USHL Waterloo Black Hawks

Sasson, Canucks Make Deal

Published on March 26, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release


Waterloo, Iowa - Max Sasson is taking the next step in his hockey career; the former Waterloo Black Hawk has joined the Vancouver Canucks organization after two college seasons at Western Michigan University.

The contract announced on Sunday is a two-year agreement which begins next fall. In the meantime, Sasson will make his professional debut with Vancouver's American Hockey League affiliate - the Abbotsford Canucks - during the closing weeks of this season.

The Birmingham, Michigan, native was a Black Hawk during the 2020/21 season after Cedar Rapids RoughRiders players were dispersed in the aftermath of the derecho which partially destroyed Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. With his former club idled by the storm, Sasson led the Hawks with 49 points (20 goals, 29 assists) in 48 games. He was named the USHL Forward of the Week twice in a campaign which was also highlighted by a 12-game point streak between February 26th and April 1st. Besides leading Waterloo in goals and assists during the COVID-altered season, Sasson also had team-highs for game-winning goals (four) and shorthanded goals (four).

Sasson's 49 points in a single year with Waterloo surpassed the total from his two seasons with the RoughRiders, for whom he notched 19 goals and 23 assists in 107 appearances during 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Since the fall of 2021, Sasson has skated in Kalamazoo. As a freshman for the Broncos in 2021/22, he accumulated nine goals and 13 assists while appearing in 37 of 39 games. He boosted those numbers to 15 goals and 27 assists this year. Western Michigan earned a bid to the NCAA tournament during each of his two seasons. The Broncos' run this year ended with a 5-1 loss to Boston University on Thursday.

Sasson is the second former Hawk to sign with an NHL team in recent weeks. Notre Dame forward Ryder Rolston decided to join the Chicago Blackhawks organization on March 13th.

Two Waterloo alumni have appeared at the NHL level for the Canucks. Andrew Alberts spent parts of five seasons in Vancouver, including the team's appearance in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. Brock Boeser has been a mainstay of recent Canucks teams since signing his first contract in the spring of 2017, producing over 300 points during his time with the organization. In 2018, Boeser represented Vancouver during the 2018 NHL All-Star Weekend.

A Waterloo-record 17 former Black Hawks have appeared at the NHL level this season, accumulating over 620 games played. The group includes Matej Blumel and Shane Bowers, who made their league debuts with the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche respectively.

Check out the Waterloo Black Hawks Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United States Hockey League Stories from March 26, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central