how did Tessa Virtue and Morgan Rielly meet? Their story brings together two worlds of elite ice sports and captured the hearts of hockey fans everywhere. Finding out how this power couple connected is a fasinating look behind the scenes of professional athletics.

How they actually met

Mutual friends introduced Tessa and Morgan sometime before late 2019. The relationship started quietly, away from the spotlight. Their connection became public in January 2020 when they attended the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Gala together. Hockey fans and media outlets immediately started speculating about their relationship. Photos and social media interactions eventually confirmed what everyone suspected two major Canadian athletes were dating, and the sports world took notice.

Why hockey fans care about their relationship

Morgan Rielly plays a crucial role for the Maple Leafs on defense. His relationship with Tessa adds depth to his story beyond the rink. Virtue is an Olympic champion ice dancer with incredible accomplishments (seriously, her resume is insane). Together, they represent excellence across different ice sports. Their union gives hockey media compelling human interest stories. Fans love following athletes who balance careers with meaningful personal lives. Stories like theirs remind us that professional athletes are real people with real relationships, not just names in a scoreboard.

Keeping their lives balanced and private

Despite their fame, Tessa and Morgan maintain reasonable privacy. During COVID-19 quarantine, they shared Instagram Live sessions showing their lives at home. They gave fans glimpses without oversharing personal details. In 2024, they got married, marking a major milestone that fans celebrated with them. The couple demonstrates how to handle public interest while protecting what matters most. They show that elite athletes can build strong families and relationships.

Hockey fans connect with Tessa and Morgan's story because it transcends the sport itself. It shows that ice sports in Canada produce remarkable humans, not just talented players and dancers. Their journey together proves that passion, dedication, and love can coexist at the highest levels of athletic competition. For hockey blogs and news outlets, their relationship continues providing meaningful content that goes beyond game statistics and playoff standings.

Share: