Zack Adam Kassian (born January 24, 1991) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger and pro scout for the Edmonton Oilers.

[4][5] He grew up attending Queen of Peace elementary school in Leamington, Ontario and first began playing organized hockey at the age of eight with the Kingsville Kings.

Growing up, he was a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, though he has listed his favourite players as Boston Bruins defenceman Bobby Orr and Todd Bertuzzi, a fellow power forward who was starring with the Vancouver Canucks during Kassian's youth.

[8] Lastly, he competed in the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game for Team Cherry, a contest in which he injured John Tavares with a hit.

Chris Edwards of the CSB heralded him as "one of the toughest guys in the OHL and probably the entire draft", while also highlighting his "play-making and puck-handling abilities".

[8] Scouted as a power forward, he was compared to such players as Milan Lucic, as well as retired NHL All-Stars Cam Neely and Keith Tkachuk.

[12] Shortly after joining Windsor, he was given a 20-game suspension from the league for his hit to the head of Barrie Colts forward Matt Kennedy during a game in January 2010.

Returning from the suspension in time for the 2010 playoffs, he added 7 goals and 16 points over 19 games to help Windsor to a J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions.

The charge was dropped in exchange for 25 hours of community service, a $500 donation to charity, and payment for the victim's dental work.

While he was sent back to junior for the second straight year, he remained on the team's pre-season roster as one of the final cuts in October.

[16] During Game 4 of the Conference Finals against the Owen Sound Attack, Kassian received a match penalty for a hit on opposing defenceman Jesse Blacker, which was ruled as "intent to injure".

With his junior season over, Kassian was assigned by the Sabres to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Portland Pirates, for their Calder Cup playoffs on April 29, 2011.

He was initially assigned to the Sabres' new minor league affiliate, the Rochester Americans, out of training camp and began the season in the AHL.

Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis acknowledged the trade as an effort to balance his team out by giving up Hodgson's skill and finesse in return for Kassian's size and toughness.

[21] The reaction in the Vancouver media was largely of surprise that Gillis would trade away a well-performing rookie for one that was unproven at the NHL level.

"[22] Another Sun article likened the deal to a lopsided 1996 trade between the Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins in which two first-round prospects of opposite playing styles – the skilled Markus Näslund and the larger, more aggressive Alek Stojanov – were exchanged.

[notes 3] Kassian made his Canucks debut the night after the trade, registering a shot on goal and 12 minutes and 27 seconds of ice time in a 2–1 shootout loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

[33] On February 14, 2020, NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Kassian had been suspended for seven games for kicking Erik Černák of the Tampa Bay Lightning,[34] and had to forfeit $166,463.43 in salary.

On June 20, 2023, Kassian was placed on unconditional waivers by the Coyotes and was bought out from the remaining year of his contract and released to become a free agent the following day.

[36] On September 1, 2023, Kassian accepted an invitation to attend the Anaheim Ducks' 2023 training camp on a professional tryout contract (PTO).