ICERAYS TENDER FORWARD JIMMY O’BRIEN

Feb 10, 2015

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) have signed forward Jimmy O’Brien from the Chicago Mission U18 of the High Performance Hockey League (HPHL) to a tender contract for the 2015-16 season. The signing is the seventh for next season and the fourth forward taken thus far.

O’Brien, 18, has played 22 games with the Chicago Mission U18, recording eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points with 36 penalty minutes, one power play goal, and one shorthanded goal. The Winnetka, Ill., native currently ranks tied for ninth in assists and tied for 14th in points in the HPHL this season.

“Jimmy is a really dynamic and skilled forward,” said IceRays head coach John Becanic. “He has a love and a passion for the game that is infectious. We’re happy to have been able to tender Jimmy.”

Over his last two seasons, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound forward has played with the Chicago Young Americans U16 (HPHL), recording 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points over 37 games. O’Brien plays equally on both sides of the ice under the mentality that strong defense leads to offense, and one of the most appealing factors about the IceRays organization is the lifestyle and standards.

“Obviously, the environment there is really exciting because the players get treated really well,” said O’Brien on coming to Corpus Christi. “Coach Becanic did admit how high of a standard he holds his players to, so I think that can be really good for my development both as a player and as a person.”

O’Brien joins forward Andrew McGlynn (NA3HL) and defensemen Shane Kelly and Chaz Thomas (T1EHL), who were all signed last month, as well as forward Nicholas Bortolotto (NAPHL), forward Landon Quinney (NAPHL), and defenseman Michael Bevilacqua (T1EHL) to the 2015-16 tendered list.

The IceRays head back on the road on Friday, Feb. 13 to begin a two-game set against the Amarillo Bulls at 7:05 p.m. from the Amarillo Civic Center. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio Corpus Christi and FASTHockey.com. Call the front office at 361-814-7825 for season and individual ticket details or check out the pricing and seating chart online at www.goicerays.com. Stay current with the latest team news by visiting www.goicerays.com. In addition, stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/CorpusChristiIceRays), Twitter (@goicerays), YouTube (IceRays TV), Instagram (CorpusChristiIceRays), and Vine (@goicerays).