SEATTLE (July 3, 2025) — Today, Seattle Kraken General Manager Jason Botterill announced that the club has signed forward Jake O'Brien to a three-year, entry-level contract ($975,000 AAV). O'Brien was Seattle's first pick (eighth overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
"We're excited to get Jake signed to his first professional contract," said Botterill. "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."
In his second season with the Bulldogs, O’Brien set career highs across the scoresheet, recording 98 points (32g/66a) in 66 regular-season games—only five more than the previous season. Serving as an alternate captain for the first time, O’Brien finished third in goals and points and second in assists on the Bulldogs. He also notched nine power-play goals and three game-winning goals. His season included two hat tricks, one of which came in a five-point performance (3g/2a) on March 8 at Saginaw. Over the year, he recorded 26 multi-point games, including one five-point outing, four four-point games and nine three-point efforts. In the OHL playoffs, he added three goals and eight assists in 11 games.
The 6-foot-2, 177-pound forward made an immediate impact in his rookie OHL season, posting 64 points (13g/51a) in 61 games. He was named OHL Rookie of the Year and earned spots on the CHL All-Rookie Team and OHL First All-Rookie Team. He also led all OHL rookies in both assists and points that season.
The Toronto native has represented Team Canada on two occasions. In 2023, he played for Canada Red at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. The following year, he helped Canada’s U18 team capture gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
