Ryan O’Reilly has plenty of talents.
He scores goals. He puts up points. He even writes and performs children’s songs.
But when it comes to connecting with members of Tennessee Kids Belong, a non-profit that finds forever families for foster children across the state of Tennessee, the veteran centerman has an unfair advantage.
“We never get as big a laugh from a kid on film as when Ryan pops out his tooth,” Tennessee Kids Belong Executive Director Kristin Allender said. “We always have a camera on a kid when he does that, and the pure joy and laughter is amazing.”
Small moments like those add up to one clear reason why O’Reilly is once again Nashville’s nominee for the 2026 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, an accolade presented annually by the NHL "to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
The 2026 nomination - including back-to-back nods with the Preds - marks the fifth time O’Reilly has been considered for the award across his career.
The alternate captain has become a consistent presence in the Nashville community during his three seasons with the Predators, and he may be best known for his 90’s Mighty RO’R program, which is an initiative that provides young community all-stars from the Middle Tennessee area who display core character traits with an unforgettable Preds game experience.
But the endeavors don’t stop there.
O’Reilly’s childhood experiences included his parents raising nearly 50 foster children in the family home. That background has shaped O’Reilly into the person he is today, and so it’s only natural he continues to give back to those who simply need a safe place to land.
“I am so thrilled that he was nominated again,” Allender said of the Clancy recognition. “I think his generosity and his heart for kids in foster care, and for anyone navigating the foster care system, is so huge. He not only serves the kids that we work with who are in need of forever families, but he's become a voice that is very, very helpful. We often get asked, ‘How will this impact my [biological] kids?’ And that's one of the biggest hang ups or fears that prospective foster families have. With him being able to talk about his experience with just about anybody, and what that was like for him as the bio kid, has been so helpful to us.”
Once per year, the organization spends time with the Preds and brings foster children to Bridgestone Arena following a team practice to not only film videos of the children and teens interacting with the players to build awareness, but also to simply have fun.
And while a number of the Preds take time out to get to know the visitors when they’re in the building and go beyond what’s expected, O’Reilly still manages to stand out.
“Ryan's intentionality and follow through; he stays much longer than he needs to,” Allender said. “He takes all the time with the kids. He doesn't just do a quick appearance and leave. He’s spent a significant amount of time with them and stays and talks to anybody and shares his story. He's always willing to come to any events we have to talk about his story, and that helps inspire more people to open up their homes. He just goes above and beyond all the time.”
O’Reilly displays that kindness elsewhere, too.
The Martha O’Bryan Center, which aims to empower children and families in poverty to better their lives through education, employment and fellowship, has had a relationship with the Preds for years - but O’Reilly’s recent connection with a young man is unlike anything Marvin Muhammad has seen.
“Ryan, he's such a genuine person, and when you have a conversation with him, it’s not about him being a celebrity or him being a hockey player,” Muhammad, a Site Director with Martha O’Bryan Center, said. “It’s really about helping someone else.”
That mindset has been on full display since O’Reilly met Anthonez Woods at a game earlier this season. After Woods and his family enjoyed the full game experience, Woods and O’Reilly connected at the conclusion of the night.
Muhammad, who says he’s never met a student like Woods, revealed the young man started asking the hockey player questions about his life as an athlete, but also as a human being.
“Ryan was so taken aback by it,” Muhammad said of the meetup with Woods. “He was like, ‘Man, I need to follow up with this kid.’ Ever since then, they’ve had a relationship that's like they’re best buds. Ryan has invited him over to his house for dinner, he’s taken him shopping and is just spending time with him. He wants to invest in his future. And Anthonez, when he came back from the first time that they spent time together, he was like, ‘I just can't believe this, man. I can't believe it.’”
Muhammad says Woods can now put more of his focus on just being a high school student instead of other obstacles in his life thanks to the confidence O’Reilly has helped to instill - especially when it comes to what’s ahead.
“You can see his swagger,” Muhammad said of Woods. “Before, he would come in and be kind of, subtle, quiet, and now he's coming in, he's more proud and excited and just smiling all the time. He was still a bright kid, but now it’s almost like, ‘Man, my future is really possible.’”
O’Reilly has been considered for the Clancy in previous years, but his impact has seemingly never been greater in a city that has become more than just his NHL home.
Nashville is certainly better off thanks to the man with a missing front tooth - and that’s never been more apparent.
“The National Hockey League should recognize his ability to connect with the community,” Muhammad said. “To have a white man, a professional athlete from Canada, and a young black man from Nashville, and they connect - they’re best buds, and you can’t get a better story.”
