panoo

Lindsay Kramer | NHL.com correspondent
Mar 5, 2007, 12:00 PM EST

The sounds of the Red Hot Chili Peppers swept over Milwaukee Admirals rookie center Cal O’Reilly during a concert that team attended as a whole on Feb. 28.

For all that meant to O’Reilly, 20, he might as well have been sitting at a golden oldies tour. But his review was a good one, even though his age hadn’t hit double digits yet when the group was at its cutting edge peak.

“It was pretty awesome, a nine or 10, for sure,’’ O’Reilly beamed. “I knew all the songs, so that was good. And they sounded great.’’

Maybe O’Reilly’s enthusiasm stemmed in part from that it was the first concert he had ever attended. Apparently, not a lot of big acts roll through his tiny hometown of Seaforth, Ontario (pop: 2,300).

O’Reilly is finding out how exciting it can be in that big, new world out there. With a face that looks fresher than an unwrapped package of sticks, he’s too busy having fun to feel awed by the fast company he’s keeping. His 45 points place him eighth among AHL rookie scorers, and his 33 assists are tied for second among newcomers.

There’s no generation gap when it comes to players who can make their teammates better.

"The thing with him is you always have to be prepared,’’ said Admirals coach Claude Noel. “You always have to have your stick on the ice. He can get you the puck from anywhere.’’

O’Reilly’s role as a set-up man supreme would come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his back story, and the other half of his sporting life.

His father, Brian, is an internationally known beach volleyball coach. He formerly led the Canadian men’s national team, and is now working with Australian women.

“You get all dirty, sandy, go jump in the lake and go play again,’’ Cal said of the joys of the sport. “It keeps you in good shape. It’s good for hockey, you’re moving in the sand, jumping.’’

But there’s more. At 5-foot-11, O’Reilly wasn’t going to do much spiking. So his job on the two-man team was that of -- guess what? -- setter. O’Reilly has been giving his buddies the helpers for years, in one sport or another.

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