Prospect Info: Round 1, Pick #19: Jay O'Brien, C, MA-USHS --> Providence U

[DrinkFightFlyers]

New England Prep School hockey is quite strong for development. It is a cut above most "high school" programs and they have an entirely different schedule from the Public and Catholic Schools. Many players start at a public or a Catholic and transfer to the preps. It's hardly uncommon for a player to go directly from Prep School hockey to D1 (Patrick Harper was brought up earlier in this thread. He did just that.)

Jay's school, Thayer Academy, had four other committed players on the team. That says nothing of the players on that team who will play D1 hockey but have not committed yet. Also on their schedule: Rivers School (5 D1 commits), Dexter- Southfield Academy (5), Northfield- Mt. Hermon School (2), Noble & Greenough School (2), Belmont Hill School (2), Lawrence Academy (8), Cushing Academy (5), Culver Military Academy (8), St. Sebastian's School (6), Trinity-Pawling (2), and Kimball Union Academy (6). Aside from O'Brien, there were three players drafted in 2018 on that schedule and one in 2017.

So yeah, more than a few will even sniff D1 hockey. Just because high school hockey sucks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania doesn't mean that it does in New England.

Relax dude, I was just asking because I don't follow high school hockey in Massachusetts and you don't see too many first round picks right out of high school in the first round.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

or it could be sarcasm

sometimes I cannot tell anymore around here.

 

[FLYguy3911]

TJ Brennan played HS hockey in NJ.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

New England Prep School hockey is quite strong for development. It is a cut above most "high school" programs and they have an entirely different schedule from the Public and Catholic Schools. Many players start at a public or a Catholic and transfer to the preps. It's hardly uncommon for a player to go directly from Prep School hockey to D1 (Patrick Harper was brought up earlier in this thread. He did just that.)

Jay's school, Thayer Academy, had four other committed players on the team. That says nothing of the players on that team who will play D1 hockey but have not committed yet. Also on their schedule: Rivers School (5 D1 commits), Dexter- Southfield Academy (5), Northfield- Mt. Hermon School (2), Noble & Greenough School (2), Belmont Hill School (2), Lawrence Academy (8), Cushing Academy (5), Culver Military Academy (8), St. Sebastian's School (6), Trinity-Pawling (2), and Kimball Union Academy (6). Aside from O'Brien, there were three players drafted in 2018 on that schedule and one in 2017.

So yeah, more than a few will even sniff D1 hockey. Just because high school hockey sucks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania doesn't mean that it does in New England.

If you had to estimate, how many "Dougie"s would you say there are per Catholic school (xD/CS%) in New England? I went to Catholic school in Missouri, but I don't remember any there.
Asking for a friend ( @Surrounded By Ahos )

 

[BOS358]

What do you mean by "Dougie?" That term is completely lost on me.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

What do you mean by "Dougie?" That term is completely lost on me.

I'm just ****ing around lol - I don't like Dougie Hamilton

 

[Mike1167]

Pierre Mcgiure was on TSN radio Friday before the draft and the hosts asked for a sleeper. He named O’Brien. He said he watched a lot of him after his cancer surgery in January and he’s been watching that league closely for 30 years and he’s the best player he’s ever seen in that league and that’s including Roenick. He was slotted to go in the second round but he will go from 17-25.

I met O'Brien the day after the draft. My wife met him and his mom the day before the draft in the hotel lobby. We just happened to be staying in the same hotel. He's a nice kid, by the way. He said that the Flyers were all over him before the draft. He knew he wouldn't make it past pick #19. He also looked bigger than his listed size. Glad the Flyers got him.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

This column is written by a veteran Bruins' beat writer. Nothing extensive but it exerts a supportive element from a local angle.

NHL: Hingham's Jay O'Brien getting right down to business with Flyers

As much as O’Brien knew he’d be drafted, hadn’t been able to process that it happened until Sunday’s flight.

“On the plane, with my phone off, I could think about everything,” O’Brien said after reaching his hotel late Sunday night. “That was really the first time.”

O’Brien, who anticipated being selected somewhere between Nos. 20 and 40 overall, wasn’t shocked to be selected by the Flyers, who had two first-round picks. They’d grabbed Joel Farabee, who’ll be a Hockey East opponent next season (O’Brien is headed for Providence College; Farabee for Boston University), at No. 14 overall.

“I had a little bit of a feeling,” he said, “but it was a surprise at the same time. I thought it was going to happen soon, but I didn’t really know what the Flyers were thinking. They’d just drafted another forward, so I thought they might be thinking of a defenseman (at No. 19).”

O’Brien flew to Dallas with parents Jack and Amy, younger siblings Trevor and Liza, family advisor Matt Keator and future college coach Nate Leaman knowing, however, that the Flyers might be keen on drafting him.

“I know (Flyers general manager Ron Hextall) and their head (scouts) came and watched me good amounts” during his 30-game, 43-goal, 80-point senior year, O’Brien said. “I had an unbelievable interview with them and I built a pretty good connection with them.”

“Same colors as my Thayer Academy sweater,” O’Brien said. “I couldn’t be more excited.”

​

 

[Foggy14]

This column is written by a veteran Bruins' beat writer. Nothing extensive but it exerts a supportive element from a local angle.

Thanks for the link. Sounds like a good kid, and he had a nice TV interview after the selection.

"Same colors as my Thayer Academy sweater," O"Brien said. "I couldn't be more excited."

Cool. We can have him wear his high school gear at camp.

It'll save the team a lot of money.

​

 

[G0bias]

Congrats on the pick fellas. Been following him along the year, hoping Habs would get him somehow, he was one of my favorites going in the draft. Here's part two of my shift by shift videos, he's #9 in green for Cape Cod.

 

[Striiker]

What do you mean by "Dougie?" That term is completely lost on me.

It's a horrible racist term. Don't repeat it.

 

[FlyTimmo]

Congrats on the pick fellas. Been following him along the year, hoping Habs would get him somehow, he was one of my favorites going in the draft. Here's part two of my shift by shift videos, he's #9 in green for Cape Cod.

Hmm... the U18s was at iceline. nice

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

TJ Brennan played HS hockey in NJ.

 

[Rebels57]

 

[daynus]

Right on, thanx for all the info. I really like this pick and he sounds like a really good person as well.

 

[Flyerfan13]

Jay is doing the prospect camp blog this year here is day 1
My First NHL Camp: Jay O'Brien

 

[Doodootheclown]

Hmm... the U18s was at iceline. nice

I played on the same ice as a Flyers 1st round pick

 

[Larry44]

Interesting piece by former NHL player/ref Paul Stewart about O'Brien family that mentions Jay. Sounds like character runs in the family: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Paul-Stewart/Philly-Got-a-Good-One-in-Jay-OBrien/196/93632

 

[hatcher]

I'm really liking this pick the more I watch.

 

[deadhead]

Hextall has become so predictable, just identify the skill players with the highest character (not boy scout, but work ethic, compete level, etc.) and that's your 1st rd picks, and take any player with serious character flaws (selfish, lazy, takes plays off, etc) off the board.

 

[Brophy]

Know what Jeff Hakstok will eat? Dung.

a real big pile of it

 

[Stizzle]

O'Brien 7 minute long media scrum from the combine...

2018 NHL Combine: Jay O'Brien - HockeyProspect.com | 2019 NHL Draft

 

[TheKingPin]

I'm still lukewarm on this pick. Of all the picks made, this was one where there were so many guys that I preferred to him. Kupari, Miller, Wilde, Noel, Merkely, Bokk, Sandin, Veleno, Lundestrom, and the list goes on I'm sure. If they had traded back and maybe grabbed another second or a third or something, I'd feel a lot better, but I mean even moving back five picks I have to imagine he still would have been on the board. Or maybe there was a lot of buzz and they figured they had to grab him. I love drafting US players, but with nothing but high school under his belt it is always scary for me. You have a guy like Mittelstadt last year but he played half a year in the USHL so you had some other things to gauge him on.

I know Thayer has produced some NHL talent so that is a little more comforting, but can anyone speak to the competition level that he saw? He clearly dominated the last couple years there, so that is certainly encouraging, but was he saying anyone that would even sniff the NHL or even D1 NCAA or CHL hockey?

Were there any rumblings about him going off the board soon if the Flyers didn’t take him? I know that was the case for Frost and I heard the same this past year, but not sure.

 

[Young Sandwich]

Were there any rumblings about him going off the board soon if the Flyers didn’t take him? I know that was the case for Frost and I heard the same this past year, but not sure.

I remember hearing at least 3 or 4 teams were gearing up to take him in the back end of the first. It seems like O'Brien was Hextall's guy and he went up to the podium and took him. I'm completely fine with that and love the pick. Upside in spades.

 

[Curufinwe]

I read that the Rags had interest in him. They had #22 and #28.