Zach O’brien signs to play in Slovakia’s top pro league

St. John’s native signs to play with Slovakian club HC Slovan Bratislava for next season

The Newfoundland Growlers are losing a franchise icon.

St. John’s native Zach O’brien won’t be on the bench next season and has instead signed with HC Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga, Slovakia’s top professional hockey circuit, for the 2023-2024 season.

In an announcement by the Slovakian team, O’brien said, “I am really excited to start this new chapter of my career in Bratislava. I have heard nothing but great things about the club, the city and the overall organization. I will do everything in my power to help the team win the championship.”

FRANCHISE LEADER

The signing ends the 30-yearold’s four-year stint with the Growlers, where he carved out a reputation as one of the ECHL’S top players and a gentleman in the league.

He leaves the Growlers as the franchise leader in just about every statistical category you can think of, including goals, assists, points and games played.

In 206 regular season games, O’brien has 104 goals and 279 points in a Newfoundland jersey.

He added 60 points (24 goals, 36 assists) in 47 playoff games while helping the Growlers to a Kelly Cup and a pair of conference finals. O’brien was the Kelly Cup MVP.

This season, O’brien set the franchise record for points in a season with 87 (23 goals, 64 assists).

Earlier this spring, he won the ECHL’S Sportsmanship Award for the second straight year and third time overall. O’brien was also an ALL-ECHL team selection for the third time.

‘ELITE PLAYER’

O’brien’s Growlers teammates were full of praise.

“(O’brien) has arguably been the Growlers’ most valuable player since the inaugural season,” said teammate Todd Skirving via text message.

“He is an elite player that had the ability to take over a game at any minute.”

Skirving and O’brien have been teammates since that first Growlers season in 2018. They won a Kelly Cup together and played well over 100 games as teammates.

When the team was eliminated from this postseason last month, the pair shared a lengthy hug after Game 6 of the Florida series.

“He’s helped my game develop over the years and it was a pleasure being able to play with him,” said Skirving.

“He will be missed for sure, especially with his offence, but he has earned this opportunity to explore a new team and new league overseas.”

A QUIET PRESENCE

O’brien’s departure continues the exodus of former Newfoundland Growlers to Europe.

It started last week, with the news that Tyler Boland was headed for Germany’s top league and Derian Plouffe was bound for Norway. Former Growler Gordie Green, meanwhile, is headed to Austria.

Growers play-by-play man

Chris Ballard has arguably watched O’brien play the most during his time with the team.

He said O’brien was a quiet leader in the dressing room and his play spoke for itself on the ice.

“It’s no secret around our league how good Zach O’brien is,” said Ballard.

“Still, every year, he found a way to elevate his game and he did it as a pretty quiet guy in the room from my understanding, and just that quiet poise, that calm, that presence.”

THIRD EUROPEAN STINT

This won’t be O’brien’s first trip overseas.

His first experience with European hockey came with

the Ravensburg Towerstars, a team in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga second division, in 2016-2017.

During the 2020-2012 season, when the Growlers sat out the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, O’brien played again in Germany’s second division, this time dressing with EV Landshut for 49 games.

“(O’brien) is a solid dude who genuinely cares about his community, both his actual community where he lives and his hockey community and we will be feeling that loss, I’m sure,” said Ballard.

“At the same time, it’s just going overseas. He’s still a Newfoundlander. He’s still one of us. He’s a Growler for life regardless of what uniform he wears.”