The Seattle Kraken chose center Jake O’Brien from the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League with their 8th-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
“Thank you for believing in me and thank you for taking me,” O’Brien said to the Kraken brass on a live feed immediately after being selected.
The right-shot center, a native of Toronto, piled up 98 points in 66 OHL games last season, his second in major juniors.
Aside from winger Eduard Sale in 2023, the Kraken have taken a center in the 1st-round in every one of their NHL Drafts. All of them remain with the organization and two of them, Matty Beniers, 2nd-overall in 2021, and Shane Wright, 4th-overall in 2022, are on the active roster.
We should see Sale, O’Brien, and last year’s 8th-overall pick Berkly Catton at Development Camp starting on Monday. The July 3rd scrimmage at the Kraken Community Iceplex is open to the public.
O’Brien compared himself to Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars.
Johnston is also a right-shot center who grew up in Toronto and played in the OHL. O’Brien is an inch taller and about 10-pounds lighter at 6-foot-2 and 173-pounds.
Growing up as an NHL fan, O’Brien said he rooted for Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Earlier Kraken:
— Seattle Lands A Solid Center In Gaudreau
