Brandon Saad
Two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Brandon Saad is an American professional ice hockey winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL. Saad is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015.
Born on October 27, 1992, in Pittsburgh to a Syrian father, George Sr., and an American mother, Sandy, Saad grew up playing hockey in Pennsylvania. He played minor hockey for the Pittsburgh Hornets, where he set a program record with 54 goals and 124 points in one season with the U18 team, and also played for Pine-Richland High School. After turning down a spot with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program for the 2008–09 season, he was drafted by the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League but instead played that season with the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in the North American Hockey League. There, he was named NAHL Rookie of the Year and made the First All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team. He joined the NTDP for the 2009–10 season, recording 29 goals and 29 assists, then finally joined Saginaw for the 2010–11 OHL season, where he put up 27 goals and 28 assists. Despite being ranked as a potential first-round pick, he was selected in the second round, 43rd overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2011 NHL entry draft.
Saad signed a three-year entry-level contract with Chicago on October 4, 2011, and made his NHL debut on October 7 against the Dallas Stars. After two games, he was reassigned to Saginaw, where he immediately led the league with six goals and four assists over three games. He became a full-time Blackhawk in 2013 and won Stanley Cups with the team in 2013 and 2015. Before the 2015–16 season, Chicago traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he was named an NHL All-Star. After two seasons in Columbus, the Blackhawks reacquired him in another trade before the 2017–18 season. During his second stint with Chicago, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for one season, then signed with the St. Louis Blues. Halfway through the 2024–25 season, the Blues terminated his contract after he did not report to their AHL affiliate, and the Vegas Golden Knights signed him shortly after.
Internationally, Saad represented the United States in several junior tournaments and won a gold medal at the 2010 World U18 Championships.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1992-10-27
- Birth Place
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 1
- Weight Lb
- 202
- Position
- Winger
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- NHL
- Team
- Free agent
- Former Teams
- Chicago Blackhawks / Columbus Blue Jackets / Colorado Avalanche / St. Louis Blues / Vegas Golden Knights
- Draft
- 43rd overall
- Draft Team
- Chicago Blackhawks
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Saad grew up playing ice hockey in Pennsylvania, first with the Pittsburgh Hornets in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League and later at Pine-Richland High School. He turned down an opportunity to join the USA Hockey National Team Development Program for the 2008–09 season and instead played for the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in the North American Hockey League, where he was named Rookie of the Year. He joined the NTDP for the 2009–10 season before entering the Ontario Hockey League with the Saginaw Spirit in 2010–11. After being drafted by the Blackhawks in 2011, Saad signed an entry-level contract and made his NHL debut that October, though he was soon reassigned to Saginaw. He became a full-time Blackhawks roster member beginning in 2013 and won Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015. The Blackhawks traded Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets before the 2015–16 season, during which he was named an NHL All-Star. After two seasons in Columbus, the Blackhawks reacquired him in a trade before the 2017–18 season. During his second stint with Chicago, Saad was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for one season, then signed with the St. Louis Blues. Halfway through the 2024–25 season, the Blues terminated his contract after he did not report to their AHL affiliate; the Vegas Golden Knights signed him shortly afterward.
Reader's Guide
Brandon Saad's career is notable for his two Stanley Cup championships with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015, achieved during his first stint with the team. He was drafted in the second round, 43rd overall, in 2011, making him the lowest-selected Chicago draft pick to start with the Blackhawks in their draft year since Lasse Kukkonen in 2003–04. Saad's path to the NHL included time with the Saginaw Spirit, where he won the William Hanley Trophy as the OHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player and was named to the OHL First All-Star Team. He also represented the United States internationally, winning a gold medal at the 2010 World U18 Championships. After being traded away from Chicago and later reacquired, Saad's career took him through Columbus, Colorado, St. Louis, and most recently Vegas. His contract termination by the Blues for not reporting to their AHL affiliate and subsequent signing by the Golden Knights marked an unusual turn in his professional trajectory.
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