Just a Boy from Pennsylvania

Saginaw Spirit

The Saginaw Spirits became more popular since the arrival of the all star who was just 19-years-old; Brandon Saad. Saad played with the Spirits for two years, in which he was captain.

Although he was one of the first players Saginaw picked, he didn't report to the team until a year later in June of 2010. The organization thought that the wait was worth it, though. Saad brought the team from ninth place to fourth place, helped to advance the team to the next level, and have the Spirits be a team that would help develop American based players.

Just because of all of the success the team and Saad experienced, doesn't mean that the ice was clear. During the second half of the prospect's first season, he had a groin injury, which affected how he played. Saad spoke out about the injury during his time with the Spirits: "'I tried to come back early,' Saad says of the injury now. 'It bothered me from time to time, but being a hockey player, you're always going to have nicks and knacks, especially that late in the season. It was something I had to battle through. It affected my game a little bit, just because I couldn't get the explosiveness and power in my legs.'"

Since of the injury, Saad was only able to score four goals in the final 22 games. This unfortunately dropped him down to the second round pick in the NHL Draft. "'The draft, it happened, and you've just got to move on,' Saad said. 'A fresh start, everyone who's drafted, you realize when you get there that it's not when you're drafted, it's how you perform when you get there, and how you work hard.'"