Canucks Depth
For those of you who weren’t following Western Michigan University hockey earlier this decade — I know, shocker — the Broncos were pretty good in 2022-’23 with a 23-15-and-1 record in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).
Max Sasson finished that season, his second and final with the Broncos, as the team’s third-leading scorer with 42 points in 38 games.
Canucks fans down the road in Abbotsford have gotten to know the 6-foot-1, 185-pound lefty forward over parts of the last three seasons after Vancouver signed the undrafted free agent right out of college hockey in March of 2023.
Dobber Prospects simply described him this way:
A high-motor center with an offensive touch. Brings bottom-six NHL potential.
Sasson has played wing for the big club, but Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet made it clear he plans to move the forward to centre for Friday night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“I just want to try ‘Sass’ in the middle, I think he can give us some pace up there,” Tocchet said after the morning skate. “‘Rats’ (Aatu Raty) played wing last year, so it’s kind of a hybrid thing.”
Raty typically plays centre and Tocchet said the 22-year-old Finn will likely continue to take face-offs for the line.
Sasson, who grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, has played a total of 79 games for Abbotsford, posting 23 goals and 30 assists. He has two assists over his five games in the big show and is looking for his first NHL goal.
He’s in year-two of a two-way NHL/AHL contract.
