An inspiring Ice Hockey journey of Samson Mahbod

Samson Mahbod is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey winger who began his career with the Elmira Jackals in the 2010-2011 ECHL season. Before heading overseas, his career took him to several US teams, including the Stingrays, Cyclones, Grizzlies, Sundogs, and Aces. 

In 2013, he signed a one-year contract with Ciarko PBS Bank KH Sanok and helped the team win the playoff championship. He led the league with 54 assists and 81 points. He was named the Polish League’s Best Player that season. 

He went on to play for the Russian club Toros Neftekamsk, where he won the VHL Championship in 2014 before signing a one-year contract with the Finnish Elite League to play for the Espoo Blues in the 2015-16 season. When that contract expired, he went on to play in the KHL for Medvescak Zagreb, with whom he signed in July of that year. 

After leaving Medvescak Zagreb, he played 8 games with HC Vtkovice Ridera before being offered a contract to play for the DEL on the Krefeld Pinguine team in Germany. He had 6 assists in 16 games before leaving at the end of his contract. 

Mahbod is a free agent this year after playing for Hokejov Klub Dukla Trenn in the Slovak Extraliga last season. He appeared in 20 Extraliga games for the Dukla Trencin team, scoring eight goals and assisting on eleven others for a total of 19 points. During the season, he was the team’s fifth highest-scoring player in terms of points, as well as the highest-scoring RW/C. 

Mahbod set the PHL record for points in 2013 with 36 goals and 68 assists in 53 games. Cichy’s 113 points in 2015 broke the previous record of 104 points. The PHL’s record-breaking season demonstrated that it could be used to launch a career in higher leagues. 

Mahbod demonstrated this by transitioning from PHL to VHL, Liiga, and KHL after previously playing for PHL. His tenacity on the ice taught other players that smaller, lesser-known leagues can and should be taken seriously if they wish to pursue a successful career. Mahbod has scored 149 goals and had 285 assists for a total of 434 points in 537 games. These statistics include the earlier years when he was honing his skill set. 

His championship years, during which he was named the PHL’s best player, are also included. His ice leadership was evident early in his career. In 2010, he was named “Most Hardworking” by the PEI Rockets’ Fan Choice Awards for his efforts during the 2009-10 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season (QMJHL).