(October 12, 2011) After a year away, Mike O’Brien is back in the AHL. An STAA client, O’Brien has been named Communications Coordinator and Color Commentator for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He’ll work alongside veteran Penguins play-by-play voice Tom Grace.
“Everyone I talked to as I was interviewing for the job had nothing but unbelievable things to say about the Wilkes-Barre organization and the Pittsburgh [Penguins] organization as a whole,” O’Brien says.
This is not O’Brien’s first experience in the AHL. He spent three seasons between 2007 and 2010 as play-by-play broadcaster for the Lowell Devils.
“It is really easy to get forgotten in this league,” O’Brien says. “To be out of it for one year is tough, to be out of it longer than that would have made it even more difficult [to get back in].”
A 1999 graduate of Boston College, O’Brien got his start in minor league hockey broadcasting in 2003 with the Trenton Devils (now Trenton Titans). When he learned of the Penguins job, he emailed to the team his cover letter and the link to his STAA Talent Page. He believes his prior AHL experience helped him land the gig.
“I think it helped a lot in that both the New Jersey and Lowell organizations are very tight. They ran very disciplined organizations. You learn how to do things the right way and to be professional at all times.
“My goal is to make it to the NHL and the AHL is just one step below and is obviously a good place to be.”
(Visit Mike’s STAA Talent Page).