 Internationally O'Flaherty played for the United States at the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup.Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where his father, John "Peanuts" O'Flaherty, played for the Pittsburgh Hornets, O'Flaherty later moved to Toronto, Ontario where he played in the MTHL with the North York Rangers.He was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft and played a single year there before being claimed by the Vancouver Canucks during the Intra-League Draft.