Saginaw Spirit captain Braden Hache has agreed to a one-year contract with the AHL's San Jose Barracuda after concluding his junior hockey career with a Memorial Cup win.
Braden Hache's week continues to get better, as he has signed a one-year contract with the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL.
Hache began this week by winning a Memorial Cup on Sunday night with the Saginaw Spirit, after winning the tournament as the projected "underdogs". He captained this team from start to finish this year, and he gets to end his junior hockey career by winning the most prestigious trophy in major junior.
Now, he is set to join the San Jose Sharks AHL affiliate at the start of next season, as he signs a one-year deal with the club.
It has not all been an easy road for Hache to get to this point. He began his OHL tenure with the Kingston Frontenacs, where he spent the majority of his first three seasons playing junior hockey.
He was selected in the 7th round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers — but was not signed by the club and his rights were released after two years. Ever since, Hache has continued to prove himself as a strong, responsible, and mature young defender.
Hache measures up to 6-foot-3 and 210-pounds — a very mature frame for a twenty-one-year-old.
After spending half a season with the Barrie Colts, Hache was dealt to the Saginaw Spirit prior to the start of the 2023-2024 OHL season. He was almost immediately named captain given his experience, and he was able to lead his team all the way to the Memorial Cup — which is no easy feat.
Hache will get set to begin his professional career in San Jose with the Barracuda in September, and leave all the amazing memories in Saginaw behind.