When Ryan O'Reilly got traded a day after his marriage

A day after marrying his high school sweetheart, Ryan O'Reilly was playing volleyball with his family when he received life-changing news. He was about to be traded to the St. Louis Blues.

The shock of the sudden trade and the emotional high of his recent nuptials left O'Reilly feeling mixed emotions as he contemplated the end of his tenure with the Buffalo Sabres and the beginning of a new chapter in St. Louis.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, O’Reilly recalled:

"My brother (Cal) comes up and says, ‘Where’s your phone?' He said, ‘Your agent just called me and wants you to call him back.’ So I called, and he’s like, ‘Ryan, you’re going to St. Louis!"

He added:

“My agent said, ‘Don’t worry, you’re not going to get traded on your wedding day.' That was the only thing I knew.”

Ryan O'Reilly married Dayna Douros on June 30, 2018. The couple has been together since they were teenagers studying at the same Ontario high school.

Speaking about the blockbuster 2018 trade, former Sabres assistant general manager Randy Sexton told The Athletic in the same interview:

"Clearly, both organizations were at different stages of the championship cycle. The Blues were close and believed they needed a Ryan O’Reilly-type player to get them over the top. We didn’t really want to trade Ryan O’Reilly, but we knew to get some of the pieces we’d need, the time was right."

Sexton added that long-serving Blues general manager Doug Armstrong really wanted O'Reilly:

"He was very clear that Ryan was a guy he would like to acquire."

The trade was a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the sport and how a single move can change the course of a player's career. For Ryan O'Reilly, it led to some of his greatest achievements on the ice and a renewed sense of purpose in his career.

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The evolution of Ryan O'Reilly

St Louis Blues v Minnesota Wild - Game Two

Born on February 7, 1991, in Clinton, Ontario, Ryan O'Reilly is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who has had a successful career in the National Hockey League (NHL). O'Reilly played minor hockey in his hometown before joining the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2007.

Ryan O'Reilly was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, 33rd overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut with the Avalanche during the 2009-2010 season, playing 81 games and scoring 26 points. Over the next four seasons, O'Reilly established himself as a top-two-way forward in the league, known for his strong defensive play and ability to produce offensively.

In 2015, Ryan O'Reilly was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, where he spent three seasons as a team captain and top scorer. During his time with the Sabres, O'Reilly was named to the NHL All-Star Game in 2016 and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2014, given to the player who best exemplifies sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.

In 2018, O'Reilly was traded to the St. Louis Blues, where he would go on to have one of the most successful seasons of his career. He led the Blues in scoring during the regular season and was a key contributor in their playoff run, helping them win their first-ever Stanley Cup championship.

O'Reilly's performances in the postseason earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the playoffs.

Ryan O'Reilly has also represented Canada internationally, winning gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2009 and 2010 and the IIHF World Championships in 2015 and 2016.