St Louis Blues forward Ryan O’Reilly has won the Stanley Cup! The Blues won their first Cup with a 4-1 victory in game 7 over the Boston Bruins and Ryan was key to their victory scoring the first goal of the game, just as he did in the last four games of the Stanley Cup final. He is the first player to score in four straight Stanley Cup finals since his hockey Hero Wayne Gretzky in 1985.
Ryan finished with 23 points in the playoffs with 8 goals and 15 assists and in the final he scored a point in six straight games. He was fantastic on the defensive end leading the forecheck which dominated a very tough Bruins team. For these reasons, he was presented with the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP of the playoffs. And he did this despite playing the final 3 series with a broken rib.
During a press conference after the game he looked at the trophy and explained “Most of the guys on here I pretended I was as a kid, and now to be on there with them…… It is an incredible feeling”.
O’Reilly is also a finalist for the Selke Trophy for the best defensive forward in the NHL. Blues coach Craig Berube said “His work ethic and his production for us all year and then throughout the plays was amazing. He was just a relentless hockey player. Never quits and such a smart two-way player. He is special”.
Blues goalie, Jordan Binnington said of Ryan “That guy is a legend. He’s an incredible player, and incredible teammate. Last guy off the ice at practice, leading warm ups, relentless playing... In everything he does – he is a beast”
Ryan grew up near Seaforth and played for the Lakers from 2000-2006. His father, Brian is a Sports Performance Coach who has worked with many Lakers teams over the years as well as with our coaches to encourage quality with our teams.
Congratulations to “Snook” and his family! We are very proud of you