 On December 20, 2009, O'Brien scored his first goal in 102 regular-season games in a 3–1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.Later in the season, on March 30, 2010, head coach Alain Vigneault announced that O'Brien would sit out the next three games for disciplinary reasons.According to the Team 1040, a local sports radio station, O'Brien showed up late for the previous Monday's practice.