Brian O’Neill was in a casino for a Jokerit team charity poker tournament when he got a phone call from the Finnish hockey team’s general manager. It was a call that O’Neill did not expect to be coming, saying it was, “a long shot.” However, it was one that he welcomed.
A few weeks ago, O’Neill was one of the 23 athletes named to the 2018 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.
“Since the summer, I knew there was a decent chance NHL players would not be going to the Olympics,” O’Neill said in an email. “Around June I found out I was being considered for a spot on the Olympic team. But honestly, I still thought it was a long shot and didn’t plan on making the team. So, it’s safe to say I was surprised.”
O’Neill – a Yardley, Pennsylvania native – played ice hockey at Germantown Academy when he attended the school. The forward said that playing on the team helped speed up his development during his teenage years. Once his time as a Patriot was up, O’Neill took a path that not many choose; he took a gap year.
“I took a risk and pursued the sport I loved by taking a gap year, in hope one of the big schools would come calling,” O’Neill said. “Fortunately, out of the blue, Yale came calling the next year and the rest is history.”
Some of that history will stay at Yale forever. When he graduated, the forward had played in 138 games, which tied the university’s record, and had scored the second most points in the program’s history.
O’Neill said that his time in college allowed him to gain much needed size and strength, but that it also took pressure off his hockey career.
“To be frank, I never envisioned a professional hockey career, which allowed me to play freely knowing I could always fall back on my education,” O’Neill said. “I think a lot of my success to this day can be attributed to that safety net.”
“Well I’m looking forward to having a successful Olympics on the ice. If I don’t come home with a medal, my family will never let me hear the end of it. Off the ice I am super excited about attending the opening ceremonies and wearing Ralph Lauren head to toe. However, I don’t have a beauty pageant caliber wave, so I am kind of nervous about that part.”
Brian O’Neill
For now, that net has not been entirely needed as the forward has put together a professional career. He signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings after his senior year and was assigned to play with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs in the 2014-15 season.
That year, O’Neill broke out offensively, leading the league with 58 assists and 80 points. Consequently, he was given the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s most valuable player. In the post-season O’Neill’s continued his tear on offense by tallying 10 goals and 20 points to help the Monarch’s dominate the league and capture the Calder Cup.
It was not until 2016 that he signed with Jokerit, the Finnish team that plays in Russia’s KHL. O’Neill feels that his experience in those leagues will help him in South Korea, especially since the NHL is not sending players and most of the competition will be from the KHL.
“The NHL is clearly the best league in the world,” O’Neill said. “The KHL is undoubtedly the second-best league in the world followed by the AHL. The Olympics, from a performance standpoint, will fall somewhere between the NHL and KHL. I feel comfortable at that level considering I am currently playing in the KHL and most of the players in the Olympics are as well.”
Since he was selected to be on the roster, O’Neill said that it has not really sunk in that he will be linked to the 2018 team for the rest of his life, but he did say that he feels extremely privileged and fortunate for the opportunity. He added that he does not see the Olympic stage as a place to showcase himself, rather that he just wants to win. However, it is not all business when it comes to what O’Neill is expecting.
“Well I’m looking forward to having a successful Olympics on the ice,” O’Neill said. “If I don’t come home with a medal, my family will never let me hear the end of it. Off the ice I am super excited about attending the opening ceremonies and wearing Ralph Lauren head to toe. However, I don’t have a beauty pageant caliber wave, so I am kind of nervous about that part.”
O’Neill grew up watching the Olympics, but he never dreamed of playing for Team USA, saying that it was “unfathomable.” The team will meet in South Korea in early February to begin official practices, but O’Neill said that coaches are already contacting players to help them mentally prepare.
Although his status has changed to “Olympian,” O’Neill remains level-headed. He sees himself as an inspiration, but not quite a role model.
“There are plenty of other individuals that would be higher up on that list,” O’Neill said. “That being said, I think local kids and the students at GA can look at my story for inspiration. I took a risk and pursued the sport I loved. My story seems romantic after looking back on it, but I honestly just worked really hard. [I was] definitely not the most talented athlete or student in the world, but I loved the process of getting better. That’s really all I have focused on since I was 16. Try to get a little better each day. Stay humble, work hard.”
Joseph Cicchino 