Get ready Ottawa, because the Max Sasson cheering squad is coming to town. The Vancouver Canucks rookie is set to make his NHL debut Saturday against the Ottawa Senators, and his family is pumped.
And nobody is more excited than his dad.
Speaking with reporters in Ottawa on Friday, Sasson detailed a phone call made to his father after he received news that he was getting called up from the AHL to play his first NHL game.
“I called my dad. He’s probably my biggest fan. He’s been there the whole way. He started screaming, he started crying,” Sasson said. “It was pretty special phone call. It’s his first game too, it feels like. He’s been there throughout the whole way too, as well as my whole family.”
Sasson said his dad was planning to see him play in Henderson, Nevada where the Abbotsford Canucks are set to play this weekend.
“I was like ‘you’re not going to Henderson, you’re flying to Ottawa,’ and he was like ‘What?! What?!’ So that was pretty awesome.”
Sasson will have plenty of support in the crowd, as he said his dad, mom, brother, aunt, and girlfriend will all be making the trip up from Michigan.
“Just a ton of emotions. I’m sure it’ll sink in even more. Just thinking about all the days at the rink growing up and how much it means to my family and my friends and everyone that followed me throughout my career… It’s truly special and it’ll be a great night.”
“Called my dad. He’s probably my biggest fan…He started screaming, started crying. Pretty special phone call. It’s his first game too it feels like.”
🗣 Hear from Max Sasson on getting the call-up to play in his first NHL game. pic.twitter.com/WBGq0TsjvH
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 22, 2024
The 24-year-old is an undrafted centre that signed with the Canucks as a college free agent in March of last year. He scored 42 points (18-24-42) in 56 AHL games with Abbotsford in 2023-24.
Sasson impressed at Young Stars in Penticton this September, but didn’t earn a spot in the opening-night lineup. Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet spoke highly of the Birmingham, Michigan native, who has nine points (4-5-9) in 16 AHL games this season.
“He’s a guy that’s trended as a real good prospect for us. I thought the last couple years he’s really worked on his game. Hard working guy,” said Tocchet. “There’s an opportunity for him, and we’re really excited for him.”