Brandon Saad

Brandon Saad (born 27 October 1992 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American professional ice hockey player of Syrian origin. The left winger was selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 2011 by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round to 43rd position. That same year, Saad made his debut in the National Hockey League and was team captain of the Rockford IceHogs, Chicago's farm team in the American Hockey League. Since January 2013 he is in the NHL squad the Blackhawks.

At the international level Saad won the U18 national team of his country's Under-18 Junior World Cup in 2010 and the bronze medal at the World U -17 Hockey Challenge, 2009.

2.1 International

4.1 International

Career

Youth

Brandon Saad, who grew up in Gibsonia, began in his native city at the Pittsburgh Hornets with ice hockey games. There, he scored 94 points scorer in a total of 76 games in the Midwest Elite Hockey League. In 2008 he came across the OHL Priority Selection to the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. This, however, gave him the time being from the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the North American Hockey League. In the 2008 /09 season, he completed 47 games for the Phantoms, where he scored 47 points scorer. He was named the NAHL Rookie of the Year This power output. At the same time he stood for the U17 U.S. National Team Development Program, a support program for junior players under the age of 18, on the ice. There, he scored six goals in seven games and five assists. In the World U -17 Hockey Challenge, he won the bronze medal and was elected to the All- Star team of the tournament.

The following season, Saad moved permanently into the junior program and played there for one year for the U18. This took part in the operation of the game United States Hockey League, where he came on 24 scorer points in 24 games and thus best scorer and best Preparer his team was. In addition, he participated with the team this year at the U18 World Junior Championships in Belarus and won the gold medal there. Finally, as regards the 2010/ 11 season he returned to the Saginaw Spirit and played with the team in the Ontario Hockey League. In view of the NHL Entry Draft 2011, he was the year ( midterm rank ) evaluated at position eight, while he was in the final assessment at number 19. So he was allowed to participate in the CHL Top Prospects Game, which he won 7-1 with Team Orr. In the Entry Draft, he was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks at position 43 in the second round.

Chicago Blackhawks

After preparing for the 2011/12 season he signed in October 2011, a limited three-year entry level contract with the Hawks, which earned him an annual salary of $ 700,000. In the following away win against the Dallas Stars (2:1) Saad made his NHL debut and was the return match a day later ( 5-2 win ) also on the ice. Thus it was with item 43 of the lowest draft pick since Lasse Kukkonen ( 151 position; season 2003/ 04), who is making his debut for the Blackhawks in the draft year. Just a week later he is for the rest of the season back to the Saginaw Spirit, to continue to play matches. With the U20, he took part during the season at the U20 Junior World Cup in Germany and reached there in seventh place. From January 2012, he was also captain of the team and was awarded at the end of the season with the William Hanley Trophy as the OHL sporty fairest player. After 44 games and 76 points scorer in the OHL Saad posted the best value of 1.73 points per game, was voted All- Star team in the OHL First and recalled in April 2012 for the following play-offs to the Blackhawks. As a result, he came to two appearances in the Conference Quarterfinals against the Phoenix Coyotes, where he was able to record in his first zweiterem Assist; nevertheless failed the team with 2:4 to the Coyotes.

Due to the lockout in the beginning of the season 2012/13 Saad was with a number of other players to the farm team, the Rockford IceHogs, transferred to the American Hockey League. After 31 games for the IceHogs, he was appointed for the remainder of the shortened by the lockout season in the squad of the Hawks. Henceforth Saad came regularly used and generated on April 5, 2013 against the San Jose Sharks his first NHL goal. At the same time he became the first player in the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, who succeeded an NHL goal. With its Unterzahltor a 2-1 final score against the Sharks on February 22, he played a key role in ensuring that the Blackhawks the record for most games with point gain since start of the season broke. This held since the 2006/07 season, the Anaheim Ducks with 16 games, but the Blackhawks were able to extend the series after the 17th game against the Sharks for a further seven games; only in the 25th game after the season starts you failed in the regular season at the Colorado Avalanche.

At the end of the regular season, the team, the Presidents' Trophy for most points secured. In the subsequent play-offs we sat down in the final 4-2 against the Boston Bruins through, so Saad in his first NHL season just won the Stanley Cup. In addition, in the first final game against the Bruins, he scored his first playoff goal. Overall, he came to 69 missions in the season, including 23 in the play- offs. In addition, Saad was nominated on May 6, next to Brendan Gallagher and Jonathan Huberdeau for the Calder Memorial Trophy, but received the latter.

Awards and achievements

2009 NAHL Rookie of the Year
2009 NAHL First All - Star Team
2009 NAHL All- Rookie team
2012 OHL First All - Star Team
2013 Stanley Cup win with the Chicago Blackhawks
2013 NHL All- Rookie Team

Internationally

Bronze medal at the 2009 World U -17 Hockey Challenge
2009 All- Star team at the World U -17 Hockey Challenge
2010 Gold medal at the U18 World Youth Championship

Personal

Saad's father is a native Syrians. Prior to his time in the U.S. National Team Development Program, he played with his brother George, who, however, did not make it through the college level also.

Career Stats

Internationally

( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )

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