Shane O'Brien (born August 9, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. His National Hockey League (NHL) career lasted nine years.
Playing career
Anaheim Ducks and Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), O'Brien was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 8th round, 250th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Before earning a full-time roster spot with Anaheim, he played with their minor league affiliates, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League (AHL). O'Brien led all AHL defenceman in scoring during the 2006 Calder Cup playoffs with six goals and 22 points in 19 post-season games. The Pirates had made it to the semi-finals where they were defeated in seven games by the Hershey Bears. In the off-season, he was re-signed by the Ducks to a one-year contract on August 3, 2006.
O'Brien made his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings on October 6, 2006. He scored his first NHL goal later that month against Dominik Hašek in a 4–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on October 18. He completed the night with a Gordie Howe hat trick by getting an assist and a fight against Brad Norton. On November 8, he scored a goal and two assists against the Vancouver Canucks for a three-point night.
At the trade deadline on February 24, 2007, O'Brien was dealt with a third-round draft pick in 2007 to the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender Gerald Coleman and a first-round draft pick in 2007. He had established himself as a fighter during his rookie season. At the time of his trade, he was ranked fifth in the league in fights with 12. Making the transition to Tampa Bay, however, his role as an enforcer was diminished as the club was less prone to fight than the Ducks had been. He made his NHL playoff debut with the Lightning on April 12, meeting the New Jersey Devils in the first round.
After finishing his rookie season with a combined total of two goals and 16 points in the regular season between Anaheim and Tampa Bay, he was re-signed by the Lightning in the off-season. At $2 million over two years, the contract saw O'Brien make $875,000 the first year and $1.125 million in 2008–09 – a raise from his $495,000 salary of the previous season. He would improve to four goals and 21 points in the subsequent season.
Vancouver Canucks
On October 6, 2008, O'Brien was traded with forward Michel Ouellet to the Vancouver Canucks for defenceman Lukáš Krajíček and prospect Juraj Šimek. During his first year in Vancouver, O'Brien received a minor fine of $2,500 on January 29, 2009, after taking part in a post-game altercation with Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks nine days earlier on January 20. Pavelski allegedly speared Canucks forward Daniel Sedin at the end of the game, a 2–1 overtime loss, leading O'Brien and teammate Willie Mitchell to intervene.
Soon thereafter, O'Brien garnered significant media attention when, after being unexpectedly made a healthy scratch, he claimed that general manager Mike Gillis implied in a one-on-one meeting that he is only interested in him fighting. O'Brien went on to speculate to the media whether Vancouver was the right fit for him. After another meeting with Gillis the next day, O'Brien apologized through the media for what he described as "selfish" comments borne of frustration, and that he misunderstood Gillis in their initial meeting.
In the subsequent 2009 playoffs, O'Brien scored his first goal as a Canuck against the Chicago Blackhawks in game six of the second round. The goal tied the score at 3–3 in the second period, although Chicago went on to eliminate the Canucks 7–5.
Becoming a restricted free agent in the off-season, O'Brien re-signed with the Canucks to a one-year, $1.6 million contract after turning down the arbitration process. Following an altercation with the New York Rangers on November 3, 2009, O'Brien was suspended for one game by the NHL for poking Rangers forward Sean Avery from across the two teams' benches with his stick. On December 20, 2009, O'Brien scored his first goal in 102 regular-season games in a 3–1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.