Introduction
Liam O'Brien (born July 29, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He is currently playing with the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
O'Brien was drafted in the first round, 10th overall, by the Rimouski Oceanic in QMJHL 2010 Draft. He scored his firstQMJHL goal in his second game against the Lewiston Maineiacs. He played for the Oceanic until 2011 when he was traded to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies for draft picks.
Passed over in the NHL Entry Draft, O'Brien received a training camp invite from the Washington Capitals in 2014, and made the team, earning himself a three-year entry level contract on October 6, 2014. He made his NHL debut on October 9, 2014 in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, in which he registered his first NHL fight against the Canadiens' Brandon Prust.
On June 10, 2019, O'Brien agreed to return for his sixth season within the Capitals organization, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract extension. O'Brien was waived by the Washington Capitals on September 30, 2019 and loaned to the Hershey Bears the following day.
International play
As a 16 year old, O'Brien was selected to compete at the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2009–10 | Notre Dame Hounds | SMHL | 41 | 13 | 25 | 38 | 98 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 30 | ||
| 2010–11 | Rimouski Oceanic | QMJHL | 61 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 45 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2011–12 | Rimouski Oceanic | QMJHL | 40 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | 27 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 69 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | ||
| 2012–13 | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | 65 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 164 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 17 | ||
| 2013–14 | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | 68 | 20 | 15 | 35 | 148 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ||
| 2014–15 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 45 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 121 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 | ||
| 2015–16 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 59 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 120 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 65 | ||
| 2016–17 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 64 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 117 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | ||
| 2016–17 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 69 | 17 | 9 | 26 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 74 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 118 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 | ||
| 2019–20 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 59 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Canada Atlantic | WHC17 | 5th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| Junior totals | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||||