| Round | Overall |
| 2 | 14 |
 |
 |
Left-hand shot
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1967-68 | Cobourg | OHA Jr. B | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1968-69 | St. Catharines | OHA | 52 | 1 | 19 | 20 | 235 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Led OHA with 235 penalty minutes for St. Catharines in 1968-69.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | 1969 |
| Debut: | November 11, 1970 (Minnesota vs. Los Angeles) |
| Final NHL game: | October 20, 1979 (Boston vs. Los Angeles) |
| Retired: | 1980 |
| Stanley Cup: | Never won |
| Numbers worn: | 5 (Minnesota); 7 (Colorado); 3 (Cleveland); 28 (Boston) |
Career NHL Statistics
Teams: Minnesota,
Colorado, Cleveland, Boston
Years: 1970-1979. Playoffs: 1970-1976
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 10 years | 592 | 31 | 91 | 122 | 1,017 |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 5 years | 34 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 101 |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Career Highlights
Set CHL record (since broken) and led league with 331 penalty minutes for Iowa in 1969-70. ... Led Minnesota with 166 penalty minutes in 1973-74. ... Set Minnesota record (since broken) and led team with career-high 187 penalty minutes in 1975-76. ... Led Minnesota with 114 penalty minutes in 1976-77. ... Led Minnesota defensemen in goals (6) and points (24) in 1976-77. ... Became first player in NHL history to play for four different teams in same season when he played for Minnesota (13 games), Colorado (16), Cleveland (23) and Boston (18) in 1977-78. Only one other player (Dave McLlwain) has played for four NHL teams in the same season. ... Played for Boston in 1978 Stanley Cup Finals.
Transaction History
Dec. 2, 1977 -- Claimed by Colorado off waivers from Minnesota. Jan. 12, 1978 -- Traded by Colorado to Cleveland in exchange for Mike Christie. March 10, 1978 -- Claimed by Boston off waivers from Cleveland. June 13, 1979 -- Left unprotected by Boston for 1979 NHL Expansion Draft, but was reclaimed as fill-in after Bill Bennett was chosen off Boston roster.
Significant Injuries
Missed parts of 1974-75 season with torn ligaments in knee and broken thumb.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Dennis
Francis O'Brien
Nickname: "Obie"
Other Post-Draft Teams: Iowa (CHL); Cleveland (AHL); Rochester (AHL); Binghamton (AHL)
Coaching Career: Served as
Port Hope (OPJHL) assistant coach in 2002-03.
Family: Uncle of NHL player Shane
O'Brien.
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by New England Whalers in 1972 WHA Draft, the first WHA Draft, February 1972. | Worked as an instructor at hockey schools during off-seasons of his playing days. | Scored his first NHL goal for Minnesota against Glenn Hall at St. Louis on Nov. 17, 1970. | Was youngest player to make Minnesota roster out of training camp at age 22 in 1971. |
| SNAPSHOT '69 | |
| Total Selected: | 84 |
| Forwards: | 58 |
| Defense: | 18 |
| Goaltenders: | 8 |
| Major Junior: | 68 |
| College Players: | 8 |
| Canadian: | 78 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 1 |
| American: | 4 |
| European: | 1 |
| Reached NHL: | 49 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 10 |
| Hall of Fame: | 1 |
| All-Star Game: | 7 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 1 |
| Olympians: | 2 |
| Picks Traded: | 11 |
| 1969 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Chicago | Detroit |
| Los Angeles | Minnesota | Montreal |
| New York | Oakland | Philadelphia |
| Pittsburgh | St. Louis | Toronto |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1969