Was Ryan O'Reilly saying goodbye to Colorado Avalanche fans and his teammates cryptically weeks before the blockbuster trade that sent him to Buffalo?
O'Reilly started playing for the Avs when he was 18 years old. He spent six memorable seasons with the Avs. O'Reilly cut his teeth in Denver. It's where he grew up and learned how to play the man's game. It's where he learned to bury his head and skate like his hair was on fire. It's where he learned to deal with adversity like contract strife, offer sheets, and team elected arbitration. O'Reilly left Denver without saying his goodbyes. His names had been mentioned in constant trade rumors for the past two seasons. Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy are fans to this day of O'Reilly. However, they knew that it was going to be a near impossibility to re-sign him before his current two year, $12 million contract timed out it July 2015. On June 26, just as the opening puck dropped on the EichDavid draft in Sunrise, Florida, O'Reilly was shipped to Buffalo with Jamie McGinn in exchange for Nikita Zadorov, Mikhail Grigorenko, J.T. Compher, and the 31st pick in the draft.
One door closed and another one opened for The Factor.
Denver Post writer Mike Chambers seems to think that O'Reilly was tipping his bucket and tapping his stick to his fans weeks before the trade was finalized.
Chambers wrote Monday that he is a fan of the band My Morning Jacket. Ryan O'Reilly is a huge fan of the band, too. O'Reilly tweeted about his love of MMJ's new album.
My Morning Jacket’s new album, "The Waterfall" and it’s No. 1 bonus track “Hillside Song.” O’Reilly LOVES this band, as do I, and we’ve chatted about them in the past — our favorite songs, recent concerts, etc. I have tickets to My Morning Jacket’s show Aug. 13 at Red Rocks, and I know O’Reilly attended the band’s 2012 or 2013 show at the world’s marquee outdoor venue overlooking the Denver skyline.
In his tweet, O’Reilly was promoting this song like it was his anthem, his heart. After reading the tweet and listing to the song, I felt O’Reilly was talking about himself and the Avalanche, the team he joined at age 18, and its fans. Here are the lyrics:
“Hillside Song”
I wanna tell you I need you but that sounds so cliché
The grass is always greener on the other side anyway
Why do I value our time now that it’s done
Rollin’ down the hillside song
Rollin’ down the hillside just playin’ like two kids
In this grown up world, you’re all I understood
At the top of the hillside we were standin’ on
Rollin’ down the hillside song
You in the moonlight and me in the dark
Night after night, we did always have that spark
What about the music we made so strong?
What about the hillside song?
When times were difficult, what was I runnin’ from?
Rollin’ down the hillside song
Wanna tell you I need you but that sounds so cliché
The grass is always greener on the other side anyway
Why do I value our time now that it’s done
Rollin’ down the hillside song
O'Reilly now finds himself embroiled in another bout with adversity having been charged with driving while ability impaired. His Twitter account has been turned off while he regroups.
My take:
O'Reilly made a mistake. A serious mistake. It was a poor decision on his part to drive after he had been drinking. Thankfully, nobody was injured. I think that he will emerge from this situation a stronger, more self aware young man. I support him in his journey to correct his mistake. Life is about second chances. I have friends who have made similarly poor decisions as O'Reilly made that morning. My first instinct was to be a sounding board and a true friend. I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt. Lord knows, I've been given second chances in my lifetime that I have learned and grown from.
I'm thrilled to know that O'Reilly will be a Buffalo Sabre for the next eight seasons.
***
The Sherry Bassin era has officially ended in Erie, Pennsylvania. Bassin is now the former GM and owner of the franchise that Connor McDavid has made a household name all over the hockey universe. The Otters were sold last week to JAW Hockey Enterprises LP.
JAW Hockey announced today that Dave Brown has agreed to a three year contract and will serve as the general manager of the Erie Otters Hockey Club.
“We are pleased to have a true professional like Dave lead the Otters,” said Roy Mlaker, Erie Otters COO. “I worked with Dave during his time in Mississauga, and his past OHL experience is extremely valuable to us.”
“I am very excited to have this opportunity to lead this hockey club,” said Dave Brown. “We have a great staff in Erie and I am looking forward to building on the recent success of the Otters.”
Dave Brown has been a part of the Erie Otters organization for the last four seasons, serving as director of hockey operations this past year. Prior to Erie, Brown worked with the IceDogs organization in Mississauga and St. Catharines following the franchise’s relocation. He joined that organization as assistant general manager before taking over as general manager from 2005-2010, guiding the team to four consecutive playoff appearances.
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