Rookie forward turned pro with Orlando before the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs from the NCAA
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced today via a Swamp Rabbit Moving Transaction that forward Ryan O’Reilly has been signed by the Swamp Rabbits for the 2025-26 Season, his first full campaign as a professional.
O’Reilly, the first forward and newcomer announced for the upcoming season, joins Dustin Geregach and Tristan De Jong, who were announced last week.
O’Reilly comes to the Upstate after suiting up for his first professional action with the Orlando Solar Bears at the end of last season. The 6’3”, 220-pound forward turned professional last season after completing his fifth and final NCAA season with Providence College, earning six goals and nine points in 26 contests with a finish in the NCAA Tournament. He made his professional debut on April 2nd in Atlanta and earned his first professional goal in the last game of the regular season on April 13th in Jacksonville. After appearing in six regular season games, O’Reilly then factored in seven games in the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs, making it to the second round: the South Division Finals.
“I’m excited to join the Swamp Rabbits for my first full professional season. I learned so much last year coming out of Providence and getting to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs but talking with Coach Costello about this opportunity and how he’s constructing this team, it was a no-brainer for me to come to Greenville,” O’Reilly explained of his acquisition. “I’m a hard-nosed player that plays 200-feet and makes sure to take care of my own end before going on offense. I have a scoring touch around the net front, will stick up for my teammates, but overall, I try to be a balanced power forward. We have incredibly high expectations with getting to the playoffs and winning, and because of that, coupled with everything I’ve heard from veterans about the city of Greenville and culture of the organization, this is the most excited I’ve been about starting a season.”
“Ryan is a massive addition for us up front. He is a trustworthy 200-foot forward who is comfortable in all situations. A player with his size who can also skate is a huge asset in this league,” Chad Costello, Swamp Rabbits Head Coach/GM, said of his newest acquisition. “Ryan is very reliable on the defensive side of the puck, and, at the same time, his shot will be a threat to score a lot of goals this season. He is a hard-nosed player who doesn’t shy away from contact, and his effort every game will make him very well-liked both in the locker room and with the fans. Ryan was able to come right out of college and play in last year’s Kelly Cup Playoffs, and that experience will really help him hit the ground running in his first full pro season. After talking with Ryan, I recognized early that he is very motivated to have personal success as a player, and at the same time our team success is very important to him. I look forward to the opportunity in helping Ryan achieve so much this season in Greenville.”
From Southlake, Texas, O’Reilly, 25, played an additional four college seasons with the Arizona State Sun Devils, and completed his college career with 64 points, evenly split between 32 goals and assists, in 153 games. Before pursuing college hockey, he played four seasons in the USHL with the Madison Capitols, Fargo Force, and Green Bay Gamblers, finishing with 98 points in 152 games. In 2018, he garnered USHL All-Rookie Team recognition and was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL Draft (4th round, 98th overall).
About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s LA Kings and the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League.
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