Utah’s Liam O’Brien out four weeks with lower-body injury

The Utah Hockey Club will be without forward Liam O’Brien for the next four weeks after the enforcer suffered a lower-body injury, Utah head coach Andre Tourigny confirmed Sunday per Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Facing the Seattle Kraken on Friday, O’Brien exited early into the third period and did not return after sustaining the injury. On the season, O’Brien has made 27 appearances with Utah in which he has recorded two assists and 50 penalty minutes. O’Brien also ranks ninth league-wide with six major penalty minutes in 2024-25.

A veteran of 226 career contests counting stops with the Washington Capitals, Colorado Avalanche, the former Arizona Coyotes, and Utah, O’Brien has notched 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 career points coupled with 491 penalty minutes. With the Coyotes last season, O’Brien set career highs in all major categories including five goals, nine assists, 14 points, and 153 penalty minutes coming in 75 games.

A QMJHL graduate who completed four seasons from 2010-14, including a pair with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies where he played under Tourigny, the 30-year-old Halifax, N.S., native originally signed with the Capitals in 2014 as an undrafted free agent.

Last June, Utah signed O’Brien to a three-year extension that carries a $1-million annual average value, per PuckPedia.

In O’Brien’s absence, Tourigny confirmed that veteran forward Nick Bjugstad will enter the lineup. Through 53 appearances with Utah this season, the 32-year-old Minneapolis, Minn., native has notched five goals and 10 assists for 15 points coupled with 12 penalty minutes and a minus-nine rating. On Friday, Bjugstad was activated from the injured reserve after missing the past four games due to an upper-body ailment.

On the season, Utah sits 29-26-11 and four points back of the Vancouver Canucks for the second wildcard seed in the Western Conference. Utah and Vancouver face off Sunday in British Columbia.