O’Brien ready to welcome extra eyes on him during NHL Draft year

Eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, Brantford’s Jake O’Brien knows there will be extra eyes on him.

And he’s more than ok with that.

“With all the NHL scouts in the stands, feel that pressure and get use to it,” O’Brien said.

That starts at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup where O’Brien is representing Canada. After a first year that saw him record 64 points and collect the Emms Family Award as OHL rookie of the year, the 2024-25 season comes with high expectations.

“NHL teams like an all-round player,” O’Brien said. “You want to go as high as you can in the Draft but taking it day-by-day is going to help me especially with the pressure … and not thinking too much about it.”

In November, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada will take place where the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL’s three member leagues will face off against the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) in a two-game series. More details will be made available soon.