TORONTO, CANADA - FEBRUARY 29: Liam O'Brien #38 of the Arizona Coyotes skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 29, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Coyotes 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Hockey fan favorite Liam O’Brien announced the birth of his daughter on Instagram this week.
O’Brien’s wife, Adela, gave birth to the couple’s first child on Tuesday.
View this post on Instagram
It didn’t take long for Utah hockey fans to fall in love with O’Brien.
At the NHL Welcome Party in Delta Center, he made an introduction that won’t be soon forgotten by the people of Utah.
O’Brien introduced himself with his nickname “Spicy Tuna” and got a great reaction from the Salt Lake crowd.
I think Liam O’Brien is in the early lead for Utah’s favorite player.#NHL #NHLinUtah #SpicyTuna @KSLSports pic.twitter.com/20YfLcVwmn
— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_TV) April 25, 2024
Prior to the move to Utah, O’Brien spent three seasons as a member of the Arizona Coyotes.
O’Brien found his groove with the Yotes. He played 170 games across three seasons in Arizona compared to just 29 total games in the four seasons before that.
Known as an enforcer, O’Brien recorded 28 points over the past three seasons with 10 goals and 18 assists.
LIAM O’BRIEN OUT OF MID-AIR! pic.twitter.com/E6BquDoGdS
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) April 14, 2023
O’Brien is now an unrestricted free agent but based on his reception in Utah, it’s likely the team will be eager to ink him a new deal.
The 2024-25 NHL season is set to begin on Friday, October 4.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
