Sasson reveals more details about dysfunctional Vancouver Canucks dressing room
He was a beacon of light in a forgettable Vancouver Canucks season.
Not only that, but apparently he’s become a voice of reason, too.
Forward Max Sasson was among a handful of Canucks players who enjoyed a career year in 2025-26. He cemented himself as an everyday NHLer, and his 1.01 goals per-60 at five-on-five was the best mark on the team among full-time players.
Sasson was also vocal during the Canucks end-of-season media availability about how the team really bonded towards the season’s dreadful conclusion.
āI can tell you, and every Iām sure every guy in here said this, you know, how much closer of a team we were,ā Sasson said.
āOur group chat was buzzing every single day. We were going to dinners on the road,
everyone. I think there was a lot more buying in and a lot more energy around the group.ā
The 25-year-old expanded on those thoughts Wednesday while chatting with Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal on the Donnie and Dhali podcast.
As Sasson put it, his experience in Abbotsford helped give him perspective on what a tight-knit locker room should look like.
“In Abbotsford, when we won, I saw what a winning locker room and a winning vibe and culture can do for a team.”
“You want to go in there with a smile and a comfortability of being able to be yourself, and having people around you that want you to succeed, and you want them to succeed.”
Max Sasson hasn’t been shy about discussing the Canucks improved locker room. (James Guillory/Imagn Images)
That’s when the Birmingham, Michigan, native reflected on the juxtaposition between Abbotsford and Vancouver.
“I don’t think we had that for at least my first year, year and a half [in Vancouver].”
“And you know, I think just at the end [of the season], it was just great to see how tight the locker room got and how everyone kind of put their egos aside.”
“It just allowed everyone to be themselves, and I think you started seeing some guys really step up their play,” he said. “I think, because they weren’t thinking about ‘can I do that’ or being judged, whatever. So I think it’s huge.”
In a league as competitive as the NHL, a brotherhood-like atmosphere in the locker room can be a key advantage to edging out the competition.
“I don’t think we had a single meal on the road away from each other,” Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad said last year after winning the Stanley Cup. “Like, thatās the kind of team, right?”
“Itās a tight-knit group… and it’s a special place to be.”
The Canucks have a Trans-Canada-like road ahead before they get back to respectability. However, eliminating the incessant locker room drama would be a decent start.