Robert Dominick O'Gara (born July 6, 1993) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
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 ...
defenseman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
who retired following the 2021 season. He is currently an Assistant Coach for the men's Yale Hockey team. O'Gara was selected by the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
in the fifth-round (151st overall) of the
2011 NHL Entry Draft
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hoste ...
.
Playing career
O'Gara was born on Long Island, to parents Christine Rittmeyer and Brian O'Gara. As a youth, he played in the 2006
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...
with the New York Islanders
minor ice hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from cla ...
team. Rob grew up a die-hard
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...
fan, a fact he shared during an interview wit
The Broadway Hat Podcast Following two seasons at
Milton Academy
Milton Academy (also known as Milton) is a highly selective, coeducational, independent preparatory, boarding and day school in Milton, Massachusetts consisting of a grade 9–12 Upper School and a grade K–8 Lower School. Boarding is offered ...
, O'Gara enrolled at
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 ...
to play NCAA Division I hockey with the
Yale Bulldogs
The Yale Bulldogs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school sponsors 35 varsity sports. The school has won two NCAA national championships in women's fencing, four in ...
. In his freshman season he helped the Bulldogs capture the 2012–13
NCAA Championship
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
, the first national championship title for the team. The following season, O'Gara was named to the NCAA All-
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...
Second Team, and in his
junior
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* ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009
* ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010
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Films
* ''Junior'' (1994 ...
year his outstanding play was rewarded when he selected as ECAC Hockey's Best Defensive Defenseman and was named to the NCAA (East) First All-American Team.
On March 29, 2016, the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
signed O'Gara to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2016–17 season. The
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the primary development team for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). They play at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rh ...
, the
AHL affiliate to Boston, signed him to an ATO (amateur try-out) for the remainder of the
2015–16 season.
On February 20, 2018, the Bruins traded O'Gara, along with a 2018 third-round draft pick, to the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
in exchange for
Nick Holden
Nick Holden (born May 15, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Holden began his hockey career in the St. Albert, Alberta area, playing alongside Ryan Stanton wit ...
.
On August 20, 2019, as a free agent from the Rangers, O'Gara signed one-year AHL contract with the
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. The Rampage was primarily owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment throughout the team's existence. In 2020, the franchise was sold ...
, the primary affiliate of the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
. Entering the
2019–20 season, O'Gara was limited to just 5 scoreless games with the Rampage, serving as a depth option to the blueline. On December 6, 2019, O'Gara was traded to the
Springfield Thunderbirds
The Springfield Thunderbirds are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League that began play for the 2016–17 season. They are the affiliate of the National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; fren ...
, affiliate to the
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...
, in exchange for future considerations.
As a free agent from the Thunderbirds leading into the pandemic delayed
2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...
season, O'Gara was signed to a professional tryout contract to attend the Hershey Bears training camp on January 20, 2021.
Career statistics
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:OGara, Rob
1993 births
Living people
American men's ice hockey defensemen
Boston Bruins draft picks
Boston Bruins players
Hartford Wolf Pack players
Hershey Bears players
Ice hockey players from New York (state)
New York Rangers players
Providence Bruins players
San Antonio Rampage players
Springfield Thunderbirds players
Yale Bulldogs men's ice hockey players
AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans