“My life…I want to do everything he does,” Ryan said. “He started playing hockey, so I wanted to play hockey. His favorite player was my favorite player. Everything grew up and he always went to the next level, we were about four and a half years apart, but I had to Seeing him in person to get there…it made it easier for me to transition to each level. Let him have been there. It paved the way for me.”
Of course, the boy will be boys, Ryan recalls a moment, even for professionals, which leads to a time when one person loses the other's summer melee after two people can't speak. Eventually, their parents sat down to make them realize that their bond was more important than winning the Shinny hockey game.
Then there are scissors.
“Once, I was rooted for a while – I threw scissors at him, it was the back of me, that was the side of the butt, but I almost pierced him,” Ryan said with a smile as he told the story. “He was lucky to not only play 1000 games, but also to stay alive with all the crazy brother things I’ve done to him over the years.”
Their relationship has never been better these days, and they both shared a moment when they both competed in the preseason with Florida's Preds last September. Their parents were there in that instance, and there was only one simple game in the memories of a lifetime.
The latest is Thursday, and while their two professions are more than ahead in the back, the O’Reilly Brothers just love the sport and there’s a lot to pay for. Plus, they just can't get enough ice on the ice – especially when a person is gasping for breath.
“He always asked me to label it, and without him I wouldn't have my career.” “So, yes, that's so special.”
