Day one of the Ice Hockey World Championship is in the books and we've already seen a handful of beautiful plays, including one from Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly.
O'Reilly is representing Canada in this year's tournament, and he's already made himself known. Factor scored Canada's second goal of the night versus Sweden in beautiful fashion, going backhand on a rebound. Here's the goal in case you missed it:
Ryan O'Reilly gives Team Canada a 2-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/e0imENNvhB
— William Dubé (@williamdube_) May 15, 2026
Sweden was on a delayed penalty prior to the goal, giving Canada full control of the puck. O'Reilly grabbed hold of it behind the net, passing down to defenseman Dylan Demelo, who handed it off to Morgan Reilly, shooting it at Swedish goalie Filip Gustavsson. After a series of blocked shots in front of the net, O'Reilly flew in from behind the play and took a backhander, handing Canada a 2-0 lead with four minutes left in the opening period.
O'Reilly is well-known for his net-front presence and tip-in goals; tonight's contest is a perfect example of that. He read the play well and anticipated the collection of bounced shots. He perfectly placed himself in position to redirect the puck, serving a saucing backhand at the right time.
Nashville benefited greatly from his hunger for the crease. Per MoneyPuck, O'Reilly had a high shot volume from in, or around, the crease. His presence awarded the Predators 14 goals in that area, and 25 total from him. His shooting talent was 3.9% above average among the league scorers this season, further demonstrating his goal-scoring abilities.
Now it is Canada who is reaping the benefits. While he isn't playing as many minutes as his forward counterparts, playing only 15:31 compared to his typical 19:37 NHL average, he's making every minute count.
The 35-year-old is serving as the alternate captain for Canada alongside John Tavares, Sidney Crosby, with Macklin Celebrini serving as captain. He played 81 games with Nashville this season, scoring 25 goals and 74 points. O'Reilly is joined by Predators goalie prospect Jack Ivankovic, who was a healthy scratch for tonight's game.
He is among the eight other players and staff to represent the Predators on the international stage. Roman Josi captains Switzerland once again, Justus Annunen leads the charge in net with Finland, and Ryker Lee and Ryan Ufko will help out the United States. Preds staff Darby Hendrickson, Lawrence Feloney and Jeff Kealty will be behind the bench assisting the United States.
O'Reilly and Canada will return to the ice tomorrow at 9:20 a.m. CT to play Italy.
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