Waterloo Black Hawks alumnus Mark Friedman was acquired by the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday via a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
 
Friedman was among 18 former Waterloo players to skate in at least one NHL game in 2022/23.  He started this season assigned to Pittsburgh's American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and was on the ice in both of that club's games last weekend.  When Friedman makes his Vancouver debut, he will become the third former Black Hawk to play for the Canucks organization, joining current forward Brock Boeser and retired defenseman Andrew Alberts.  Forward Max Sasson was signed by Vancouver last spring and is currently with the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL.
 
Friedman was a two-year member of the Black Hawks.  As a 16-year-old rookie in 2012/13, he was the only Waterloo player in the lineup for all 64 games.  Friedman produced eight goals and 27 assists for 35 points and a +22 plus/minus differential.  He was +22 again the next year and boosted his point count to 40 (10 goals, 30 assists), despite being limited to 51 regular season appearances.  Friedman added another 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) over the course of 17 Clark Cup Playoff games.  During his time in Waterloo, the Black Hawks won the silver medal during the 2012 Junior Club World Cup in Omsk, Russia, as well as the United States Hockey League's 2013/14 Anderson Cup regular season championship.

Following his USHL career, Friedman was picked by the Philadelphia Flyers during the Third Round of the 2014 NHL Draft.  That fall, he began a four-year career at Bowling Green State University, where he played in 163 NCAA games, notching 22 goals and 69 assists.  He signed with Philadelphia after his senior season and made his NHL debut at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

During his professional career, Friedman has logged 65 regular season NHL and six Stanley Cup Playoff games.  He has 12 regular season points (four goals, eight assists) and one postseason goal.  

Through one week of NHL action in 2023/24, seven former Hawks have each taken the ice at least once: Boeser, Joe Pavelski (Dallas Stars), Craig Smith (Dallas Stars), Mikey Anderson (Los Angeles Kings), Tom Novak (Nashville Predators), Jack Drury (Carolina Hurricanes), and Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets).

Waterloo Black Hawks alumni news is presented by Karen's Print Rite, 2515 Falls Avenue in Waterloo.