Drew O’Connor Bio
Drew James O’Connor (born June 9, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He began his career playing at the high school level in New Jersey before making his way to collegiate hockey at Dartmouth College, where he made a significant impact. After graduating, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins and made his NHL debut in 2021. Since then, O’Connor has continued to develop his skills, making his mark in both the American Hockey League (AHL) and NHL, and most recently, he signed a contract extension with the Canucks after being traded in early 2025.
Early Life and Background
O’Connor was born on June 9, 1998, in Chatham, New Jersey, to parents Shawn and Meagan O’Connor. As a toddler, he and his older brother Jack would skate every Saturday at a rink in Bayonne, New Jersey. He grew up with two sisters, Erin and McKenna. O’Connor represented his home state on various occasions, playing with the New Jersey Colonials minor ice hockey team and scoring the game-winning goal to clinch the 2011 USA 12U Hockey National Championship. In 2013, he began his high school career at the Delbarton School in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. However, as his ice time declined, he joined the North Jersey Avalanche in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League following his junior year. Although he helped them win the T1EHL Championship, O’Connor did not originally receive any hockey scholarships to play collegiate ice hockey. After taking part in a summer showcase in July and performing well, he was accepted into Dartmouth College but was recommended to spend a year of junior hockey with the Boston Junior Bruins of the National Collegiate Development Conference in the United States Premier Hockey League.
Path to Hockey
O’Connor had a successful career with the Dartmouth Big Green men’s ice hockey team from 2018 to 2020. After finishing his freshman season with 17 goals and 28 points, he became the only rookie to earn a spot on either the first or second All-Ivy League Team. His goal and points totals also tied numerous program and league records. His goal total was ranked second among all first-year players in Division I in 2018–19 and third among all freshmen in program history. His 26 points were second on the team and were the most by a Big Green rookie since Matt Lindblad’s 28 in 2010–11. When he returned to the Big Green for his sophomore season, he broke his previous season’s records. O’Connor became the first Dartmouth player since Scott Fleming in 2009–10 to reach 20 goals and the first Dartmouth player to lead the league in conference goals in 40 years. He also became the fourth player in Dartmouth history to be named the Ivy League Player of the Year and the eighth Dartmouth player to earn a selection onto the ECAC First Team. O’Connor also became the first Dartmouth player to be recognized by the New England Hockey Writers Association as an All-New England All-Star since 2006–07.
Drew O’Connor Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, O’Connor signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had also been heavily recruited by the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and Anaheim Ducks. As the NHL paused play due to the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Connor was loaned to the Manglerud Star Ishockey in the GET, where he tallied six goals and four assists through seven games before reporting to the Penguins’ training camp in advance of the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season. After attending the Penguins’ training camp, O’Connor was assigned to their Taxi Squad to begin the season. He was recalled to the NHL on January 26 after Evan Rodrigues was injured in the previous game against the New York Rangers. O’Connor subsequently made his NHL debut that night in a 3–2 win over the Boston Bruins, tallying his first NHL assist in 10:51 minutes of ice time while also seeing time on the second power-play unit.
Breakthrough (2021–2023)
O’Connor played three more games for the Penguins before getting reassigned to the taxi squad. He made an immediate impact in the AHL by scoring his first professional goal in his first game in the AHL to lead the Penguins to a 6–3 win over the Binghamton Devils. He finished the AHL regular season with seven goals and 12 assists through 20 games but proved less successful at the NHL level, accumulating only one assist in 10 NHL games. During the 2021 offseason, O’Connor made numerous dietary changes and worked on putting on more weight in the gym and getting faster. After impressing at the Penguins 2021 training camp, O’Connor made their opening night roster ahead of the 2021–22 season. He scored his first career NHL goal on October 16, 2021, leading the Penguins to a 5–2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. O’Connor continued to split the season between the NHL and AHL, finishing the AHL regular season with a career-high 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points.
Notable Works and Milestones
O’Connor made his postseason debut with the Penguins during Game 2 of their Eastern First Round series against the New York Rangers. He recorded one hit and one blocked shot in 6:33 minutes of ice time. Although he impressed the Penguins coaching staff during the 2023 training camp and preseason, salary cap constraints forced him to open the 2022-23 season with the WBS Penguins. After a series of performances, O’Connor was recalled to the NHL level multiple times throughout the season. He was selected for the United States men’s national ice hockey team to compete at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, where he tallied three goals and five assists for eight points through 10 games played. Upon concluding the championship, O’Connor re-enrolled in Dartmouth to finish his Bachelor’s degree in sociology and graduated on September 7, 2023. Ahead of the 2023–24 season, the Penguins signed O’Connor to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $925,000.
Drew O’Connor Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Drew O’Connor has received recognition for his performances, particularly during his collegiate career at Dartmouth College, where he earned multiple accolades.
Drew O’Connor Awards Won
O’Connor has achieved significant milestones in his career, including being named the Ivy League Player of the Year and earning selections onto the ECAC First Team and the All-New England All-Star team.