April 19th, 2025 - Brantford Bulldogs vs. Oshawa Generals
By David St-Louis
2025-05-16
Jake O'Brien continues to be one of the better power play quarterbacks in the league. At the half-wall, he has those shimmy fakes with his shoulders and rapid handling. He opens up his body, faces his options and looks for the cross-ice pass. He hits those seams at a high frequency. O'Brien also had some creative passing at five-on-five: a back pass without looking to a teammate attacking the slot and a slip one under a stick. What he has to work on are pretty clear. He needs extra speed to pressure and catch up to opponents on the backcheck, and he has to work on getting open in and around the slot and on his ability to resist contact in high-danger areas. He's still hope-passing frequently at five-on-five, but that's partly because that's his only tool to make plays. He's an underdeveloped prospect with an elite attribute. A potential top-six forward and PP quarterback.
April 10th, 2025 - Brantford Bulldogs vs. Oshawa Generals
By Cam Robinson
2025-05-19
O’Brien’s playmaking toolkit was on full display in this outing, driving Brantford’s offence with layered creativity and complex reads. Early in the game, he attempted a spinning backhand pass through the crease that narrowly missed connecting. Since that one didn't work, he went back to the same move in the second period. This time, extending for a rebound, spinning on his backhand and feeding the slot for a tap-in goal. His vision carried over to the power play as well, where he grabbed a primary assist by walking downhill from the point on an angle, drawing coverage, and delivering a perfectly timed shot-pass to the far post for the tip-in. He capped his night with a setup on the empty-net goal. O’Brien excels in manipulating pace and constantly shifting gears to open passing lanes and find soft ice in dangerous areas. His head is always up, scanning, adjusting routes, and inviting defenders to make the first move before slicing them apart with a feed. Defensively, he was reading the play well, stepping into lanes, blocking shots, and transitioning the puck up ice with control and urgency. While he clearly favours the pass, and with good reason, there’s untapped scoring potential in his game. Convincing him to lean more into his shot, particularly off of deceptive setups, could elevate him from a gifted playmaker to a dual-threat offensive engine. That threat will only help his passing game out too, as defenders can't sag off anticipating the pass. Similarly, adding more strength and directness when attacking the middle would round out his game and help him better handle pro-level pressure. With refinement and maturity, he has the makings of a dynamic top-six forward.
