‘I’m a product of the ’91-92 Stanley Cup champion Penguins," former Harvard Crimson defenseman Dylan Reese admitted. While the early 1990s Penguins were a powerhouse, hockey had not really boomed in Steeltown prior to the arrival of Mario Lemieux. When "Le Magnifique" and his supporting cast finally brought some silver to the Steel City, a young Reese couldn’t help but be drawn to the ice.
Reese grew up playing in the Pittsburgh area, then would benefit from a timely new arrival. As Reese was looking to improve upon his level of competition, former Penguins coach Kevin Constantine helped lead the push to bring an NAHL team to Pittsburgh (the Forge). Reese jumped at the opportunity to play some higherlevel hockey so close to home. "They were only there for two years," Reese jovially remembered, "but it was the two years I was playing junior hockey. So, it worked out, actually, perfectly."
Reese led the Forge’s defensemen in scoring each season, won the Most Valuable Defenseman Award in 2002-03 and proved a key cog as they made two NAHL finals appearances, winning the second. Naturally, that type of success drew collegiate interest. With no major programs in the Pittsburgh area, Reese, of course, was going to have to relocate.
Unsurprisingly, his parents had hoped Reese might lean toward an Ivy League school, but he ultimately came to his decision on his own. "After seeing BU and Harvard, and being in the Boston area, I kind of fell in love with that area of the country. I really liked what Boston had to offer," Reese extolled. "I had a magnificent visit to Harvard. I just really felt at home there. I really liked Noah (Welch) and Ryan (Lannon) and the guys I met on the visit." Reese was sold, and made his move to Cambridge.
A back injury would hamper Reese’s freshman campaign, as well as prevent him from suiting up for USA at the world junior tournament. He would rebound as a sophomore in 2004-05, leading the Crimson defensemen in scoring and helping Harvard get back to the NCAA tournament. New coach Ted Donato (Dedham, Mass.) was impressed by his inherited defenseman. "Dylan was a big-time player for us," Donato noted. "He was a guy that really had a 200-foot game. We could have a matchup that we felt strong with no matter who we were playing."
Unfortunately for Reese, as a senior and captain, Harvard had its worst season of his career. The tough year weighed on him, but it did not seem to affect his professional prospects. After finishing his play with Harvard, Reese spent the remainder of his senior year commuting, often with former BU rival Kenny Roche (South Boston, Mass.), to Hartford to squeeze in a few games with the Wolf Pack. He performed well in his brief trial, and he was optimistic he could erase his rough ending to his Harvard career with a positive beginning to his professional one. "I really did feel like I played well," Reese said. Not getting the contract from (the New York Rangers, who drafted him in 2003) that summer really hurt because I did feel like I played well in Hartford."
Despite that disappointment, a promising young defenseman was not going to be neglected. As fortune would have it, Reese’s original advocator had a new team that could use all the help it could get. "Don Maloney ended up taking the GM job in Phoenix that summer when the Rangers didn’t sign me," Reese relayed. "I had a believer in him."
Don brought Reese on board and sent him to San Antonio for some seasoning. Reese went through his learning curve as a rookie, but, in year two, he found his groove and became a cog on the Rampage defense. His improved play earned him his first NHL contract, as Columbus signed him to a two-way deal. To his benefit, Columbus would soon part ways with him. "I was playing in Syracuse (AHL). I was having a good season, but we had eight or nine defensemen," Reese recalled. With that kind of depth, Columbus decided to ship Reese to the Islanders. He would make an initial appearance for their AHL squad, Bridgeport, but that would be a short stint. "The night before (arriving), someone from the Islanders got injured, and then they made another trade at the deadline, and boom." The "boom" refers to Reese suddenly finding himself, finally, on an NHL roster. He would cling to that roster spot for the rest of the season, earning his first goal (against Roberto Luongo, no less) and points in his quarter season of action.
Despite his strong play, a roster spot was not guaranteed for Reese, and his next two seasons with the organization were an up-and-down affair. "I was always realistic about my situation," Reese acknowledged. "I knew, that first year, I got the opportunity because of injuries and numbers. I knew that I would be a longshot to make the team. Bridgeport was so close to New York it was so easy to get sent down and called back up." In 2012, Reese signed with his hometown team, the Penguins. The lockout hindered his chances to become a consistent contributor with the big club, but he did get to dress three times in a Pens uniform. With the NHL dream realized, but at the same time a bit tenuous, the former Sound Tiger entertained an offer by tigers of a different stripe — Khabarovsk.
"To be frank, financially, it was too good of a deal to pass up," Reese confessed. "Obviously, I heard the horror stories, but I was intrigued by Russia, too. I thought it would be a great life experience." While the team and Dylan struggled, Reese maintains it was an enjoyable year. Furthermore, whatever detriments the season might have provided professionally, it at least bore one personal perk. "I actually met my wife (Anastasia) there, too … so, it got me something more than money," he quipped.
Reese had hoped a year in the respected KHL would earn him another look from the NHL, and, again, it was Maloney who was willing to give him a chance to try. "I wanted to come back and give it another shot," Reese said. "I knew I was going to be in the same boat as I was all the other years, (but) at least with Maloney I felt that comfort. Hopefully, I’d get games and kind of work myself onto the team." Reese would have his strongest AHL season, and, by his admission, one of his most enjoyable seasons, and set himself up to make a run at the parent club the next season. Unfortunately, a fluke Achilles injury doing plyometrics basically quashed his 2015-16 season, and, on the wrong side of 30, made an NHL return unlikely.
Those circumstances set up Reese’s next trip across the ocean. This time, Sweden caught his attention. "I kind of had always envisioned myself playing in Sweden someday," Reese said. After talking with former teammate Welch, a Swedish League veteran, Reese’s intrigue grew. "I asked him what he knew about teams. With his help, and a couple other guys, I ended up here in Jönköping."
Last season, after so many years of, at best, mediocrity, Reese found himself on a successful team. His HV71 squad vanquished all opponents in the playoffs. With nine assists, Reese finished third in defensive scoring, and his final assist tied the score in Game 7 of the finals. "The year in itself was magical," Reese beamed. "Aside even from winning the championship, we did a lot of winning all year. The way we played as a team was beautiful. I couldn’t say it was anything better than magical winning Game 7, at home, in overtime. I mean, my dad was here, and what a great experience for him, you know, seeing a lot of losing hockey throughout my career, and then be on a team like that."
HV71 hasn’t matched that dominance so far this season, but Reese has attributed that to a lot of roster turnover. Still, the team is in the early playoff picture, and Reese, true to form, has been a source of stability. While he is focused on retaining the gold helmets awarded to the SHL champions, there is another gold he hopes he might also get a chance to compete for this season.
Named to the U.S. Deutschland Cup roster, largely considered a sort of tryout team, Reese appears to be on the list of players being considered for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in South Korea. He felt he put himself in a good spot with his performance. "From a personal standpoint, I thought that I played pretty well. I kind of felt like I played some of the best hockey that I’ve played recently." That should come as little surprise. Coach Donato called him "a guy that plays big in big moments."
For a guy bad luck deprived of a chance to participate at world juniors, a chance to play on the 2017 Team USA Olympic roster "would be an absolute dream come true." In reality, don’t be surprised if he becomes a key component on a team looking to overachieve.
