Predators forward Ryan O’Reilly hits all the right notes for Nashville
O’Reilly uses his passion for music as an outlet which aids in his success in Smashville.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Nashville’s newest goal-scorer quickly struck a chord with Predators fans. In his first season in “Smashville,” Ryan O’Reilly is harmonizing with his teammates, to the tune of a 26-22-1 record.
The Preds’ second-leading scorer has a nose for the net, and a mind for music.
“Just music in general, I think, is a nice creative release,” O’Reilly said. “Whether you’re playing something a certain way or trying to learn more about it, I feel it’s a really nice escape that I try to do that at home when I have my downtime.”
Life in the NHL involves a lot of time on the road, so O’Reilly decided to downsize from the guitar and try out its compact cousin, the ukulele.
“Well, I wanted something easy to travel with, really,” O’Reilly said. “I can’t bring a full guitar on the road. I do have some travel guitars, but the ‘uke’ I feel just packs a big sound for a little instrument.”
From strumming to stickhandling, O’Reilly enjoys the calmness of music to offset the commotion of a hockey game. And that combination has produced a successful season for the tenacious center. He netted 17 goals and dished out 25 assists for a total of 42 points so far this season.
“I think there are so many things that go on over the course of the season, ups and downs, but those little escapes I think are so huge,” O’Reilly said. “It’s tough to give the full attention to this game. It can be so exhausting, so having those little breaks like that, I think are so vital to just kind of recharge and reset the batteries. And when you do get to the rink again, you can focus back up and give it more attention than I think you could than constantly just focusing on it.”
As for his teammates, they haven’t gotten a ukulele concert just yet, but one could be in the works.
“I haven’t heard him play, but I’ve seen him carry that little case with him,” Filip Forsberg, O’Reilly’s linemate, said. “So I’m not really sure what he’s doing in his room, but I might have to ask if I can get the room next to him next time, see if I can overhear something.”
“I haven’t played much ukulele,” O’Reilly confessed when asked about performing for his teammates. “I’ve played guitar for a few guys sometimes, but I’m not winning any Grammys or awards.”
He’ll save the awards for playing hockey over playing instruments. And so far, O’Reilly is hitting all the right notes in Music City.
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