Ryan O’Reilly of Clinton, Ontario won the 2019 National Hockey League Conn Smythe Trophy for the NHL’s playoff most valuable player, moments after the St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history on Wednesday. In the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, O’Reilly was the co-leader among all players in playoff points with 23 (tied with Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand of Halifax, Nova Scotia), and was third in playoff assists with 15, behind Canadian Olympic gold medalist Alex Pietrangelo of King City, Ontario and Torey Krug. Pietrangelo of the Blues, who won a gold medal for Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, and Krug of the Bruins, are both defensemen who notched 16 playoff assists.
In game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, O’Reilly and Pietrangelo were two of three Canadians to record a multi-point game in their 4-1 win over the Bruins in game seven. O’Reilly and Pietrangelo each had one goal and one assist for two points, while Jaden Schwartz of Melfort, Saskatchewan had two assists.
O’Reilly began the scoring with a goal from Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jay Bouwmeester of Edmonton, Alberta and Pietrangelo at 16:47 of the first period. Pietrangelo then put the Blues up 2-0 with a goal from Schwartz eight seconds left in the first period. Brayden Schenn of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan then scored from Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko at 11:25 of the third period to put the Blues up 3-0 and then Zach Sanford scored from O’Reilly and David Perron of Sherbrooke, Quebec at 15:22 of the third period to put the Blues up 4-0.
O’Reilly, Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester, Schenn, Perron and Schwartz were six of 18 Canadians on the Blues playoff roster. They were joined by Jake Allen of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Jordan Binnington of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Sammy Blais of Montmagny, Quebec, Robert Bortuzzo of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Tyler Bozak of Regina, Saskatchewan, Michael Del Zotto of Stouffville, Ontario, Vince Dunn of Mississauga, Ontario, Joel Edmundson of Brandon, Manitoba, Robby Fabbri of Mississauga, Ontario, Colton Parayko of St. Albert, Alberta, Alexander Steen of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Robert Thomas of Aurora, Ontario. Bouwmeester, like Pietrangelo, won a gold medal for Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
