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Feb. 8, 2016

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Toby O’Brien Named President of Worcester Pro Hockey

WORCESTER, MA – Worcester Pro Hockey LLC announced today that Toby O’Brien has been named its critical success factors,” McKenna added. “He is an ideal choice and we very much look forward to working with him.”

A Massachusetts native, O’Brien is completing his 20th year in pro hockey. Beginning in 1996, he spent 10 years in leadership roles with the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs. During his time in Johnstown, O’Brien served as team president, general manager and head coach. In the same period, O’Brien served on the ECHL Board of Governors and as Chairman of the Rules Committee and a member of the Marketing Committee. He was named the 2004 ECHL Eastern Conference All-Star Game Head Coach. Under his leadership, the Johnstown Chiefs were named the 2004 ECHL Outstanding Organization of the Year and set an all-time win/loss record for pro hockey in Johnstown.

“Toby was very persistent in becoming my next general manager (for the Johnstown Chiefs). It’s the smartest thing I ever did,” said James Edwards, an ECHL Hall of of Fame inductee, the league’s former chairman of the board, and a long-time O’Brien mentor. “Toby has a great work ethic, great people skills, and pursues goals and objectives with a passion. I always tried to surround myself with people who were smarter than me. Toby was an excellent student. They made a very wise decision.”

Starting in 2006, O’Brien spent five years with the New York Islanders handling multiple personnel roles, including the oversight of minor league player personnel and AHL/ECHL affiliations. During his tenure, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (the club’s AHL affiliate) set a single-season points record and Utah (ECHL affiliate) advanced to the Western Conference Finals. O’Brien spent the next five years as a scout with the Buffalo Sabres in North America and Europe, and was responsible for organizing the team’s affiliation with the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals.

Other hockey highlights from O’Brien’s career include:

• Active USA Hockey national participant, including service as a member of the World Jr. Championships Selection Committee (Bronze Medal 2016), Coach of the 2005 USA Under 17 Five Nations Team (Gold Medal 2005), active national speaker for USA Hockey Coaching & Achievement Program
• Founding member (franchise owner) of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (now the USPHL) in the Northeast that has become the top producer of college hockey talent in the region and grown from five to 14 franchises since 1993

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