The CBC did a great story on him on The Fifth Estate a couple of years back and let the world know how absolutely horrible his life was.
To make a long story very short, his father would beat him when he "under-performed" on the ice and controlled every aspect of his life, perhaps only letting Patty make bathroom time decisions. John O'Sullivan, his father, is a poor excuse for a human being and epitomises all that is horrible about hockey parents. Patrick was finally offered his freedom after he charged his father with assault and was granted a restraining order.
At draft day in '03, John appeared in Nashville inside the Gaylord Entertainment center since the restraining order had no power in Tennessee but was chagrined to find two NHL-hired bodygaurds with Patrick.
Hockey GM's were obviously concerned that Patty was damaged goods since he fell from a possible top-ten pick in the '03 (an amazing feat if it happened) to 56th overall. I screamed at the TV for a good couple of hours after the sixth pick.
Since moving to Mississauga, I've seen some talent come through this town with Schremp and Spezza, but I have never been more impressed with them than I was with O'Sullivan. Yes all three have offensive wizardry in their blood, but O'Sullivan has character in spades (something that I wish Schremp had had even a speck of in his time here) and is a true warrior; the team was a laughing-stock but he hung in there and made his time count (something else that I wish Schremp and Spezza had done here).
I have always been a fan of O'Sullivan, and no other prospects development interests me or pleases me more than Sully's. This kid has gone through more hell than most people in North America do and has come out as a better person.
The Wild got themselves something real special in '03 and will make every single team in the NHL regret passing him up (except for Detroit and Toronto of course which had traded picks away in the 1st).
