Background
Reese, who is Jewish, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Reese, who is Jewish, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He attended Upper Saint Clair High School.
Reese was drafted 209th overall in the 2003 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. After missing 15 games his freshman season, including the 2004 World Junior Championships due to a back injury, Reese bounced back to have an outstanding sophomore campaign in 2004-2005. He led all Crimson defensemen in scoring with 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) playing in all 34 games that season.
He went on to lead Harvard defensemen in scoring each of the next two seasons while being named team captain and Most Valuable Player his senior year.
Reese made his professional debut in the 2007-2008 season with the Phoenix Coyotes affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. He played in 59 games, but his contributions were minimal as he was often scratched in favor of veteran defensemen Travis Roche, Bryan Helmer and Brendan Bell. In the 2008-2009 season, Reese"s ice time was increased significantly as he was again paired with former Harvard teammate Ryan Lannon on the back education
Although the Rampage remained near the bottom of the pack all season Reese showed significant development as he contributed 28 points and played regularly in all situations. In the summer of 2009 Reese received a contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets after attending their camp on a tryout basis.
He was immediately assigned to Columbus" American League affiliate the Syracuse Crunch.
He played in 51 games for the Crunch scoring 22 points and recording a team best +12 rating. Then, on March 1, two days before the National Hockey League trade deadline Reese was dealt to the New York Islanders in exchange for Islanders forward Greg Moore. After reporting to the Islanders" AHL affiliate the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for one game, where he recorded a goal and an assist, Reese was recalled by the Islanders where he remained the rest of the season.
Reese finished the season with two goals, two assists, and a +4 rating.
Reese began the 2010-2011 AHL season with the Islanders" top AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but on November 15, 2010 the defenseman was recalled to the National Hockey League. After a single season within the Pittsburgh Penguins organization in the 2012-2013 season, Reese opted to leave North America and sign with Russian club, Amur Khabarovsk in the KHL. On July 1, 2014, Reese returned to the National Hockey League in signing a one-year two-way contract with the Arizona Coyotes.
Reese, who played alongside senior Ryan Lannon for nearly the entire year, was a member of one of the best defensive corps in the nation.
