The 27-year-old center most recently iced with Glasgow Clan this season, making 15 appearances in the regular season and scoring one goal.
Quinn is also a graduate of the University of Ottawa, where he was the captain and teammate of former GeeGees and now Stars, Michael Poirier and Connor Sills.
In 2020, their final year with the GeeGees programme, the trio reached the national championships but would have their hopes of ending their college careers on a high, scuppered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Standing at six-foot-four-inches tall and weighing in at 216lbs, O’Brien will add size to the Stars offensive ranks and leadership on the ice.
Quinn has been both an alternate captain and captain in the Quebec Major Junior League and a vice-captain for three years in Ottawa, before wearing the ‘C’ in his senior year.
The Campbell’s Bay, Quebec native has previously played for Gatineua L’Intrepide (QMAAA), Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL), Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL) and the University of Ottawa (USports).
Discussing his latest addition, Stars Head Coach and GM, Omar Pacha said: “Since the start of the year we have been struggling to stay healthy, so adding Quinn will give us some extra depth to help us with this final stretch of the last 30 or so games.
“It will be important to have full line-ups and an extra guy.
“Quinn is a big and strong, power-forward with good size and speed, who can also block shots and play well defensively and be physical.
“He can add something different to our line-up for these next big games that are coming up and to get a player like him, late in the season is great and I felt like as a team, we needed to add a new player.”
Pacha then shared his expectations of his new forward, adding: “I expect him to be solid in our own end and to be physical.
“If he is used in the middle, then I am expecting him to be solid on face-offs and play on the penalty kill.
“Quinn was a leader at university and in the junior major leagues, so he will also bring that leadership to the dressing room too.”
When he became available this week after parting ways with Glasgow, it was not the first time the Stars boss had been interested in bringing O’Brien to Dundee, he revealed.
Omar commented: “I looked at Quinn before he joined the Clan and I know it did not work out the way he would have wanted in Glasgow, but here he is going to get an opportunity to play with a good group of guys.
“So, hopefully he does well and it is going to be a two-week trial but I am expecting him to stay longer if things go well.”
Quinn then shared his own delight to be joining the Stars organisation, saying: “I am super excited, this is a great opportunity for me to continue to prove myself and contribute to a good team, who are working together to make that playoff push.
“I have heard nothing but good things from Mike (Poirier) and Connor (Sills), so the way they talk so highly of the club and the city, made it an easy decision.
“I have had some great conversations with Omar too and he seems like a really nice guy and it was pretty clear to me that he had been looking for a bit for a guy like me to fill in and bring some physicality and defensive awareness to the line-up.”
The Canadian then continued: “To stay in the league is a big positive, as is getting another chance to showcase myself a little bit more because I did not get a lot of opportunities in Glasgow to do that from only playing a handful of games.
“So, I cannot wait to get started and start helping the team make that push, as well as seeing the city and getting to know the fans.”
In his 12-year career so far, O’Brien has played in 367 regular season games, scoring 83 points (47G, 36A), while recording 559 penalty minutes and across 61 playoff matches, 14 points (5G, 9A), with 43 penalty minutes.
Quinn is already in Dundee and will be available to play in Friday night’s massive Elite League home match against Belfast Giants. Get your tickets HERE.
You can also listen to Quinn’s full interview with Stephen Swann from Stars TV below!
All images: Al Goold.
