Patty Kazmaier winner Casey O'Brien enters Draft on the verge of achieving childhood dream

Wisconsin graduate Casey O’Brien is one of a handful of players with a legitimate chance to be taken first overall in this month’s PWHL Draft. When you look at all she’s accomplished on the ice over the last decade, it’s no shock why. In that time, she’s loaded her shelves with team and individual awards, and she hasn’t even made her pro debut.

She won a gold medal playing for the United States at the 2017 U18 Women’s World Championship. The following year, she was part of an American team that brought home silver at the same event.

She followed those impressive international performances with three NCAA Championship titles in five years playing for Wisconsin.

Instagram @casey_obrien / Via instagram.com

Her more personal achievements include being a three-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which is given to the top female college ice hockey player each year. She finally won the award at the end of this past season (and gave a great speech afterwards.)

What could possibly be left for her to achieve? Becoming a professional. For O’Brien, joining the PWHL is part of a dream that extends back to her childhood.

“When I was five or six, I had chalkboards in my room with years written on them, and they were Olympic years,” said O’Brien. “I knew from a young age I wanted to be an Olympian and play hockey.”

She was born in New York City, into a family of five that included older brothers Jack and Max. As many younger siblings do, O’Brien looked up to her older brothers and emulated their enjoyment of sports. She credits her older siblings for getting her into hockey and developing her competitive streak.

O’Brien’s parents, Erika and Jamie, were athletes. Erika played squash at Yale while Jamie ran track at Bates. They quickly realized their children’s athletic potential and decided to move the family to Milton, MA when O’Brien was 9.

The most transformative decision that O’Brien made early in her career was enrolling at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, the elite prep program in Minnesota.

“With all the big names that went there, like [Brianna] Decker, I was like, I need to go here. This place is my dream,” said O’Brien.

Though she initially applied to join the prep school in eighth grade, she ended up waiting until her sophomore year to attend. “I think it was good that I waited those two years because even when I went as a sophomore, I did get really homesick,” said O’Brien. “I adjusted, but it definitely took a bit. I think it was well worth it because I knew my dream was to get as good as I could at hockey, and Shattuck was the place to do it.”

Regular messages from home and trips to see games were the main ways in which her family supported her in those years. To this day, O’Brien remains close with her family. Her parents attended nearly every Wisconsin game last season. The ones they couldn’t be in person, they watched online.

Ultimately, O’Brien made her name at Wisconsin, winning national championships and developing into a very dangerous player on the ice. “Knowing how talented every single player on the team was, I was just trying to be a sponge and learn as much as I could,” O’Brien explained. “Without Wisconsin, without the teammates that I had … I don’t think I would be anywhere near the player I am today … that’s where I really rounded out my game and learned that being a 200-foot center is more valuable than just offense.”

The talented forward is a student of the game, eagerly taking inspiration from a variety of sources. As a smaller player herself, the 5’ 4” O’Brien looked up to stars like Martin St. Louis, back-to-back Walter Cup winner Kendall Coyne Schofield and the late Johnny Gaudreau because of their ability to turn a disadvantage into something great.

She prides herself on learning from a variety of players and taking bits and pieces from all over to add to her game.

“I’m always looking for ways to grow my game and get better in different areas,” said O’Brien. “I don’t think that comes from watching one or two players, I think you have to watch women, watch men, watch every type of player and try to learn as much as you can.”

Her talents make her an elite offensive player with a high hockey IQ. In 182 games with Wisconsin, O'Brien scored 97 goals and added a whopping 177 assists. Needless to say, she's the Badgers' all-time leading scorer.

While her offensive abilities are undeniable, O’Brien is the definition of a two-way center who makes sure she takes care of her own zone.

The time she spent off the ice while attending Wisconsin was just as important as her time on the ice. She very fondly remembers the summers when the team would train early in the morning before hanging out and bonding for the rest of the day.

One unique quality of O’Brien’s is that she is an avid reader. She finds reading a much better way to unwind than doom-scrolling on a phone or watching TV.

“It’s my favorite thing after a game, regardless of how it went, especially when we are on the road,” said O’Brien. “Picking up my book and reading for an hour before bed totally relaxes me and gets me out of the adrenaline state.”

Once, she tried to convince her whole team at Wisconsin to read Fourth Wing, a popular fantasy book, while she was waiting for the release of its sequel, Onyx Storm. She noted that those she managed to convert enjoyed the experience.

Just like how she devours all things hockey, O’Brien’s love for books encompasses every genre from fantasy to mystery books and beyond. She eagerly accepts book recommendations from those around her and is happy to share her own in return.

While O’Brien was always certain about her future, the world of women’s hockey didn’t always have the answers she was looking for. It wasn’t until the advent of the PWHL several years ago that O’Brien found clarity in her path.

“When I was younger, I was like, OK, there isn’t really a women’s league, so I’ll play in the NHL, being a naive kid,” said O’Brien. “So, the PWHL becoming a thing finally, and it being an opportunity to make my living and play after college in pursuit of the Olympics is the most special thing.”

With the draft less than two weeks away, O’Brien is excited to see where she will end up as she moves on from NCAA hockey.

“I want to win, that’s my goal. I want to do whatever I can, play whatever role to help my team win,” she said. “My intention is not just to play hockey, wherever I’m going, I want to be a big part of the community, I want to make an impact off the ice as well.”