Terry O'Reilly
Encyclopedia
Terence Joseph James O'Reilly (born June 7, 1951) is a retired ice hockey
right winger
, who played for the NHL's Boston Bruins
, and one of the most effective enforcers in NHL history.
In the Adam Sandler
movie Happy Gilmore
, O'Reilly is mentioned as Happy Gilmore's favorite hockey player growing up because of his tough style.
O'Reilly has stated his favorite player currently on the Bruins is Milan Lucic
, also born on 7 June.
in the 1st 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 team during the 1983–84 and 1984–85 seasons before his retirement. The Bruins retired his playing number (#24) on October 24, 2002.
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, #7 Phil Esposito, dubbed O'Reilly "Taz" in reference to the cartoon character Tasmanian Devil
for O'Reilly's reckless, hard driving, non-stop style of play. He was very protective of his teammates causing Ray Bourque
to note, when the Bruins retired his number, that the banner "hangs next to mine, protecting me again. That's awesome."
On top of his physical presence, he also had a decent scoring touch for an enforcer, 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 that any hockey GM would cherish. He finished his 13 year career with 204 goals, 402 assists for 606 points, a +212 plus/minus (a tribute to his good defensive skills) and 2,095 minutes in penalties.
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, and then stole his stick and wielded it at him like a weapon. O'Reilly scaled the glass boards 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.
He became the replacement head coach
of the Bruins during the 1986–87 NHL season and kept his job until 1989, when he left to care for, and spend more time with, his son who was seriously ill with liver disease. 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.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
, who played for the NHL's Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, and one of the most effective enforcers in NHL history.
In the Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
movie Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore is a 1996 sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds for Universal Studios. It stars Adam Sandler as the title character, an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers a talent for golf. The screenplay was written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy...
, O'Reilly is mentioned as Happy Gilmore's favorite hockey player growing up because of his tough style.
O'Reilly has stated his favorite player currently on the Bruins is Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger of Serbian origin currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League for three seasons and captured a Memorial Cup, while being named...
, also born on 7 June.
Playing career
O'Reilly was picked by the Boston BruinsBoston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in the 1st round as the 14th pick overall in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft
1971 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1971 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 10, 1971 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
. O'Reilly spent his entire career in Boston, serving as the captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
of the Bruins team during the 1983–84 and 1984–85 seasons before his retirement. The Bruins retired his playing number (#24) on October 24, 2002.
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, #7 Phil Esposito, dubbed O'Reilly "Taz" in reference to the cartoon character Tasmanian Devil
Tasmanian Devil (Looney Tunes)
The Tasmanian Devil, often referred to as Taz, is an animated cartoon character featured in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes series of cartoons. The character appeared in only five shorts before Warner Bros...
for O'Reilly's reckless, hard driving, non-stop style of play. He was very protective of his teammates causing Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League . Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and...
to note, when the Bruins retired his number, that the banner "hangs next to mine, protecting me again. That's awesome."
On top of his physical presence, he also had a decent scoring touch for an enforcer, 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 that any hockey GM would cherish. He finished his 13 year career with 204 goals, 402 assists for 606 points, a +212 plus/minus (a tribute to his good defensive skills) and 2,095 minutes in penalties.
In the infamous December 23, 1979 incident at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, during a post-game scrum, a New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
fan rolled up a program tightly and smacked Stan Jonathan
Stan Jonathan
Stanley Carl "Bulldog" Jonathan is a retired native ice hockey left winger.Jonathan started his National Hockey League career with the Boston Bruins with one game in the 1975-76 season. He continued to play for the Bruins from 1976-1983...
in the face drawing blood, and then stole his stick and wielded it at him like a weapon. O'Reilly scaled the glass boards 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.
He became the replacement head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Bruins during the 1986–87 NHL season and kept his job until 1989, when he left to care for, and spend more time with, his son who was seriously ill with liver disease. In that time, he took the Bruins to the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Finals in 1988
1988 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1988 Stanley Cup Finals was between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins. The Oilers would win the series 4–0 in five games; game four was abandoned due to a power failure at the Boston Garden with the score tied 3–3 and replayed.-Paths to the Final:...
, where they were defeated by the Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
-led Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. O'Reilly also was an assistant coach for the Rangers for the two seasons prior to the lockout.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1968–69 | Oshawa Generals Oshawa Generals The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League... |
OHA Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the... |
46 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Oshawa Generals | OHA | 54 | 13 | 36 | 49 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Oshawa Generals | OHA | 54 | 23 | 42 | 65 | 151 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 1971–72 AHL season The 1971–72 AHL season was the 36th season of the American Hockey League. Major changes occurred in the off-season. The league welcomed four expansion teams, and lost both Quebec-based teams. Eleven teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Boston Braves finished first overall in the regular... |
Boston Braves Boston Braves (AHL) The Boston Braves were a professional ice hockey team in Boston, Massachusetts. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1971 to 1974.... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
60 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 134 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 31 | ||
| 1971–72 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
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 | 2095 | 108 | 25 | 42 | 67 | 335 | ||||
Coaching statistics
Season Team Lge Type GP W L T OTL Pct Result
1986-87 Boston Bruins NHL Head Coach 67 32 29 6 0 0.522 Lost in round 1
1987-88 Boston Bruins NHL Head Coach 80 44 30 6 0 0.588 Lost in Finals
1988-89 Boston Bruins NHL Head Coach 80 37 29 14 0 0.550 Lost in round 2
2002-03 New York Rangers NHL Assistant Coach
2003-04 New York Rangers NHL Assistant Coach