Above Image: Seattle Kraken 2025 1st round selection Jake O’Brien, on the night of the NHL Draft. At the left of the image is filmmaker and Kraken investor Jerry Bruckheimer. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is on the right.
As the Seattle Kraken prepare for the 2026 NHL Draft, previous draftees are advancing to the next step in their development.
“If they do not make the Kraken roster,” writes Andrew John of The Desert Sun, “rookies Jake O’Brien, Nathan Villeneuve and Julius Miettinen will join the Firebirds with a hefty amount of anticipation.
“O’Brien, 19, was the 8th overall selection in the 2025 NHL entry draft. Villenevue, 20, and Miettinen, 20, were selected in the 2nd round in 2024. Alexis Bernier, who’ll turn 20 before the start of the season, is expected to (also) join the Firebirds.”
Next Stop For Kraken Draftees: Coachella Valley
O’Brien has already had a taste of the AHL, joining the Firebirds after the conclusion of his third season in the Ontario Hockey League. “It’s a good experience coming here,” he said in an exit interview. “It’s obviously a great facility. The fans were great when I played here for those (four) games.
“I got my feet wet, trying to get (the coaches) to trust me. I’ve obviously got a lot to work on the defensive side of things. It’s a lot faster, so I know what I need to work on this summer, getting faster, getting stronger.”
O’Brien isn’t the first Kraken prospect to notice the pace of the pro game. Defenseman Tyson Jugnauth, a 4th round Kraken draft pick in 2022, just concluded his rookie season on the Firebirds blueline. Jugnauth appeared in all 72 regular season games, scoring nine goals and 36 assists.
Jugnauth’s One Word For AHL Hockey: ‘Intense’
“A lot of us have played playoffs in junior hockey and college hockey, but it’s not the same as pro. I think we realized how intense it is. Learning the ins and outs, how different teams play, and how to manage minutes.”
Jugnauth’s self-scouting report acknowledged the size and skill of opponents. “You’re never satisfied with where you’re at, and next year I’m hoping to come back and be better than I was this year. Guys at this level are a lot bigger, harder to push off the box, and that’s gonna be a big thing for me.
“Having a harder shot, becoming a better skater, too. I think I’m a pretty fluid skater, but I want to become more explosive and be able to beat guys more one-on-one with my skating next year.”
The 6-foot-0, 183 pound Toronto native also likes having Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert as his home rink. “Fans are great. I’ve been playing a lot of different rinks across the AHL, and I don’t think I’ve seen fans better than ours. That’s huge for our group here.”
A group which will include newcomers O’Brien, Villeneuve, Miettinen and Bernier this fall.
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