OJHL TO THE NHL: REILLY SMITH HAS BEEN GOLDEN IN VEGAS
Ahead of the 2021 NHL season, Ontario Junior Hockey League writer Ron Valentine is profiling four graduates of the ‘League of Choice’ to watch this year.
By Ron Valentine
REILLY SMITH heads into season No. 4 with the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Division of the NHL.
He has made quite the impression at the top level of hockey, starting out with the Dallas Stars back in 2011-12 after being drafted by that club in 2009 in the third round (69th overall).
He moved to the Boston Bruins and then the Florida Panthers for two seasons each before joining the Nevada-based club in its first-ever NHL campaign in 2017. Reilly has worn an "A" since the Knights' inception.
During his NHL career to date, he has 163 goals and 246 helpers for a grand total of 409 points, including 167 points in 212 games with Vegas.
In 2008-09, Reilly had a monster campaign with the .500 St. Michael's Buzzers of the OJHL, finding the net 27 times and accumulating 75 points. He added an amazing nine goals and 15 points in just six playoff contests against the Toronto Junior Canadiens, which included two four-point efforts. He started that regular season with a four-point night against Markham and just rolled on from there. Reilly would end up in second spot behind club captain Greg Miller, who went on to four successful years at Cornell, in the Buzzers' points race that season.
Reilly would spend the next three seasons at NCAA Division 1 Miami University at Ohio and in the last one he proudly wore the "C". In 2011-12 he reached the coveted 30-goal mark.
I'll let St. Michael’s' veteran General Manager and Head Coach Rich Ricci take it from here...
“Reilly was the last of the three Smith brothers to play for us. Brendan played with the Detroit Red Wings and now the New York Rangers and Rory plays for the Vancouver Stealth in the National Lacrosse League. He was a quiet but confident low-maintenance under-ager. Blessed with very good vision and skating, Reilly knew how to find open space and areas to score. His offensive instincts were top notch and he had the family trait of a mean streak, too. Not overly physical, Reilly would not back down from bigger, older and stronger players. We knew he was a special player early on. We are so happy for his continued success in the NHL.”
The NHL season begins Jan. 13. Training camps open beginning Dec. 31.
