Zack Kassian

Lore & Background

Kassian was born in Windsor, Ontario, to parents Mike and Shirley Kassian. Though often mistaken for having Armenian heritage, he is not of Armenian descent. He has two older sisters and an older brother, Mike Jr. When he was eight, his father died of a heart attack; Kassian has recalled his father's role as having been filled by Mike Jr., who was nineteen at the time. He grew up attending Queen of Peace elementary school in Leamington, Ontario and first began playing organized hockey at age eight with the Kingsville Kings. As a youth, he was a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, though he listed his favourite players as Bobby Orr and Todd Bertuzzi.

Kassian debuted in major junior with the Peterborough Petes in 2007–08, recording two assists in his first OHL game and scoring his first OHL goal the following month. Over 58 games as a rookie, he had 9 goals and 21 points. The next season he improved to 24 goals and 63 points over 61 games, with a team-leading 136 penalty minutes and 13 fighting majors. He was chosen to play in three All-Star exhibitions, including the CHL Top Prospects Game, where he injured John Tavares with a hit. Leading up to the 2009 NHL entry draft, NHL Central Scouting Bureau's Chris Edwards heralded him as 'one of the toughest guys in the OHL and probably the entire draft,' while also highlighting his play-making and puck-handling abilities. He was compared to players such as Milan Lucic, Cam Neely, and Keith Tkachuk.

After being drafted by the Sabres, Kassian was returned to junior and later traded to the Windsor Spitfires. During the 2009–10 season, he received a 20-game suspension for a hit to the head of Barrie Colts forward Matt Kennedy. He returned in time for the playoffs, helping Windsor win the J. Ross Robertson Cup and the 2010 Memorial Cup. Following that win, he was arrested after an altercation at a bar in Downtown Windsor; the assault charge was dropped in exchange for 25 hours of community service, a $500 donation to charity, and payment for the victim's dental work. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres in November 2010. In his final junior season, he recorded a career-high 26 goals and 77 points over 56 games.

Reader's Guide

Kassian's NHL career began with the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him 13th overall in 2009. He made his NHL debut on November 25, 2011, recording his first point (an assist) against the Columbus Blue Jackets and scoring his first goal the following game against Tomáš Vokoun of the Washington Capitals. During his third call-up, minutes before the 2012 trade deadline, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks along with Marc-André Gragnani in exchange for Cody Hodgson and Alexander Sulzer. Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis acknowledged the trade as an effort to balance the team by giving up Hodgson's skill and finesse for Kassian's size and toughness. Analysts commented that while the Canucks gained elements required for playoff success, Hodgson's skill set reflected Vancouver's style of play.

Kassian played parts of four seasons with the Canucks before being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens in 2015. He never played for the Canadiens, however, as he was suspended for substance abuse issues and was moved to the Edmonton Oilers several months later. After seven seasons in Edmonton, he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes, spending one season there before retiring from NHL play during the 2023–24 season. Internationally, he competed with Canada's under-20 team at the 2011 World Junior Championships and won a silver medal. Listed at 211 lb, Kassian played in the style of a power forward and was known for playing with aggression and physicality. His career was marked by both on-ice toughness and off-ice incidents, including a suspension for substance abuse that prevented him from ever playing for the Canadiens.

Did You Know?

• He was selected 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2009 NHL entry draft.
• Kassian never played for the Montreal Canadiens after being traded there in 2015 due to a substance abuse suspension.