From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013
looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their
Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 20 looks at rookie winger Brandon Saad.
Brandon Saad was born on October 27th, 1992, in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. He began playing in the MWEHL with the Pittsburgh Hornets at the age of fifteen in the 2007-2008 season. In twenty-six games, he had eleven goals and nineteen assists. He joined the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the North American Hockey League for the 2008-2009 season, scoring twenty-nine goals and eighteen assists in forty-seven games. For his performance that season, he was named a First Team All-Star and Rookie of the Year in the NAHL. Saad then played for the United States National Team Development Program in a World U17 tournament, scoring six goals and five assists in seven games, earning him a spot on the Tournament All-Star team. He remained in the development program in 2009-2010, playing for their team in the United States Hockey League, where he posted twelve goals and fourteen assists in twenty-four games, leading the USHL in goals and points. In another thirty-nine U18 games with the Program, Saad recorded seventeen goals and fifteen assists. He was named to the U18 National team to play in the World U18 Championships, where the United States won the gold medal. Saad contributed three goals and three assists in seven games. Saad joined the junior ranks in 2010-2011, playing with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League in fifty-nine games, scoring at a pace of twenty-seven goals and twenty-eight assists. In the playoffs, he supplied another three goals and nine assists in twelve games. Saad was drafted in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft as a second round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks. Saad returned to Saginaw in 2011-2012, appearing in forty-four games while putting up monster numbers of thirty-four goals and forty-two assists. In the playoffs, he played in twelve games with eight goals and nine assists. For his performance in the OHL, Saad was named First Team All-Star and received the William Hanley Trophy for most sportsmanlike player. He also earned a late-season promotion to the Blackhawks, and went without a point in two regular season games. In the playoffs, he played in two more games and had a single assist. Due to the lockout in 2012, Saad was assigned to play in the American Hockey League with the Rockford IceHogs, the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate. Here he had eight goals and twelve assists in thirty-one games before the end of the lockout. Saad made the Blackhawks out of the shortened training camp and played in forty-six games of the truncated 2013 season, scoring ten goals and dishing seventeen assists. Saad also played in every postseason game, notching one goal and five assists in twenty-three contests. Saad was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, was nominated as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year, and at the end of the playoffs won the greatest prize of all, the Stanley Cup. In doing so, the Syrian-American Saad became the first Arab-American to win the Stanley Cup. Not too bad for his first full season in the NHL.
Brandon Saad was born on October 27th, 1992, in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. He began playing in the MWEHL with the Pittsburgh Hornets at the age of fifteen in the 2007-2008 season. In twenty-six games, he had eleven goals and nineteen assists. He joined the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the North American Hockey League for the 2008-2009 season, scoring twenty-nine goals and eighteen assists in forty-seven games. For his performance that season, he was named a First Team All-Star and Rookie of the Year in the NAHL. Saad then played for the United States National Team Development Program in a World U17 tournament, scoring six goals and five assists in seven games, earning him a spot on the Tournament All-Star team. He remained in the development program in 2009-2010, playing for their team in the United States Hockey League, where he posted twelve goals and fourteen assists in twenty-four games, leading the USHL in goals and points. In another thirty-nine U18 games with the Program, Saad recorded seventeen goals and fifteen assists. He was named to the U18 National team to play in the World U18 Championships, where the United States won the gold medal. Saad contributed three goals and three assists in seven games. Saad joined the junior ranks in 2010-2011, playing with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League in fifty-nine games, scoring at a pace of twenty-seven goals and twenty-eight assists. In the playoffs, he supplied another three goals and nine assists in twelve games. Saad was drafted in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft as a second round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks. Saad returned to Saginaw in 2011-2012, appearing in forty-four games while putting up monster numbers of thirty-four goals and forty-two assists. In the playoffs, he played in twelve games with eight goals and nine assists. For his performance in the OHL, Saad was named First Team All-Star and received the William Hanley Trophy for most sportsmanlike player. He also earned a late-season promotion to the Blackhawks, and went without a point in two regular season games. In the playoffs, he played in two more games and had a single assist. Due to the lockout in 2012, Saad was assigned to play in the American Hockey League with the Rockford IceHogs, the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate. Here he had eight goals and twelve assists in thirty-one games before the end of the lockout. Saad made the Blackhawks out of the shortened training camp and played in forty-six games of the truncated 2013 season, scoring ten goals and dishing seventeen assists. Saad also played in every postseason game, notching one goal and five assists in twenty-three contests. Saad was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, was nominated as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year, and at the end of the playoffs won the greatest prize of all, the Stanley Cup. In doing so, the Syrian-American Saad became the first Arab-American to win the Stanley Cup. Not too bad for his first full season in the NHL.
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