Brandon Saad facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brandon Saad
Saad with the Chicago Blackhawks in December 2014
Born	(1992-10-27) October 27, 1992 (age 32) 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

Brandon Saad (born October 27, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey forward. He plays for the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Saad was picked by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2011 NHL Draft. He was the 43rd player chosen overall. He has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Blackhawks. These wins were in 2013 and 2015. Later, the Blackhawks traded Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets. After two seasons, he returned to the Blackhawks in another trade.

Early Life

Brandon Saad was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His birthday is October 27, 1992. His father, George Sr., came to America from Syria. His mother, Sandy, is American. His father wanted to help his family in Syria move to America.

Playing Career

Amateur Years

Brandon grew up playing hockey in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. He played for the Pittsburgh Hornets youth team. In the 2005–06 season, he scored 16 goals. He also had 21 assists in 30 games. He played in big tournaments like the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.

He also played for Pine-Richland High School. He played with his older brother there. Scouts noticed him for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP). With the U18 Hornets, he set a record. He scored 54 goals and 124 points in one season.

Saad decided not to join the NTDP right away. Instead, he played for the Mahoning Valley Phantoms. This was in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). He also played for the U.S. National Under-17 Team. He helped them win a bronze medal. He was named to the tournament all-star team.

He finished his first season with 29 goals and 18 assists. The league named him NAHL Rookie of the Year. He was also on the First All-Star Team.

For the 2009–10 season, Saad joined the NTDP. He scored 29 goals and 29 assists. After one season, he joined the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He felt more ready for the OHL after his time with the NTDP.

He started strong with the Spirit. He scored four goals in his first five games. He had two hat-tricks by November. He was ranked high by NHL scouts. In the 2011 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks picked him. He was the 43rd overall pick.

Professional Career

Chicago Blackhawks

Saad impressed the Blackhawks coaches. He signed a three-year contract on October 4, 2011. He started the season with the Blackhawks. He was the lowest-drafted player to start with the team in his draft year since 2003.

He played his first NHL game on October 7, 2011. He was then sent back to his junior team, the Saginaw Spirit. He played very well there. He led the league with 10 points in three games. He was named CHL Player of the Week.

He missed November due to a hand injury. But he recovered for the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. After returning, he had a 16-game point streak. He was also named captain of the Spirit. He finished the season leading the OHL in points per game. He won the William Hanley Trophy. This award is for the most sportsmanlike player.

After his OHL season, Saad joined the Blackhawks for the 2012 playoffs. He made his playoff debut on April 19, 2012. He got his first NHL point with an assist. The Blackhawks were eliminated in the first round.

Saad started the 2012–13 season with the Rockford IceHogs. This was the Blackhawks' minor league team. He scored his first professional goal on November 9. He was named CCM/AHL Player of the Week in January.

When the NHL lockout ended, Saad joined the Blackhawks. He scored his first NHL goal on February 5, 2013. He helped the Blackhawks set an NHL record. They had a 17-game point streak to start the season. He finished his first NHL season with 10 goals and 17 assists. He led all rookies with a plus-17 rating. He was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy. This award is for the NHL's top rookie.

Saad during the Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Stanley Cup Parade.

The Blackhawks made the 2013 playoffs. They won the Presidents' Trophy. Saad played on the top line. He struggled to score early in the playoffs. He was moved to different lines. He started to score more against the Los Angeles Kings.

In the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals, the Blackhawks played the Boston Bruins. Saad scored his first playoff goal in Game 1. He helped the Blackhawks win 4–3. On June 24, Saad won his first Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks beat the Bruins in six games.

For the 2013–14 season, Saad tried playing center. But he preferred left wing. He started the season well. He had six points in eight games. He suffered an upper-body injury in March. He missed three games. He finished the season with 19 goals and 28 assists.

In the 2014 playoffs, Saad continued to play well. He had two assists in Game 2 against the St. Louis Blues. He scored two goals against the Minnesota Wild. This was his first multi-goal playoff game. He set new career highs in playoff points. He helped the Blackhawks win Game 5 against the Kings. The Blackhawks lost to the Kings in Game 7.

Saad drives to the net during the 2015 NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park.

Saad had a great 2014–15 season. He joined the top line with Toews and Hossa. This line played very well together. He scored a goal in his first game with them. By December, he had 19 points in 27 games. He helped Toews set an NHL record in the 2015 NHL Winter Classic. Saad finished the season with a career-high 23 goals and 29 assists. He had 52 points in 82 games.

In the 2015 playoffs, Saad scored many important goals. He scored the tying goal in Game 4 against the Nashville Predators. This helped the Blackhawks win in overtime. They swept the Wild in the next round. They then faced the Anaheim Ducks.

In the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, the Blackhawks played the Tampa Bay Lightning. Saad scored two goals in Game 4. This helped the Blackhawks win 2–1. They tied the series 2–2. The Blackhawks won the next two games. They won the Stanley Cup again.

Columbus Blue Jackets

After winning the 2015 Stanley Cup, Saad was traded. The Blackhawks traded his rights to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This happened on June 30, 2015. The Blue Jackets also got Alex Broadhurst and Michael Paliotta. The Blackhawks received several players in return.

Saad signed a six-year contract with the Blue Jackets. It was worth $36 million. He missed his first preseason game due to a mouth injury. He had four root canals. He returned and played well in the preseason.

The Blue Jackets started the 2015–16 season poorly. They lost their first six games. Saad started slow but improved. He was projected to make his first NHL All-Star Game. From December 17 to January 2, he had a seven-game point streak. He scored seven goals and six assists.

By early January, Saad had 16 goals and 13 assists. He led the team in goals. He was voted into his first NHL All-Star Game. He scored his first career NHL hat-trick on April 2. This was in a 5–1 win. He finished the season with a career-high 31 goals and 53 points.

In the 2016 offseason, Saad played in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was the oldest player on Team North America. He started the 2016–17 season on a new line. This line instantly played well together. By November 6, they had 23 points in six games.

Saad played his 300th NHL game on November 15. He got his 200th NHL point on December 5. By December 11, he led the team in points per 60 minutes. He helped the Blue Jackets win 16 games in a row. This was one of the longest streaks in NHL history.

He finished the season with 24 goals and 29 assists. He had 53 points in 82 games. The Blue Jackets made the 2017 playoffs. They faced the Pittsburgh Penguins. Saad scored one goal and two assists in five games.

Return to Chicago

On June 23, 2017, Saad returned to the Chicago Blackhawks. He was traded back with Anton Forsberg. The Blackhawks gave up Artemi Panarin and Tyler Motte. Saad immediately rejoined Jonathan Toews on the top line.

He started the 2017–18 season with a hat-trick. This was against his hometown team, the Penguins. The Blackhawks won 10–1. This set a new team record for goals in a season opener. Saad was the first Blackhawk to score a hat trick in a season opener since 1965.

His scoring slowed down later in the season. He had a 10-game scoring drought. He finished the season with 18 goals and 17 assists. He had 35 points in 82 games. This was the lowest point total of his NHL career.

For the 2018–19 season, Saad started on the second line. He was later moved to the fourth line. After being warned about his play, he improved. He scored two goals and one assist in three games. He was then reunited with Kane and Anisimov.

He scored in consecutive games for the first time that season. He had 13 points by December 16. He scored two goals on December 27. On February 1, Saad played his 500th career NHL game. He scored two goals in a 7–3 win. He finished the season with 21 goals. He had 35 points in 79 games. The Blackhawks missed the 2019 playoffs.

In the 2019 training camp, Saad was on the first line. He played with Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalík. They played well together. He had two goals and an assist in the first four games. He played his 400th game with Chicago on December 8, 2019.

He suffered an ankle injury in December. He missed 12 games. He returned on January 18. He scored his 12th goal of the season. He had a four-game goal streak. He also had a 12-game point streak. The season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Saad finished with 21 goals.

Colorado Avalanche

On October 10, 2020, Saad was traded again. The Blackhawks sent him to the Colorado Avalanche. Dennis Gilbert also went to the Avalanche. The Blackhawks received Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm. The Blackhawks paid $1 million of Saad's salary.

Saad missed the first three days of training camp. He made his Avalanche debut on January 13, 2021. He played on the second line. After a loss, he moved back to his usual left wing position. He scored twice in a win against the San Jose Sharks.

On January 29, Saad had two assists. He had a four-game point streak. He tied for second on the team with five goals. On February 14, 2021, Saad played his 600th career NHL game. He had 174 goals and 181 assists.

He missed a game in February for the birth of his child. On March 5, he had his first three-point game of the season. He matched his career-best goal streak in April. His efforts helped the Avalanche win the Presidents' Trophy. They qualified for the 2021 playoffs.

Saad returned for the playoffs. He played in Game 1 against the St. Louis Blues. He scored his first playoff point in Game 2. He scored in the next two games. The Avalanche swept the Blues in four games.

He continued his scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights. He scored in the first two games. This was his longest goal streak in the playoffs. He tied for the third-longest in franchise playoff history. He led the team with seven goals in nine games.

St. Louis Blues

Saad signed a five-year contract with the St. Louis Blues. This was on July 29, 2021. The contract was worth $22.5 million. He returned to using jersey number 20. His new teammate Alexander Steen allowed him to have it.

Saad started the 2021–22 season on the third line. He was one of seven Blues players to score at least 20 goals. This was the first time since the 1984–85 season. He finished the season with 24 goals. This helped the Blues make the 2022 playoffs.

Saad started the 2022–23 season on a new line. He struggled early, with only one point in 13 games. After injuries to other players, Saad played with Brayden Schenn. He then scored five goals and two assists in four games. He later moved to a line with Thomas and Kyrou.

He missed the first three games of the 2024–25 season. This was for the birth of his third child. On October 22, he scored his 500th career NHL point. This was against the Winnipeg Jets.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Medal record
Representing the  United States
Ice hockey
IIHF U18 Championships
Gold	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