Seattle Kraken sign first-round NHL Draft pick Jake O'Brien

The Seattle Kraken and their 2025 first-round NHL Draft pick, Jake O’Brien, didn’t waste time getting a deal done.

The team announced Thursday that it has signed the 18-year-old center to a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value of $995,000.

Seattle Kraken pick Jake O’Brien at No. 8 overall in NHL Draft

O’Brien, a native of Toronto, was picked No. 8 overall by the Kraken last Friday in the draft from the Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs. He’s been taking part in the Kraken’s development camp this week in Seattle.

“We’re excited to get Jake signed to his first professional contract,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said in a press release. “Jake has elite vision and hockey IQ, tremendous work ethic and a strong two-way game. He understands this is just the beginning. We’re looking forward to his continued development.”

OB ✍️

We’ve signed our 2025 first-round #NHLDraft Jake O’Brien to an Entry-Level Contract! pic.twitter.com/ukrYgLNZLg

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) July 3, 2025

The 6-foot-2, 177-pound O’Brien scored 98 points (32 goals, 66 assists) in 66 games in the regular season with the Bulldogs in 2024-25. The season before, he was the OHL Rookie of The Year with 64 points (13 goals, 51 assists) in 61 games.

O’Brien has twice represented Team Canada, first in the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, then on the gold-medal winning U18 team in the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

His mother, Amy Turek, played for the Canadian women’s national team.

One of the league’s premier playmakers, former #OHLCup MVP and #OHL Rookie of the Year Jake O’Brien of the @BulldogsOHL loves creating offence, setting his teammates up for success on the road to the #NHLDraft 🎥 pic.twitter.com/vpL0gHXGRt

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) June 24, 2025

Seattle Kraken sign first-round NHL Draft pick Jake O’Brien

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