Utah HC signs forward Liam O’Brien to three-year contract extension
The Utah Hockey Club has signed forward Liam O’Brien to a three-year contract extension, the club announced Wednesday morning.
O’Brien, 29, appeared in 75 games with the Arizona Coyotes during the 2023-24 regular season, racking up five goals, 14 points, and 153 penalty minutes — all career bests.
Jordan Schmaltz, the older brother of Utah forward Nick Schmaltz, first reported the news of O’Brien’s new contract on Tuesday evening. The club confirmed the news less than 24 hours later.
According to The Athletic‘s Chris Johnston, O’Brien’s new contract with Utah carries a $1 million cap hit.
Spicy Tuna is here to stay 🔥
We have signed @OfficialBigTuna to a 3-year contract! #UtahHC https://t.co/NW6wAaMpK9 pic.twitter.com/umbPkALi1u
“We are very pleased to sign Liam to a three-year contract,” Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said in a club release. “He adds energy, grit and physical presence to the line-up every night that will greatly complement the excitement we expect from Utah hockey fans, especially in our inaugural season. We look forward to having Liam on our roster for the next several seasons.”
O’Brien has long been a favorite of Utah head coach André Tourigny, who first crossed paths with the Halifax, Nova Scotia-born enforcer during their days with the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
After coaching O’Brien for parts of two seasons in Rouyn-Noranda, Tourigny left to join the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach. Nearly a decade later, the two reunited in Arizona; O’Brien signed with the Coyotes in 2021, the same year Tourigny replaced Rick Tocchet as the club’s head coach.
O’Brien’s role has increased with each passing season he has played under Tourigny in the NHL. After initially signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Coyotes for the 2021-22 season, O’Brien re-upped with the club on a two-year, one-way deal; now, he’s earning $1 million per season for the first time in his NHL career.
An undrafted player, O’Brien signed his first professional contract with the Washington Capitals in 2014 and appeared in his first 17 NHL games over parts of three seasons with the team. He joined the Colorado Avalanche organization in 2021 and dressed for 12 more games with them before signing with the Coyotes.
Through 199 career NHL games over parts of seven NHL seasons with the Capitals, Avalanche, and Coyotes, O’Brien — nicknamed “Spicy Tuna” — has collected 11 goals, 33 points, and 441 penalty minutes. The 6’1″, 213-pound forward has yet to appear in a Stanley Cup Playoff game.
With O’Brien now signed, Utah now has 10 unrestricted free agents remaining to deal with this summer: Travis Boyd, Josh Brown, Travis Dermott, John Leonard, Nathan Smith, Justin Kirkland, Ryan McGregor, Travis Barron, Cam Crotty, and Steven Kampfer. The team also has nine RFAs to sign or non-tender: Barrett Hayton, J.J. Moser, Sean Durzi, Michael Kesselring, Juuso Valimaki, Victor Soderstrom, Jan Jenik, Curtis Douglas, and Milos Kelemen.