Harvard junior defenseman Reilly Walsh was selected by the New Jersey Devils with the 81st overall in the 2017 NHL draft.
Entering his junior year at Harvard, he totaled 51 points (19-32-51) in 66 games in his first two seasons with the Crimson. In the 2017-18 campaign, he led ECAC Hockey freshman defensemen in scoring with 20 points (7-13-20) in 33 contests en route to being named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team. He was also named to All-ECAC Hockey third team in 2018-19.
Prior to college, he played four years at Proctor (2013-17) and one season (2016-17) with the Chicago Steel, with whom he won the Clark Cup.
What is your most memorable moment from playing growing up?
“Our Top Gun team was average for the (Eastern Hockey Federation) at the time, and we ended up going to the semifinals of the 2009 Bauer Invitational in Chicago, where we lost to the Vaughan Kings, who were loaded with guys who played for the USA and those types of teams. I don’t remember a whole lot from that tournament, but I do remember hanging out in the hotel with all the guys, swimming in the pool, playing mini hockey. All of those tournaments were like that, but that one was one of the cooler ones. We kind of shocked the world — not really — and made it to the semifinals.”
Your dad, Mike, played hockey professionally, including 14 games as a center with the New York Islanders. How has he influenced you throughout your life?
“He guided me to where I am today. People talk about how parents are too hard on their kids, but I loved doing it. He was always ready and willing to skate at Proctor Academy (where Reilly was coached by Mike during all four of his seasons, 2013-17) anytime I wanted to go out there. I woke up early and we went on the ice before school. And thanks to him and his knowledge, we weren’t just passing and shooting pucks off the glass; we were doing skating drills, stickhandling, shooting. My game evolved very quickly at a young age because of him and his success and his growth as a player and a coach. A lot of what I’ve done so far is because of him.”
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from him?
“A quote he said to me at a very young age is, ‘Nothing happens by accident.’ I’ve learned that and thought of that in the back of my head my entire life. You have to work for it. He always described the pyramid when it comes to players — as you go up in each age group it gets smaller and smaller, and in order to get up there you have to outwork everybody else. The work for that was definitely put in, and thanks to him I’m still improving my game. Nothing happens by accident, and you never know who’s watching, so you always have to bring your ‘A’ game.”
You’re entering your junior year at Harvard. What has been your favorite hockey moment so far?
“The biggest stage was beating Cornell at Madison Square Garden last season. MSG was filled with Cornell fans, and to silence them and win 4-1 at such a historic rink is the moment. There are a lot of memories as you go, little ones, but that one, on a big stage like that, is definitely it. Hopefully there are some better ones to come. Hopefully we get a ring or a banner this year, winning the Beanpot or the ECAC or something like that, something with some actual memorabilia.”
What is your most memorable off-ice moment at Harvard to this point?
“I was in a statistics class last year, which was a lot to handle, especially at Harvard, and I’m not good at math at all. That was a challenge for me. I knew I was going to struggle, but it was really good for me to challenge myself and schedule my timing with hockey and school around that class. Thankfully, the teachers were super helpful, meeting with me and tutoring me. I worked very hard for it, and I ended up doing OK. I can’t give you the grade off the top of my head, but I think it was a B. Like on the ice, to work really hard at something like that and to see actual results was pretty cool for me.”
Key facts
Teams: Harvard Crimson, Chicago Steel, Proctor Academy
Hometown: Andover, N.H. | Position: D | Shoots: Right | Size: 6-0, 185 | Age: 20
Favorites
Food: Sushi
Movie: “The Departed”
TV show: “Game of Thrones”
Actor: Mark Wahlberg
Actress: Margot Robbie
Musician: Travis Scott
Book: “Legacy” by James Kerr
Vacation spot: “Our summer house on Cape Cod.”
Sport other than hockey: Golf
Non-hockey athlete: Tom Brady
Road college rink: Lynah Rink (Cornell)
Type of goal: “Wrist shot, short side, bar down.”
Equipment
Helmet: Warrior
Stick: Warrior
Gloves: Warrior
Skates: True
