Suffolk

Flip through the record books of the Suffolk University men’s ice hockey program, and it’s easy to see why Sean O’Driscoll is considered one of the most gifted all-around players ever to perform on the ice for the blue-and-gold. 

While he could more than hold his own defensively, O’Driscoll’s forte was on the offensive end.  Blessed with both speed and strength, he played both the right wing and center positions and could normally be found in the middle of the action. 

“Sean was a natural and one of the best players I’ve ever coached,” said his coach at the time, Bill Burns. “He had a very high hockey IQ and was always three or four steps ahead of everyone else.” 

O’Driscoll finished his prolific Suffolk career with 175 points – 73 goals (fourth on the all-time list) and 102 assists (third-highest total ever).  He was a dual threat with the puck on his stick, able to score on his patented quick wrist shot or set up teammates with an assortment of accurate passes. 

As a sophomore, O’Driscoll was a key member of a Suffolk team that compiled an overall record of 22-5, the most wins in school history, and a finalist in the ECAC Division III North Tournament.  One of the highlights of the season was the Rams capturing the Chowder Cup Tournament, defeating Bentley College and Tufts University. 

Suffolk was the most explosive offensive squad in ECAC play during that super season with 175 goals scored.  Center Brian Horan – with a nation’s best 104 points – and forwards Brian Gruning (59 points) and O’Driscoll (53 points) were the top three scorers in the division.  

“We were fortunate to have some very skilled players, but skilled players alone don’t win games,” said O’Driscoll, a two-time ECAC all-conference selection.  “Everyone fulfilled their role, contributed and focused on the end result – playing and winning as a team.” 

That memorable 1990-91 team was inducted into the inaugural Suffolk Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, and now O’Driscoll joins his former teammates, Horan and Gruning, as inductees based on their own individual skills and accomplishments. 

O’Driscoll is the Country Head and CFO of a global asset management company in Luxembourg, the largest financial center in Europe.  He lives in Belgium with his wife, Michele, and their four children – Abigail (14), Alicia (12), Aberdeen (9) and Aaron (5).