New M. Hockey Assistant Brings Title Experience

After one look at Gene Reilly’s crowded resume, Harvard men’s hockey coach Mark Mazzoleni knew he would be hard-pressed to find a more qualified candidate for a new assistant coach.

“He had every prerequisite we were looking for,” Mazzoleni said of Reilly, hired Aug. 20 to replace Nate Leaman, who left Harvard to become the head coach at Union. “I just think you look at his qualifications…He has an impeccable resume as a teacher, educator and coach.

“Everywhere he’s been, he’s had tremendous success.”

That’s a strong statement, since, well, he’s been everywhere.

Reilly, a 1986 Elmira (N.Y.) College graduate, spent the last two seasons assisting with AHL affiliates of the Ottawa Senators in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Binghamton, N.Y., both of which won division titles.

Before that, he was an assistant at Maine for three NCAA tournament seasons—the 1999 national championship among them—and was 2-1-1 in four games (including an exhibition) as interim head coach in the fall of 2000 while the late Shawn Walsh underwent immunotherapy treatment for kidney cancer.

Prior to his time at Maine, Reilly coached junior hockey in New England for 10 seasons, including seven years with the Springfield Pics.

Most recently, Reilly began at Harvard this week after returning from Slovakia, where he served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Under-17 team in the Five Nations Cup.

With the workload Mazzoleni has assigned him, he’ll have to draw on every one of his experiences.

Reilly will be responsible for working with the team’s forwards, as well as coordinating recruiting. Mazzoleni has yet to decide how he will divide special teams between Reilly and fellow assistant Sean McCann ’94, but it is possible Reilly will have some responsibilities there, too.

“He’s just a real solid guy,” Mazzoleni said. “I think he’ll excel in everything we ask him to do.”

Mazzoleni said neither McCann, who is in his second year as a Harvard assistant, nor Reilly will have the designation of principal assistant coach.

Not Much of a Vacation

If a men’s hockey player was among the first people you saw upon your return to Cambridge, you shouldn’t have been surprised.

Many of them didn’t leave.

Senior captain Kenny Smith said 14 returning players remained in Greater Boston during the offseason. They trained together at Harvard with strength and conditioning coach Sean Hayes, and some played in summer leagues in Hingham and Bridgewater.

“Having seen or spoken with most of the guys now, we are in really good shape as a team,” Smith said. “The hard work in the summer really paid off…I expect you will see the difference on the ice from having a team that has been working together and pushing each other for so long.”

Representing the USA

From all reports out of Lake Placid during last month’s U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp, Harvard freshman defenseman Dylan Reese has played his way onto the bubble of the team that will compete in the 2004 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.

Now, the waiting – and watching – game is on, as USA Hockey will continue to evaluate prospects through the beginning of the season. The final roster will be announced about a month before the tournament, which takes place from Dec. 25, 2003 to Jan. 4, 2004, in Helsinki and Hameenlinna, Finland, and includes the world’s best players under the age of 20.

“I don’t think Dylan could’ve had a much better camp than he did,” said Yale coach Tim Taylor ’63, a former U.S. Olympic head coach who attended the camp as a USA Hockey consultant. “He certainly upped his stock in those 10 days. He’s got a real shot at making it.”

If he does, Reese will be the first Harvard player to do so since junior Noah Welch, who missed the 2001-2002 tournament with an injury, and the first to participate since Brett Nowak ’03.

The U.S. coaching staff, led by Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves, asked Reese, known for his offensive capabilities, to show that he could be an all-around defenseman. So, in four exhibition games against the Fins and Swedes, he had one assist—but plenty of consistent play in his own end.

“I did what was asked of me as a player,” said the 6’, 184-pound Reese. “I just kept things simple and played solid D, and that definitely put me in the hunt for a spot.

“I think some of the other coaches who were grading the players had me marked down as a guy who they didn’t think would make it, but I think I opened a lot of people’s eyes with my play. Hopefully I’m one of the guys in competition for those last couple spots.”

Many have said this team will be among the best the U.S. has had, so it’s no surprise competition to make the team has been fierce. In Reese’s mind, he’s one of three or four players trying to make one of the last two spots for defensemen.

The final roster won’t be decided until mid-November or early December, so he’ll have the opportunity to impress USA Hockey coaches and consultants during the first month of the Crimson’s season.

Playing for what will surely be a nationally-ranked Harvard team while simultaneously trying to make the World Juniors roster will give Reese a pressure-packed introduction to college hockey, though his priorities seem to be in proper order.

“I’m dedicated to Harvard hockey,” he said. “That’s my team now. I’m not playing for the World Junior tournament right now. That comes as something extra if I play well and help my own team win.

“That first month is more about developing yourself as a player, making friends on the team, and getting the team going.”

In a New York State of Mind

Last season, as Dominic Moore ’03 earned All-American honors, became Harvard’s first 20-goal, 50-point man in nearly a decade, and scored the most points in the nation during a 12-game stretch before the NCAA tournament, all the former captain was trying to do was get his team to the Frozen Four.

But when those hopes faded with a 6-4 loss to Boston University on Mar. 28, Moore had this consolation to bring with him into the off-season: bargaining power.

And that was a big reason why it took until Monday for the New York Rangers, who drafted him in the third round (95th overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, to sign him to a professional contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The deal came in time for him to report to Rangers training camp, which began this week in Burlington, Vt.

“Dominic had a terrific, terrific four years at Harvard, and the last half of last year was exceptional,” said Don Maloney, Rangers vice president of player personnel and assistant general manager. “Right from the end of the season, we had some discussions with him, but these things tend to take on a certain speed of their own … but with the pressures of getting him into camp, things came together quickly in the last week or so.

“We would’ve liked for the deal to have gotten done in May, but the important thing was that it got done.”

Maloney said Moore will “probably” spend some time with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate, though wouldn’t rule out a jump to the NHL.

“Dominic is physically developed and mentally developed, so the only question is going to be how quickly he can adapt to the pro game and bigger, stronger players,” Maloney said. “He’s smart enough and skilled enough to step into the NHL.

“We’re due for a surprise here—maybe he’ll be it.”

In other pro news, Nowak is one of 17 centers on the Boston Bruins’ training camp roster. He’s wearing unfamiliar No. 67, as No. 15—his number for four seasons at Harvard—hangs from the FleetCenter rafters in honor of all-time great Bruins center Milt Schmidt.

—Staff writer Jon P. Morosi can be reached at morosi@fas.harvard.edu.