HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-05-09, Page 18Page 18 May 9, 2007 • The Huron Expositor
Ryan O'Reilly first player selected in OHL draft
Ryan O'Reilly, of
Varna, was the first
hockey player in
Ontario selected in the
OHL draft on
Saturday.
"It feels awesome,"
said O'Reilly. "It's a
goal I've had for a cou-
ple of years now and it
feels great to accom-
plish it."
O'Reilly, 16, was
picked by the Erie
Otters, after playing
centre on the
Toronto Junior
Ryan O'Reilly
and made it to the
OHL Cup," O'Reilly
said, referring to the
tournament that
Ontario's top 20 teams
play in.
O'Reilly said he'll be
training in Huron
County for the sum-
mer, attending a train-
ing camp in June put
on by his father, Brian
O'Reilly. He'll also
train a lot with his
brother, Cal, and a few
other local players
who will participate in
Canadiens, a minor midget AAA his dad's camp.
team. Cal O'Reilly just got back from
"We finished fourth in our league playing for the Milwaukee
Cal O'Reilly named April's
AHL rookie of the month
Aaron Jacklin
Cal O'Reilly, of Seaforth, was
named Reebok Hockey/American
Hockey League rookie of the month
for April.
"I had a pretty good couple of
weeks," O'Reilly told the Expositor
from Milwaukee last week, modest-
ly referring to his eight -game scor-
ing streak.
He's happy for the recognition,
calling it an honour. He explained
that this award won't have him
playing in the NHL faster.
"It all depends on how I play next
year," he said.
A fifth round draft pick in 2005
by the NHL's Nashville Predators,
O'Reilly plays for the Predators'
AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee
Admirals.
He said the season went well,
with 42 wins in 80 games.
"We didn't have good playoffs," he
said. "We lost four straight to
Chicago, so that wasn't good. We
were disappointed about that. We
thought we could have made a pret-
ty good playoff run this year."
Now that the season's over for the
Admirals, O'Reilly's come back to
Ontario. He's taking a few weeks off
before starting to train for next sea-
son with his dad.
O'Reilly will go back to Milwaukee
for the Admirals training camp in
September. He has two years left in
his contract.
Scoreboard
SHUFFLEBOARD
May 3
Ladies high: Velma Preszcator, June Martene,
Grace Corbett, Ann Van Dooren 3 wins.
Men's high: Gerald Martene 5 wins.
BOWLING
ST. JAMES
Apr. 30
Men's high single: Lyle Haney 266
Men's high triple: Neil Beuerman 698
Men over 200: Lyle Haney 266; Mike
Beuerman 204, 263, 203; Neil Beuerman 237,
247, 214; Mark Higenell 248; Pat Ryan 201.
Men over 600: Neil Beuerman 698, Mike
Beuerman 670.
Ladies high single: Sandra Lee 229
Ladies high triple: Gayle Schellenberger 604
Ladies over 200: Sandra Lee 229; Gayle
Schellenberger 220, 222; Johanna Goodman
205.
Standings: Bears 13080; Cougars 13053; Lions
13033; Leopards 12700; Tigers 12677; Panthers
12453.
KIPPEN GUN CLUB
May 2 trap
Chuck Krieger 100, Chad Monroe 50, Marco
Van Driel 25, Jim Hill 25, Brad Mann 25, Jason
Darling 25, Kirk Krieger 25, Jody Mosurinjohn
25, Steve Vennor 25, Wayne Peachey 25, Bill
Cameron 25, Doug Dalrymple 24, Mlke Smith
24, Reinhardt Gotz 24, Kyle Mann 24, Jim
Consitt 23, Jack Berg 23, Brittany Caldwell 23,
Barry Como 23, Steve Johnson 23, Jordon
Ritchie 23, Dwaine Jeffery 22, Glen Mogk 22,
Jake Homuth 20, Jeff Darling 20, Chris
McGregor 20.
Admirals, the Nashville Predators'
AHL affiliate team.
Ryan explained that while he has
been selected, nothing's for sure
just yet. In August he'll go to Erie
for the Otters' training camp.
"I have to make the team," he
said, noting that while it's not guar-
anteed, the players picked in the
first two rounds of the OHL draft
usually play.
Getting picked first overall put
him in a pretty good position.
"I have pretty good odds of mak-
ing the team, but I still have to
make it," he said.
"If I make it, I'll move down there
and start the season," he said.
O'Reilly said that a number of
local people and businesses have
been a huge help to him in his hock-
ey career so far, naming Betty
Burns 'and Graham Nesbitt as
standouts.
Betty Burns said that she and her
husband Larry had sponsored both
Ryan and his brother Cal.
Before the draft even happened,
Burns was thrilled to hear that the
younger O'Reilly was ranked. so
highly.
"It's a wonderful feeling to know
that they've gone on to such suc-
cessful careers," she said. "When
kids start out skating, you think,
well, it's maybe just a fad, but those
boys have really taken to it and love
it and work hard."
By Aaron Jacklin
Scott Paulus photo
Cal O'Reilly goes after the puck while playing for the Milwaukee Admirals.