Introduction
Robert Dominick O'Gara (born July 6, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently playing for the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League (AHL). O'Gara was selected by the Boston Bruins in the fifth-round (151st overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career
O'Gara was born on Long Island, to parents Christine Rittmeyer and Brian O'Gara. As a youth, he played in the 2006 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the New York Islanders minor ice hockey team. Following two seasons at Milton Academy, O'Gara enrolled at Yale University to play NCAA Division I hockey with the Yale Bulldogs. In his freshman season he helped the Bulldogs capture the 2012–13 NCAA Championship, the first national championship title for the team. The following season, O'Gara was named to the NCAA All-Ivy League Second Team, and in his junior year his outstanding play was rewarded when he selected as ECAC Hockey's Best Defensive Defenseman and was named to the NCAA (East) First All-American Team.
On March 29, 2016, the Boston Bruins signed O'Gara to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2016–17 season. The Providence Bruins, the AHL affiliate to Boston, signed him to an ATO (amateur try-out) for the remainder of the 2015–16 season.
On February 20, 2018, the Bruins traded O'Gara, along with a 2018 third-round draft pick, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Nick Holden.
On August 20, 2019, as a free agent from the Rangers, O'Gara signed one-year AHL contract with the San Antonio Rampage, the primary affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. Entering the 2019–20 season, O'Gara was limited to just 5 scoreless games with the Rampage, serving as a depth option to the blueline. On December 6, 2019, O'Gara was traded to the Springfield Thunderbirds, affiliate to the Florida Panthers, in exchange for future considerations.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2010–11 | Milton Academy | USHS | 29 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Milton Academy | USHS | 24 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Yale University | ECAC | 37 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Yale University | ECAC | 33 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Yale University | ECAC | 33 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Yale University | ECAC | 30 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 59 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 43 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | New York Rangers | NHL | 22 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 47 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Springfield Thunderbirds | AHL | 20 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 33 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-Ivy League Second Team | 2013–14 | |
| All-Ivy League First Team | 2014–15 | |
| ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman | 2014–15 | |
| All-ECAC Hockey First All-Star Team | 2014–15 | |
| NCAA (East) First All-American Team | 2014–15 | |
| All-Ivy League First Team | 2015–16 | |