Bulldogs rookie scoring record 'means a lot' to O'Brien

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There’s little doubt that Brantford Bulldogs forward Jake O’Brien is a superstar in the making.

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Bulldogs rookie scoring record 'means a lot' to O'Brien Back to video

O’Brien, drafted eighth overall by Brantford in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, became the Bulldogs’ single-season rookie record holder for points when he notched a pair of goals in a 5-1 win against the Niagara IceDogs on Sunday.

Those two goals – and an assist in a 3-2 win against the Erie Otters on Monday – gives O’Brien 11 goals and 40 assists in 48 games. His 51 points is now three more than current Los Angeles Kings player Arthur Kaliyev scored during his 2017-18 rookie season with the Bulldogs.

“I felt a little bit (nervous), maybe one game, but I just kept playing,” O’Brien said when asked how he felt while chasing the record.

“It means a lot to beat Arthur Kaliyev because of the type of player he is.”

O’Brien is the type of player clubs around the OHL would love to have as he has a history of leading his teams to titles while also excelling individually.

Prior to joining the Bulldogs, O’Brien captained the Toronto Jr. Canadiens to the OHL Cup championship in 2023, winning the most valuable player award at the tournament. The year before that, in 2022, he helped lead the Canadiens to an Ontario Hockey Federation under-15 AAA championship.

Even with his stellar resume, O’Brien was a little uneasy at the beginning of the first OHL season.

“I was nervous playing against bigger guys and the game is faster,” said the six-foot-one, 165-pound centre.

“The first game and the second game I had a lot of nerves but probably about 10 games in I started to get a feel for it. I just needed to get a feel for each game and get better each game.”

He scored his first goal in his second game in the OHL, against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and in his ninth game O’Brien notched his first multi-point performance with a goal and an assist against the Oshawa Generals.

The Toronto native played for Canada Red at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in November and was named the OHL rookie of the month in December and the East Division academic player of the month for January.

O’Brien is currently one point ahead of Riley Patterson of the Barrie Colts in the OHL’s rookie scoring race and he is the only player among those in the top-10 averaging more than one point per game.

He leads all rookies in assists (40), power-play goals (six), power-play assists (14) and is tied for second in game-winning goals (two).

By far, one of his best attributes is his vision. Seldom does a game go by that he doesn’t leave fans in awe following a precise pass that finds the stick of a teammate when no lane or path seemed possible.

“I’ve always been good at (passing) through minor hockey,” said O’Brien, who won’t turn 17 until June and who will be eligible for the 2025 NHL draft.

“I think being able to slow the game down and being able to have the confidence to make plays is where I’ve improved the most this season.”

O’Brien has formed a potent combination with Marek Vanacker and Zak Lavoie and although he’s played the majority of the new year with those two players, he has moved around but has no difficulty playing with different linemates.

“It’s different playing with different guys based on their speed, based on their shot and their passing and stuff,” he said, noting that adapting is the key.

“You have to change it up a bit because getting that chemistry is a big deal.”

With 13 games remaining the regular season, O’Brien will surely pad his rookie record further. However, now that he’s set the record and the Bulldogs clinched a playoff spot on Monday, O’Brien is looking forward to his first OHL post-season, particularly in front of what he described as a ‘loud’ home crowd.

“It’s a big deal,” he said of Brantford becoming the first Eastern Conference team to book its spot in the playoffs.

“Clinching it this early, it shows how much we’ve been through as a team and how high a trajectory we’ve had for the rest of the season. I’m very excited for the playoffs. I think we can go a far way.”