From early morning skates to late night weekend workouts, junior Hayden Saad has spent years on the ice.
Saad plays for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets, an affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team uses the facilities of the NHL team, Saad said. Saad’s team is the premier team in Ohio, currently standing at 33-14-0, he explained. The team is ranked number one in Ohio and 17th nationally, he added.
Saad said he started playing hockey recreationally at 7 years old and then began playing travel hockey at 10.
However, Saad said hockey was not his main sport at first.
“I played other sports at that time like football, basketball, soccer and baseball and didn’t know what sport I would commit to,” he said. “Other kids who are on my level now have been playing hockey as their only sport.”
Saad explained he chose to focus on hockey as his main sport when he joined the Elite Development Program at 13. EDP is an AA team in Columbus, he added.
“Joining EDP was a sacrifice for me at the time because I had a future in football, but they overlapped too much,” he said.
Saad said during his time in the program, he tried out for his current team several times but didn’t make it. The other players had been on the team for years and were more developed than him, he added.
After not making the team, Saad said he decided to play for Saint Charles Preparatory School his freshman year.
Saad said he ended up making varsity as a freshman, and then worked his way up to the first line. He only played in six games on the school’s team before he was called up to play for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets, he explained.
“At the end of the day it was what’s best for my development,” Saad said.
Saad said he spent his freshman and sophomore year attending Saint Charles but returned to the high school this year because of its flexibility with his hockey schedule.
“Bexley gives me more time to work on my skills with the team,” he said. “Before, I couldn’t attend the optional workouts and extra skates that are needed for me to succeed at the highest level.”
In the near future, Saad said he plans to move onto Juniors, which is a more competitive semi-pro league.
Saad explained playing in this league is crucial for hockey players seeking to play in college.
“Hockey is different from sports like basketball or football,” he said. “Division I players play for club teams and then move to Juniors before they head to college.”
Saad said he plans to play collegiate hockey and is getting interest from Division I schools.
“Currently I have received more interest from Junior teams, but I have had contact with D1 teams,” he said.
Juniors is a motivating accomplishment to work towards, Saad said.
“Ultimately, Juniors will be the start of a real hockey career,” he said.
However, Saad explained he is currently focused on advancing his skills and overall ability to win on the ice.
“I just want to work on the step ahead right now,” he said.
Published and digitized February 2026.
