The 6-foot-2, 177-pound forward was selected from the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League
LOS ANGELES (June 27, 2025) — Today with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Seattle Kraken selected forward Jake O’Brien from the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
In his second season with the Bulldogs, O’Brien set career highs across the scoresheet, recording 98 points (32g/66a) in 66 regular-season games—only five more than the previous season. Serving as an alternate captain for the first time, O’Brien finished third in goals and points and second in assists on the Bulldogs. He also notched nine power-play goals and three game-winning goals. His season included two hat tricks, one of which came in a five-point performance (3g/2a) on March 8 at Saginaw. Over the year, he recorded 26 multi-point games, including one five-point outing, four four-point games and nine three-point efforts. In the OHL playoffs, he added three goals and eight assists in 11 games.
The 6-foot-2, 177-pound forward made an immediate impact in his rookie OHL season, posting 64 points (13g/51a) in 61 games. He was named OHL Rookie of the Year and earned spots on the CHL All-Rookie Team and OHL First All-Rookie Team. He also led all OHL rookies in both assists and points that season.
The Toronto native has represented Team Canada on two occasions. In 2023, he played for Canada Red at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. The following year, he helped Canada’s U18 team capture gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
O’Brien is expected to attend the Kraken’s fifth annual development camp, which will be held at Kraken Community Iceplex from June 30 to July 4.
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