Brandon Saad
Brandon Saad (born October 27, 1992)[1] is an American professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Saad was raised in Pittsburgh and attended Pine-Richland High School.
| Brandon Saad | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Saad with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2014 | |||
| Born | October 27, 1992 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 202 lb (92 kg; 14 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams | St. Louis Blues Chicago Blackhawks Columbus Blue Jackets Colorado Avalanche | ||
| NHL Draft | 43rd overall, 2011 Chicago Blackhawks | ||
| Playing career | 2011–present | ||
Saad was drafted in the second round, 43rd overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. The Blackhawks traded Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets before the 2015–16 NHL season. He played in Columbus for two seasons before the Blackhawks reacquired him in another trade before the 2017–18 NHL season.[2] Saad was traded to the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the 2020–21 NHL season.[3]
Playing career
As a youth, Saad played in the 2005 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Pittsburgh Hornets minor ice hockey team.[4]
Amateur
In the 2008–09 season Brandon played for the Mahoning Valley Phantoms to start his amateur ice hockey career. In the 2009–10 season, Saad played within the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in the United States Hockey League (USHL), finishing the season with the most goals (12) and points (26) on the team. He would then transfer to the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) for the 2010–11 season to play at the major junior level with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). At the end of the season, Saad was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round, 43rd overall, of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.[citation needed]
Professional
Chicago Blackhawks
On October 4, 2011, the Chicago Blackhawks signed Saad to a three-year, entry-level contract.[5] It was announced that he would start the season with the Blackhawks, making him the lowest-selected Chicago draft pick, at 43rd overall, to start with the Blackhawks in their draft year since defenceman Lasse Kukkonen (drafted 151st overall) in the 2003–04 season.[6] Saad later made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks on October 7, 2011, against the Dallas Stars, though he was quickly reassigned to Saginaw five days later, on October 12.[7]
After his return to the Spirit, Saad was named CHL Player of the Week for October 17 to October 23.[8] Following the trade of Saginaw team captain Ryan O'Connor to the Barrie Colts, Saad was named his replacement as captain for the remainder of the 2011–12 season,[9] finishing the year with an OHL-best 1.73 points-per-game average.[10]
Following the conclusion of the OHL season, Saad was recalled to the Blackhawks on April 16, 2012, making his Stanley Cup playoff debut on April 19, 2012.[11] He scored his first NHL point two nights later on April 21 with an assist on a goal by defenceman Nick Leddy against the Phoenix Coyotes, an eventual 2–1 win for Chicago.[12]
On September 15, 2012, Chicago assigned Saad to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) in anticipation of the 2012–13 NHL lockout.[13] He was named CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period of January 7–13, 2013, after scoring six points in just three games, including two game-winning goals.[14] On January 17, 2013, after the lockout was resolved, the Blackhawks included Saad on the team's starting roster for the shortened, 48-game 2012–13 season.[15] Saad scored his first career NHL goal on February 5 against Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks.[16] On February 22, Saad then scored a game-winning, short-handed goal against the Sharks to secure an NHL-record 17th straight game with at least one point to start a season for the 2012–13 Blackhawks, breaking the previous record of 16-straight games held by the 2006–07 Anaheim Ducks.[17] On May 6, Saad was named as a finalist for the 2013 Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie of the year, an award which ultimately went to the Florida Panthers' Jonathan Huberdeau.[18] On June 24, during the 2013 playoffs, Saad and the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Eastern Conference-winning Boston Bruins in six games in the Finals. Saad would tally six points throughout the Blackhawks' playoff run-a goal and five assists.[citation needed]
During the 2014–15 season, Saad tallied a career-high 23 goals and 29 assists for 52 points. He added eight more goals in the 2015 playoffs, including two game-winners and one short-handed goal, while also recording three assists. On June 15, 2015, Saad won his second Stanley Cup championship with Chicago as the Blackhawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the Finals. During the 2015 playoffs, Saad scored eight goals and had three assists. He scored the game-winning goal in Game 4 of the Final, assisted by Patrick Kane.[19]
Columbus Blue Jackets
On June 30, 2015, Chicago traded Saad's negotiation rights as a pending restricted free agent, along with prospects Alex Broadhurst and Michael Paliotta, to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Jeremy Morin, Marko Daňo, Artem Anisimov, Corey Tropp and a fourth-round draft pick in 2016.[20] On July 3, Saad signed a six-year contract extension with the Blue Jackets worth $36 million.[21]
During the 2015–16 season, Saad was selected to his first All-Star Game. On April 2, 2016, Saad scored his first NHL hat trick in a 5–1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.[22]
Return to Chicago
On June 23, 2017, Saad returned to the Chicago Blackhawks along with Anton Forsberg and a fifth-round draft pick in 2018 via a trade from the Blue Jackets in exchange for Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte and a sixth-round draft pick in 2017.[23] Saad began the 2017–18 season in style in his return to the Blackhawks by recording a hat-trick against the Pittsburgh Penguins en route to a 10–1 opening night victory.[24]
Colorado Avalanche
On October 10, 2020, the Blackhawks traded Saad away for a second time in his career, along with Dennis Gilbert, to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm. As a part of the transaction the Blackhawks retained $1 million of his $6 million salary for the remaining year of his contract.[3]
St. Louis Blues
As a free agent, Saad was signed to a five-year, $22.5 million contract by the Avalanche's divisional rival, the St. Louis Blues, on July 29, 2021.[25]
Family
Saad is the son of a Syrian father, George Sr., and an American mother, Sandy.[26][27] His father immigrated to America at the age of 18 and also aims to bring his relatives still living in Syria over to America, to avoid the threats of the Syrian civil war.[28][29]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2008–09 | Mahoning Valley Phantoms | NAHL | 47 | 29 | 18 | 47 | 48 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 24 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 39 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | 59 | 27 | 28 | 55 | 47 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 10 | ||
| 2011–12 | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | 44 | 34 | 42 | 76 | 38 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 31 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 46 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 12 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2013–14 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 78 | 19 | 28 | 47 | 20 | 19 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 6 | ||
| 2014–15 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 23 | 29 | 52 | 12 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 6 | ||
| 2015–16 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 78 | 31 | 22 | 53 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 82 | 24 | 29 | 53 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 18 | 17 | 35 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 80 | 23 | 24 | 47 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 58 | 21 | 12 | 33 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 44 | 15 | 9 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 12 | ||
| 2021–22 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 78 | 24 | 25 | 49 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 710 | 208 | 212 | 420 | 130 | 103 | 27 | 28 | 55 | 34 | ||||
International
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing the United States | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| IIHF U18 Championships | ||
| 2010 Belarus | ||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | United States | U17 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2010 | United States | U18 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2012 | United States | WJC | 7th | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Team North America | WCH | 5th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 20 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 6 | ||||
| Senior totals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NAHL | ||
| First All-Star Team | 2008–09 | |
| Rookie of the Year | 2008–09 | [30] |
| OHL | ||
| First All-Star Team | 2011–12 | [31] |
| William Hanley Trophy – (Most Sportsmanlike Player) | 2011–12 | [32] |
| AHL | ||
| CCM/AHL Player of the Week (Jan. 13) | 2012–13 | [33] |
| NHL | ||
| All-Rookie Team | 2012–13 | [34] |
| Stanley Cup (Chicago Blackhawks) | 2013, 2015 | |
| NHL All-Star | 2016 | [35] |
| International | ||
| World U-17 Hockey Challenge – Tournament All-Star Team | 2009 | [36] |
References
- ^ Highly-touted Pittsburgh kid Brandon Saad discusses his NHL dream | Hockey Independent May 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Artemi Panarin traded to Blue Jackets by Blackhawks for Brandon Saad". NHL.com. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ^ a b "Colorado Avalanche get Brandon Saad in 4-player trade with Chicago Blackhawks". ESPN. October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
- ^ Myers, Tracey. "Saad inks deal with Hawks, will start Friday". Comcast Sportsnet Chicago. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- ^ Rogers, Jesse (October 4, 2011). "Chicago Blackhawks sign Brandon Saad". ESPN Chicago. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- ^ Myers, Tracey. "Saad assigned to Saginaw". Comcast Sportsnet Chicago. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
- ^ "Generals' Christian Thomas Named CHL Player of the Week". Ontario Hockey League. December 6, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
- ^ Austin, Kyle (January 17, 2012). "Brandon Saad named Saginaw Spirit captain". The Saginaw News. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
- ^ Austin, Kyle (April 17, 2012). "Chicago Blackhawks recall Saginaw Spirit forward Brandon Saad". MLive.com. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
- ^ "Blackhawks recall six". Chicago Blackhawks. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^ "Chicago Blackhawks vs. Phoenix Coyotes - Boxscore - April 21, 2012". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
- ^ "Blackhawks make roster moves". ESPN.com. September 15, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ . American Hockey League. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
- ^ Kuc, Chris (January 17, 2013). "Blackhawks' roster set for season opener". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
- ^ "Chicago Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharks - Boxscore - February 5, 2013 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
- ^ "Blackhawks set NHL record for best start to season". ESPN.com/Associated Press. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
- ^ Compton, Bryan. "Brendan Gallagher, Jonathan Huberdeau, Brandon Saad named Calder finalists - NHL Awards". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ^ Lazerus, Mark (June 17, 2015). . Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
- ^ Peters, Chris (June 30, 2015). "Blackhawks trade Brandon Saad to Blue Jackets in 7-player deal". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ "Blue Jackets sign left wing Brandon Saad to six-year contract extension". Columbus Blue Jackets Official Website. July 3, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
- ^ "Brandon Saas records first hat-trick". National Hockey League. April 2, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
- ^ Lazerus, Mark (June 23, 2017). "Blackhawks deal Panarin for Saad; ship Hjalmarsson to Arizona". Chicago Sun-Times. from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ^ Skrbina, Paul (October 6, 2017). "Brandon Saad becomes second Blackhawks player to score hat trick in season opener". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^ "Saad signs five-year contract with Blues". St. Louis Blues. July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ John Burbridge (April 8, 2013). . nwitimes.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ^ "Saad, Brandon - NHL Entry Draft Prospect Profiles". National Hockey League. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ^ Rob McKenzie (April 13, 2014). "Blackhawks star Saad's story of coming to America a happy one". The National. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ^ Chris Kuc (May 24, 2015). "Family, hockey mean everything to Blackhawks' Brandon Saad". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ^ "Phantoms' Saad named NAHL Rookie of the Year". OurSportsCentral.com. April 1, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ "OHL Announces 2011-12 All-Star Teams". Ontario Hockey League. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ "Saad OHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player". Ontario Hockey League. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
- ^ "Brandon Saad named CCM/AHL Player of the Week". AHL Press Release/Rockford IceHogs. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
- ^ "Calder finalists head NHL's All-Rookie team". National Hockey League. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ^ "Brandon Saad selected to participate in 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game". National Hockey League. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
- ^ "U17's take bronze at World Challenge". North American Hockey League. May 6, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database