Brian O'Neill (born June 1, 1988) is an American professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

for

EV Zug EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. It is a member of the National League and plays its home games at the Bossard Arena. History EV Zug won its first championship in the 1997–98 season, and the second one in t ...

of the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

(NL).

Playing career

Undrafted, O'Neill played collegiate hockey with

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

of the ECAC before signing a one-year entry-level contract with the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

at the conclusion of his senior year on March 15, 2012. and was assigned to the

Manchester Monarchs Manchester Monarchs may refer to: *Manchester Monarchs (AHL) (2001–2015) *Manchester Monarchs (ECHL) The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Manchester, New ...

. In the 2014–15 season, his third full season within the Kings organization, O'Neill was assigned to continue to play with the

of the AHL. He enjoyed a breakout year offensively with the Monarchs, leading the team and the league with 58 assists and 80 points in 71 games to be awarded the

Les Cunningham Award The Les Cunningham Award is given annually to American Hockey League's "Most Valuable Player" of the regular season, as voted on by AHL media and players. The award was first presented in the 1947–48 season, is named after Les Cunningham, a five- ...

as the AHL's most valuable player. In the post-season, O'Neill's continued his offensive pace in recording 10 goals and 20 points to help the Monarchs dominate the league and capture the

Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its curr ...

in their final season in the AHL. Before the 2015–16 season, O'Neill attended the Kings training camp and participated in the pre-season. O'Neill was unable to earn a roster spot in Los Angeles, and as a result, on the eve of the season, on October 6, 2015, the Kings traded O'Neill to the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

in return for a conditional 7th-round pick. O'Neill made his NHL debut with the Devils on October 10, 2015, against the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...

. He played 22 games in the NHL for the Devils that season and also made 42 appearances for their AHL affiliate

Albany Devils The Albany Devils were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The top affiliate of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL), the A-Devils played their home games at the Times Union Center in Albany, ...

. On May 20, 2016, he signed a deal with Helsinki-based club

Jokerit Helsingin Jokerit (English: Jokers or Jesters) are a professional ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland. The team won six league championships as a member of the Finnish SM-liiga (1973, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, and 2002). Jokerit plays its ...

of the

Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...

(KHL). In December 2020, O'Neill, dubbed "Mr. Helsinki", signed a new three-year contract with Jokerit. O'Neill was an offensive catalyst for six years in Jokerit before the club withdrew from the KHL during the 2021–22 season due to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

. As a free agent, O'Neill opted to continue his career abroad, agreeing to a two-year contract with Swiss club EV Zug of the NL on May 6, 2022.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors

References

External links

* 1988 births Living people AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans Albany Devils players American expatriate sportspeople in Finland American men's ice hockey forwards Chicago Steel players Ice hockey players at the 2018 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players at the 2022 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players from Pennsylvania Jokerit players Manchester Monarchs (AHL) players New Jersey Devils players Olympic ice hockey players of the United States People from Yardley, Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Bucks County, Pennsylvania Undrafted National Hockey League players Yale Bulldogs men's ice hockey players EV Zug players {{US-icehockey-centre-stub