Newfoundland's O'Brien named Warrior Hockey/ECHL Player of the Month

Zach O’Brien of the Newfoundland Growlers has been named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Player of the Month for November. O’Brien scored four goals, added 17 assists and was a +13 in 11 games during the month. The 30-year-old picked up at least one point in 10 of his 11 games, including seven multi-point games. O’Brien had a pair of four-point games in November, scoring a goal and adding three assists on Nov. 5 at Maine and dishing out four assists on Nov. 26 against the Mariners. Under an American Hockey League contract with Toronto, O’Brien leads the ECHL with 26 assists and 31 points, and is tied for third with a +19 rating, in 16 games this season. A native of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, O’Brien has totaled 266 points (102g-164a) in 212 career ECHL games with Newfoundland, Wichita and Ontario. He is a two-time recipient of the ECHL Sportsmanship Award (2019 and 2022) and received the June M. Kelly Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award after the Growlers captured the Kelly Cup title in 2019. O’Brien has added 107 points (40g-67a) in 231 career AHL games. Prior to turning pro, O’Brien posted 168 points (79g-89a) in 126 career games with Rouyn-Noranda and Acadie-Bathurst of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Runners-Up: Lincoln Griffin, Cincinnati (10 gp, 8g, 5a, 13 pts.), Jeremy McKenna, Kansas City (12 gp, 7g, 10a, 17 pts.) and Eddie Matsushima, Tulsa (12 gp, 10g, 7a, 17 pts.). Also Nominated: Ty Pelton-Byce (Idaho), Seamus Malone (Indy), Ara Nazarian (Jacksonville), Alex Aleardi (Rapid City), Max Newton (Reading), Gordie Green (Toledo), Olivier Galipeau (Trois-Rivières), Cedric Pare (Wheeling), Brayden Watts (Wichita) and Collin Adams (Worcester).