2025 NHL Draft Media Availability – Jake O’Brien (8th Overall, Seattle Kraken)
so
I’ve never met him um in in minor hockey I always watched him play on that really good Don Mills team um growing up so I I’ve always watched him and and that was pretty cool watching him grow up uh get exceptional stats and stuff so um yeah I’m really excited to meet him and I can’t wait to keep cracking
you talked about the team what do you know about the city of Seattle have you heard anything at all
um I don’t know much um obviously the Seahawks um hopefully I’ll get to go to a game one day uh that’ll be pretty cool um and yeah I’m just really excited and you come from a pretty athletic family i mean what lessons have you learned particularly from your parents you know about hockey and career
um just hard work and being humble um just going into each day um not thinking you’re the best and and just getting to work every day and getting better um right after this I’m going to get right back to work and into the gym and hopefully make it to the NHL one day
you’re you’re not even the first pro hockey player in your family how did growing up with your mother do you think it impact impact your ability uh yeah her just bringing me up um just knowing where to put me in in hockey and stuff and just knowing what skill skates to go to um was a big thing and just developing me through her hockey school and stuff um so she was great to me um she’s supported me along the way and I just can’t thank her enough
how old were you when you started going to our hockey school
um I was about I think four or 5 years old um it was actually all girls at the start and I had no idea um that I was the only guy there and then she actually made it to other other guys and girls after that so that was good i would went with my friends there and stuff
what do you feel is the next area of your game that you want to
um just my face offs and my first three steps um I feel like I need to get a little bit better at my skating ability um and then just working on my face offs getting in the gym getting stronger
what have the Brford Bulldogs just meant to getting you to this moment here
uh yeah just just making a place at home in the OHL obviously when you’re um a rookie in the in the league you’re really nervous getting there and meeting the new guys and meeting a new team um so they’ve just been great to me a great organization really wellrun um so I just can’t thank them enough for getting me here
what does it say about the league five of the top eight picks in this draft all coming from the OHL do you guys feel like it’s been you know a great banner year for this league
yeah for sure um it’s it’s great competing against those guys um throughout the year um and I feel like the OHL is the is the premier um destination for high talent um so yeah just going against them uh each and every year uh was really fun what’s this week been like for you just in general enjoying LA but also all of this weighing on you at the same time
uh yeah it’s been stressful obviously um just a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders now um that I’m drafted and stuff um and I’m just really excited to be a Seattle Kraken
you ever had a chance to connect with Ryan Winterton at all just trying to like a Bulldogs to Seattle connection
i don’t think I’ve ever met him but um I used to go to Bulldogs games before I was drafted and watch them so um that’ll be pretty cool after the combine and lead up to the draft were there any indications that that you thought the Kraken were going to take and they liked you
uh I just had a good interview with them um I I feel like they were pretty interested in the interview just kind of what they said and stuff um so but you never know on draft night um you don’t know where you’re going to go so I’m just really grateful
what What kind of player are they getting out of you if everything you know goes according to plan what what can they expect
well very high hawk IQ smart player um I’m very good at finding uh my teammates through little holes and little seams um I’m a good 200 foot player and I make others around me better
i know working on shooting a little bit more was important emphasis for you this season how have you felt like that’s rounded out your game
uh yeah i think just it helps helps my passing too i feel like um I feel like I’m a very good passer and just being able to have the ability to shoot um fools goenders and fools defenders so um I just got to keep working on it and hopefully score more goals next year couple of the guys already said “Looking forward to this sort of being a job.”
A little more than sort of being right i’m just wondering your thoughts on hey this is my career now
uh yeah i really hope it will be one day um I’m just This is a dream of mine since I was little so I’m just really grateful to be in my position right now yeah
to play hockey for a living it’
be pretty cool that’d be pretty cool
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