by Jason Karnosky
When it comes to longevity and a love of hockey, few American Hockey League players can rival Cal O’Reilly.
On Thursday the Admirals forward will reach some rarified air, as the 38-year-old is set to become just the ninth player to play 1,000 games in the AHL. The milestone contest, O’Reilly’s 1,000th game, will come during a Thursday matinee in Chicago against the archrival Wolves.
“It is awesome to see Cal still playing, and still playing so well at that age,” said Admirals teammate Reid Schaefer, who as a 21-year-old is only a little over half O’Reilly’s age. “Cal’s fun to play with too. He’s really smart, and he (provides) motivation for all of us.”
Despite his age, O’Reilly is sizzling offensively and helping carry the Admirals forward. He is Milwaukee’s leading active scorer with 30 points, after adding two assists in 5-1 win over Manitoba on Presidents Day (Cal’s 999th AHL game). During an incredible five-game stretch from January 18-24, he racked up four goals and 11 points.
“Just when you think maybe the treads on his tires are getting a little bald, Cal shows that he still has plenty of game left,” said Admirals general manager Scott Nichol. “He’s just such a smart player, he sees the game, makes nice plays and reads the game really well.”
To date O’Reilly has six goals and 24 assists in 45 games for Milwaukee (26-16-3-4), which moved into sole possession of first place in the tightly bunched Central Division after the win over the Moose. The Admirals are red hot as of late, having won five of seven games in February. Despite an ever-changing roster, Milwaukee has lost only two games in regulation since January 18.
“Cal’s been a good guy for us, and he’s had a little more pace to his game earlier on this year,” Admirals coach Karl Taylor said. “We use him a lot on our power play, on our penalty kill, and he takes big faceoffs for us.”
While O’Reilly has played for 16 different teams during his 20-year professional career, his longest stint has been with the organization that originally drafted him back in 2005—Nashville. That year’s 150th overall pick played in parts of four seasons with Nashville (85 total games) early on as a pro. After returning to Milwaukee in 2023-24, this year marks his seventh season dressing for the Admirals.
“Coming back here, to this organization, has been amazing for me,” said O’Reilly, who ranks as Milwaukee’s all-time leading AHL scorer with 313 points. “I started my career playing here and with Nashville. Last year they brought me back to help with Milwaukee, but they also gave me a good role with the team. I’m playing good minutes, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
How O’Reilly is still playing at such a high level continues to impress his younger teammates.
“It is easy to look up to a guy like that,” said Vinnie Hinostroza, O’Reilly’s former teammate and a veteran of 389 NHL games himself. “He still works so hard every day, whether it is just working out, or out on the ice. He’s always doing all the right things. It is extra special to see a guy who has had such a long professional career, and who has had so much success, working as hard as he does.”
Currently, O’Reilly stands at 145 games played at hockey’s highest level, as he played NHL games for the Predators, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Minnesota Wild. He made his NHL debut for the Predators on March 3, 2009, and he scored his first NHL goal in just his third NHL game.
October 21, 2017, marked O’Reilly latest NHL game as a member of the Wild. However, a preseason game this year meant a whole lot more to the Toronto native. On September 22, Cal O’Reilly played in a Predators NHL preseason game on the same line as younger brother Ryan O’Reilly, one of the NHL’s top two-way centers.
“Ryan and I have been on the same team a few times in our career, but to play together for a full game on the same line was pretty special for both of us,” Cal O’Reilly said. “It was fun, and we had a couple of good chances together. Even if it was just an exhibition game, to put on an NHL jersey together with my brother was just awesome.”
Just eight days later, on Cal’s 38th birthday, he and his wife Terra welcomed their fourth child—Lennox. The youngest O’Reilly looks destined to join his siblings roaming around and lightening up the Admirals locker room in the near future, but the baby boost helped new dad Cal get off to a fast start in 2024-25.
In Milwaukee’s second game of the season (October 12, 2024), the veteran had a four-point performance in his team’s 4-1 victory over the Wolves. It was Cal’s first four-point effort since January 19, 2019, when he played for the Iowa Wild.
“Cal’s just an ultimate pro, and is kind of old school in his mentality,” Nichol said. “He plays hurt, and this year he was battling the type of injury where a lot of the younger players might have taken some time off, but not Cal. To be 38 years old and still playing at this level, you can see he has that love for the game.”
After losing their first game of the season, Milwaukee rattled off eight straight victories to race out front in the Central Division. O’Reilly turned back the clock during his team’s hot streak, racking up seven points.
“Cal’s been very consistent for us this year, and he’s been our best faceoff guy,” Taylor said. “You get to grab extra minutes being on the ice in those situations. He’s been able to do that and run with it.”
Before returning to the Admirals in 2023, O’Reilly thought about hanging up his skates after an injury-plagued campaign in Lehigh Valley. However, the chance to come back to Milwaukee, a place that meant so much to his career, and to play in the same organization as younger brother Ryan, was too good to pass up.
“The year before I came back to Milwaukee, I didn’t have a very good year, and I didn’t have a lot of fun,” O’Reilly said. “I was thinking maybe it was time, but I didn’t want to go out that way. I still felt I could help a team in a lot of areas.”
The grizzled veteran found new life with the Admirals, posting a solid 10-goal and 30-point season in 2023-24. O’Reilly became the Ads AHL points leader with two goals and an assist in a 5-4 win over Chicago on February 24, 2024, which also happened to be the team’s 19th consecutive win.
The Admirals went on to capture both the regular season and playoff Central Division titles in 2023-24, earning a second straight trip to the Western Conference finals.
“I’ve been fortunate that Nashville and Milwaukee gave me a chance to show that I can still play in this league,” said O’Reilly, who had six points during the 2024 Admirals playoff run. “I’ve been able to help the team and be a good leader. I’m very fortunate to still be playing and to have been healthy the last few years.”
While all professional hockey players eventually retire, the crafty veteran continues to be a key contributor on a Milwaukee squad that is a Calder Cup contender. This year O’Reilly is on pace for a 48-point season, remarkable for a player nearly 40 years old.
“Father time hasn’t lost the battle with anyone, and it’s going to catch up to everybody and slow everybody down,” Taylor said. “No one has ever won that race, but Cal’s had good pace for us, and I think he is really enjoying what he is doing.”
O’Reilly still loves the game, being a professional hockey player, and being a dad for his growing family. That makes it easy for Milwaukee’s steady presence to want to keep playing in the Cream City, his second home.
“I still have that passion, that love of the game, and that’s where it starts,” O’Reilly said. “When you don’t have that, then it is time to stop playing. But I have that, and it still drives me to take care of myself, and to do the extra things I need to do to be successful as a player.”
