Terry O'Reilly

Terry O'Reilly
Terry O'Reilly
	O'Reilly with the Boston Bruins in 1978
Born	June 7, 1951 (age 73); Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Boston Bruins
NHL draft	14th overall, 1971 ; Boston Bruins
Playing career	1971–1985

Last updated September 08, 2024

Terence Joseph James O'Reilly (born June 7, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He played for the NHL's Boston Bruins and featured in three Stanley Cup Finals. He was one of the most effective enforcers in NHL history. For this reason he was called "Bloody O'Reilly." O'Reilly was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Playing career

O'Reilly was picked by the Boston Bruins in the first round as the 14th pick overall in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft. O'Reilly spent his entire career in Boston, serving as the captain of the Bruins during the 1983–84 and 1984–85 seasons before his retirement. The Bruins retired his No. 24 on October 24, 2002.^[1]

O'Reilly made his NHL debut in the Bruins' final game of the 1971–72 regular season. He scored a goal in Boston's 6–4 victory over Toronto at Boston Garden.

O'Reilly was known for being a tough player, racking up over 200 penalty minutes in five consecutive seasons, and earning for himself the nickname "Bloody O'Reilly" in the press. His teammate, Phil Esposito, dubbed O'Reilly "Taz" in reference to the Tasmanian Devil cartoon character for O'Reilly's reckless, hard driving style of play. He was very protective of his teammates. When the Bruins retired O'Reilly's No. 24, Ray Bourque noted that O'Reilly's banner "hangs next to mine, protecting me again."^[2]

On top of his physical presence, he also had a decent scoring touch, highlighted by his 29-goal, 90-point season in 1977–78. He added to that with a 77-point effort the following campaign. He had 211 and 205 minutes in penalties in those seasons respectively, displaying an excellent balance of grit and scoring. He finished his 13-year career with 204 goals, 402 assists for 606 points, a +212 plus/minus and 2,095 minutes in penalties. As of January 1, 2022, O'Reilly was ranked 20th in career goals scored by a Boston Bruin in regular-season play.

In the infamous December 23, 1979, incident at Madison Square Garden, during a post-game scrum, a New York Rangers fan rolled up a program tightly and smacked Stan Jonathan in the face drawing blood, then stole his stick and wielded it like a weapon. O'Reilly scaled the glass and charged into the stands. His teammates followed when other fans tried to intervene. O'Reilly was suspended eight games for his part in the brawl.^[3]

He became the permanent head coach of the Bruins during the 1986–87 NHL season ^[4]^[5] and kept his job until 1989, when he left to care for, and spend more time with his son, Evan, who was seriously ill with liver disease.^[6]^[7]^[8] In that time, he took the Bruins to the Stanley Cup finals in 1988, where they were defeated by the Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers. O'Reilly also was an assistant coach for the Rangers for the two seasons prior to the lockout.

Other

O'Reilly in 2012 Terryoreilly.jpg — O'Reilly in 2012

In the Adam Sandler movie Happy Gilmore , O'Reilly is mentioned as Happy Gilmore's favorite hockey player when growing up due to his tough style of play.

O'Reilly has stated his favorite player who plays for the Bruins is Milan Lucic, also born on June 7.

He was inducted into the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Awards, honours and records

NHL All-Star Game — 1975, 1978
Won the Seventh Player Award — 1975
Won the Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy — 1978
Bruins Three Stars Awards — 1978, 1979, 1980
His #24 Jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins on October 24, 2002.

Records

Most Penalty Minutes in Boston Bruins franchise history.

Career statistics

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1968–69	Oshawa Generals	OHA-Jr.	46	5	15	20	87	—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Oshawa Generals	OHA-Jr.	54	13	36	49	60	6	1	5	6	22
1970–71	Oshawa Generals	OHA-Jr.	54	23	42	65	151	—	—	—	—	—
1971–72	Boston Braves	AHL	60	9	8	17	134	9	2	2	4	31
1971–72	Boston Bruins	NHL	1	1	0	1	0	—	—	—	—	—
1972–73	Boston Bruins	NHL	72	5	22	27	109	5	0	0	0	2
1973–74	Boston Bruins	NHL	76	11	24	35	94	16	2	5	7	38
1974–75	Boston Bruins	NHL	68	15	20	35	146	3	0	0	0	17
1975–76	Boston Bruins	NHL	80	23	27	50	150	12	3	1	4	25
1976–77	Boston Bruins	NHL	79	14	41	55	147	14	5	6	11	28
1977–78	Boston Bruins	NHL	77	29	61	90	211	15	5	10	15	40
1978–79	Boston Bruins	NHL	80	26	51	77	205	11	0	6	6	25
1979–80	Boston Bruins	NHL	71	19	42	61	265	10	3	6	9	69
1980–81	Boston Bruins	NHL	77	8	35	43	233	3	1	2	3	12
1981–82	Boston Bruins	NHL	70	22	30	52	213	11	5	4	9	56
1982–83	Boston Bruins	NHL	19	6	14	20	40	—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Boston Bruins	NHL	58	12	18	30	124	3	0	0	0	14
1984–85	Boston Bruins	NHL	63	13	17	30	168	5	1	2	3	9
NHL totals			891	204	402	606	2,095	108	25	42	67	335

Coaching statistics

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
Team	Year	G	W	L	T	Pts	Division Rank	Result
Boston Bruins	1986–87	67	34	27	6	74	3rd in Adams	Lost in first round
	1987–88	80	44	30	6	94	2nd in Adams	Lost in finals
	1988–89	80	37	29	14	88	2nd in Adams	Lost in second round
Total		227	115	86	26

Related Research Articles

Philip Anthony Esposito is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive, and current broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers, winning two Stanley Cups with Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Bourque</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1960)

Raymond Jean Bourque is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman five times, while finishing second for that trophy a further six times. He also twice finished second in the voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, a rarity for a defenceman. He was named to the end-of-season All-Star teams 19 times, 13 on the first-team and six on the second-team.

Patrice Bergeron-Cleary is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, all with the Boston Bruins. He served as team captain from 2021 until his retirement in 2023. Bergeron played junior hockey with the Acadie–Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for one full season before being selected 45th overall by the Bruins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He made the immediate jump from junior to the NHL after his draft and joined the Bruins in the 2003–04 season. In international play, Bergeron competed for Canada and won gold medals at the 2004 World Championships, 2005 World Junior Championships, 2010 Winter Olympics, 2012 Spengler Cup, and 2014 Winter Olympics. Bergeron is a member of the Triple Gold Club after winning the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011. He scored two goals, including the Stanley Cup-winning goal, in Game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Milbury</span> American ice hockey player

Michael James Milbury is an American former professional ice hockey player and current sports announcer. He played for twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), all for the Boston Bruins. He helped the Bruins reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1977 and 1978.

Wayne Cashman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played seventeen seasons for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) and helped them win the Stanley Cup twice, and was the last active player who started his NHL career in the Original Six era.

The 1956–57 NHL season was the 40th season of the National Hockey League. Six teams each played 70 games. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season, defeating the Boston Bruins four games to one in the best-of-seven final series. The final game was won with a clutch goal from Montreal defenceman Tom Johnson that clinched the Stanley Cup championship for the Canadiens 3–2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Middleton</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1953)

Richard David "Nifty" Middleton is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butch Goring</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Robert Thomas "Butch" Goring is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. A four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Islanders, he has been cited as a key figure of the Islanders dynasty.

Douglas Allen "Diesel" Mohns was a professional ice hockey player who played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1953–54 until 1974–75. Mohns twice won the most coveted prize in junior hockey, the Memorial Cup. He played on the 1951 and 1953 Barrie Flyers teams.

Frederic William Stanfield was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1964 until 1978. He won two Stanley Cups with the Boston Bruins, in 1970 and 1972. He was known as a clean player, as only once did he receive more than 14 penalty minutes in any season of his professional career.

Edwin Vernon Westfall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders from 1961 until 1979. Notable as a defensive specialist often tasked with defending against the star scorers of opposing teams, Westfall played most of his career as a right wing, although he played stints on defence in his earlier years and at centre in his later years. After his playing career ended, he became a color commentator on Islanders' broadcasts until 1998 when he retired from that position.

James William "Sailor" Herbert was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and referee. Herbert played the centre forward position for six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Cougars. He was an original member of the Boston Bruins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Braves (AHL)</span> Ice hockey team in Boston, Massachusetts

The Boston Braves were a professional ice hockey team in Boston, Massachusetts. They were a member of the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1971 to 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Marcotte</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Donald Michel Marcotte is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who served his entire National Hockey League career with the Boston Bruins and was noted as a premier defensive forward, while being versatile enough to play any forward position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. P. Parisé</span> Canadian ice hockey player, coach (1941–2015)

Jean-Paul Joseph-Louis Parisé was a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and player. Parisé played in the National Hockey League (NHL), most notably for the Minnesota North Stars and the New York Islanders.

The 1985–86 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 62nd season.

Ryan O'Reilly is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Colorado Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL. O'Reilly was drafted 33rd overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, with whom he spent the first six seasons of his NHL career. Nicknamed "the Factor", he is frequently referred to as one of the NHL's best two-way forwards, winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2019.

Bradley Kevin Marchand is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Bruins selected Marchand in the third round, 71st overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

The 2019 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2018–19 season and the culmination of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Western Conference champion St. Louis Blues defeated the Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins four games to three in the best-of-seven series. It was the Blues' first championship, in their 51st season of play, ending what was then the third-longest championship drought in league history. The Bruins had home-ice advantage in the series with the better regular season record. The series began on May 27 and concluded on June 12. The Blues' Stanley Cup–winning run of 26 playoff games tied the 2014 Los Angeles Kings for the longest of any Stanley Cup–winning team in history.

References

↑ Bruce Allen (October 24, 2002). "Terry O'Reilly gets his number". Boston Sports Media Watch. Archived from the original on December 14, 2004. Retrieved 2006-07-18.
↑ "ESPN.com: NHL - Bruins retire former great O'Reilly's number".
↑ "1971 NHL Amateur Draft — Terry O'Reilly" . Retrieved 2006-07-18.
↑ Content, Contributed (1986-11-15). "Terry O`Reilly, the former captain of the…". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
↑ Waterman, Fredrick (November 14, 1986). "Former Boston Bruins captain Terry O'Reilly, who came out... - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
↑ Waterman, Frederick (May 1, 1989). "O'Reilly resigns as Bruins coach - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
↑ "Boston Bruins hockey star Terry O'Reilly Wednesday said his... - UPI Archives". UPI. November 30, 1983. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
↑ Archives, L. A. Times (1989-05-02). "O'Reilly Quits as Boston Bruin Coach to Spend More Time With His Family". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-02-12.

External links

Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or Eliteprospects.com , or Hockey-Reference.com , or The Internet Hockey Database
Article about number retirement and achievements at bostonbruins.com

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Ron Jones	Boston Bruins first round draft pick 1971	Succeeded by Mike Bloom
Sporting positions
Preceded by Wayne Cashman	Boston Bruins captain 1983–1985	Succeeded by Ray Bourque Rick Middleton
Preceded by Butch Goring	Head coach of the Boston Bruins 1986–1989	Succeeded by Mike Milbury

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Bruce Allen (October 24, 2002). "Terry O'Reilly gets his number". Boston Sports Media Watch. Archived from the original on December 14, 2004. Retrieved 2006-07-18.

[2] "ESPN.com: NHL - Bruins retire former great O'Reilly's number".

[3] "1971 NHL Amateur Draft — Terry O'Reilly" . Retrieved 2006-07-18.

[4] Content, Contributed (1986-11-15). "Terry O`Reilly, the former captain of the…". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-02-12.

[5] Waterman, Fredrick (November 14, 1986). "Former Boston Bruins captain Terry O'Reilly, who came out... - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2024-02-12.

[6] Waterman, Frederick (May 1, 1989). "O'Reilly resigns as Bruins coach - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2024-02-12.

[7] "Boston Bruins hockey star Terry O'Reilly Wednesday said his... - UPI Archives". UPI. November 30, 1983. Retrieved 2024-02-12.

[8] Archives, L. A. Times (1989-05-02). "O'Reilly Quits as Boston Bruin Coach to Spend More Time With His Family". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-02-12.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]