Utah Hockey mourns alumnus Patrick O’Donnell

August 25, 2025
Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah Hockey is heartbroken to report Men’s Division 2 Alumnus Patrick O’Donnell, of San Diego, California, passed away this last weekend on August 23, 2025.
Born on July 5, 2002, Patrick grew up playing hockey and spent almost 15 seasons playing for the San Diego Junior Gulls organization.
O’Donnell attended Pacific Ridge High School, where he played the last two seasons with both the Division 1 and Division 2 teams.
During his senior year, the Firebirds joined the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) prep division and skated their way to the championship.
Patrick signed with Utah on July 21, 2021 and played with the Utes until being diagnosed with Glioblastoma just prior to the 2022 season.
During his fight with this vicious disease he endured various treatments to fight his diagnosis and even returned to the University of Utah part time to finish his college degree.
He was honored in 2024 with the End Brain Cancer Initiative’s National HOPE Award at University of California San Diego Health’s Sanford Stem Cell Institute for demonstrating hope and determination in the face of his diagnosis.
Patrick was a fantastic teammate and always put others before himself.
He will be forever in our hearts.