Jason Blake (ice hockey player)
Encyclopedia
Jason Blake is an American
professional ice hockey
forward
currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks
of the National Hockey League
(NHL).
(USHL). Collegiately, he played one year at Ferris State University
before transferring the University of North Dakota
, and starred on their 1996-1997 National Championship team.
He was signed as a free agent
by the Los Angeles Kings
in 1999. He was acquired by the New York Islanders
in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings
in January 2001. The Islanders sent a conditional pick in 2002 to the Kings for Blake. Jason set career highs in goals and points during the 2005–06 season with 28 and 57, respectively. The following season he topped both totals, scoring 40 goals and 69 points. The 40th goal was scored against the Toronto Maple Leafs
on April 5, 2007.
Along with New York Islanders
teammates Rick DiPietro
and Mark Parrish
, Blake was part of Team USA
at the Winter Olympics
held in Turin
, Italy
in February 2006. Team USA was led by Peter Laviolette
, his former coach with the Islanders.
Blake scored his 99th and 100th career NHL goals against the Chicago Blackhawks
at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
on October 31, 2006. The milestone 100th goal came on the power play late in the 3rd period.
Blake was named an all-star for the first time in his career during the 2006–07 NHL season. He went on to record 2 assists in the 2007 NHL All-Star Game
.
At the end of the 2006–07 season Blake became an unrestricted free agent. He was quoted in Newsday
in February 2007 saying he would probably test the free agent market if not re-signed by the Islanders prior to the NHL trading deadline. Blake was neither traded nor re-signed before the deadline and on July 1, 2007, Blake signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-year contract worth US $20 million.
On October 8, 2007 Jason Blake announced that he had been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia
a rare, but highly treatable form of cancer. Jason continued to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rest of the season.
In Blake's first season with Toronto he played in all 82 regular season games. He scored 15 goals and added 37 assists for a total of 52 points. While he managed a considerable number of points, he struggled to score goals all season, having over 300 shots on goal, easily a career high, but only 15 goals. He was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy at the end of the season for perseverance and dedication to hockey through the difficult times he faced after being diagnosed with cancer.
In the 2009–10 season, Blake was traded to Anaheim Ducks
along with Vesa Toskala
for Jean-Sébastien Giguère
on January 31, 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL).
Playing career
He played for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey LeagueUnited States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
(USHL). Collegiately, he played one year at Ferris State University
Ferris State University
Ferris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1884 as the Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, an educator from New England who later served as governor of the State of Michigan and finally in the US Senate where...
before transferring the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
, and starred on their 1996-1997 National Championship team.
He was signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1999. He was acquired by the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in January 2001. The Islanders sent a conditional pick in 2002 to the Kings for Blake. Jason set career highs in goals and points during the 2005–06 season with 28 and 57, respectively. The following season he topped both totals, scoring 40 goals and 69 points. The 40th goal was scored against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on April 5, 2007.
Along with New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
teammates Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He was the first overall selection by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft....
and Mark Parrish
Mark Parrish
Mark Daniel Parrish is an American professional ice hockey right winger in the Ottawa Senators organization. He has played 10 seasons in the NHL for the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres-Playing...
, Blake was part of Team USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
held in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in February 2006. Team USA was led by Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and is the current head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
, his former coach with the Islanders.
Blake scored his 99th and 100th career NHL goals against the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
on October 31, 2006. The milestone 100th goal came on the power play late in the 3rd period.
Blake was named an all-star for the first time in his career during the 2006–07 NHL season. He went on to record 2 assists in the 2007 NHL All-Star Game
55th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Dallas, Texas, on January 24, 2007. The Western Conference was victorious, defeating the Eastern Conference 12–9...
.
At the end of the 2006–07 season Blake became an unrestricted free agent. He was quoted in Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
in February 2007 saying he would probably test the free agent market if not re-signed by the Islanders prior to the NHL trading deadline. Blake was neither traded nor re-signed before the deadline and on July 1, 2007, Blake signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-year contract worth US $20 million.
On October 8, 2007 Jason Blake announced that he had been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia
Chronic myelogenous leukemia
Chronic myelogenous leukemia , also known as chronic granulocytic leukemia , is a cancer of the white blood cells. It is a form of leukemia characterized by the increased and unregulated growth of predominantly myeloid cells in the bone marrow and the accumulation of these cells in the blood...
a rare, but highly treatable form of cancer. Jason continued to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rest of the season.
In Blake's first season with Toronto he played in all 82 regular season games. He scored 15 goals and added 37 assists for a total of 52 points. While he managed a considerable number of points, he struggled to score goals all season, having over 300 shots on goal, easily a career high, but only 15 goals. He was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy at the end of the season for perseverance and dedication to hockey through the difficult times he faced after being diagnosed with cancer.
In the 2009–10 season, Blake was traded to Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
along with Vesa Toskala
Vesa Toskala
Vesa Tapani Toskala is a professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for Ilves.-Early career:Toskala was selected by San Jose in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft . The Sharks also took fellow Finn Miikka Kiprusoff in the fifth round...
for Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Verdun Collège Français and Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , where he was drafted 13th...
on January 31, 2010.
Notable awards and honors
- 1993–94: Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year AwardDave Tyler Junior Player of the Year AwardThe Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award, formerly known as USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year Award, is presented annually to the most outstanding American-born player in Junior hockey...
(USHLUnited States Hockey LeagueThe United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
) - 1994–95: All-Rookie Team (CCHACentral Collegiate Hockey AssociationThe Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...
) - 1996–97: First All-Star Team (WCHAWestern Collegiate Hockey AssociationThe Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
) - 1997–98: First All-Star Team (WCHA)
- 1997–98: West Second All-American Team (NCAANational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
) - 1998–99: First All-Star Team (WCHA)
- 1998–99: Player of the Year (WCHA)
- 1998–99: West First All-American Team (NCAA)
- 2006–07: Played in All-Star Game (NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
) - 2007–08: Won the Bill Masterton Trophy (NHL)
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1992–93 | Waterloo Black Hawks | USHL | 45 | 24 | 27 | 51 | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Waterloo Black Hawks | USHL | 47 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Ferris State Bulldogs Ferris State University Ferris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1884 as the Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, an educator from New England who later served as governor of the State of Michigan and finally in the US Senate where... |
CCHA Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship... |
36 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | North Dakota Fighting Sioux University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ... |
WCHA Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.... |
43 | 19 | 32 | 51 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | North Dakota Fighting Sioux | WCHA | 38 | 24 | 27 | 51 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | North Dakota Fighting Sioux | WCHA | 38 | 28 | 41 | 69 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Orlando Solar Bears | IHL | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 20 | ||
| 1998–99 | Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Long Beach Ice Dogs | IHL | 7 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 64 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2000–01 2000–01 AHL season The 2000–01 AHL season was the 65th season of the American Hockey League. The league realigns its divisions again. The Atlantic division is renamed the Canadian division. The Empire State division is replaced by the South division, with many teams shifting from the Mid-Atlantic division.Twenty... |
Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | New York Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 30 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | New York Islanders | NHL | 82 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 | ||
| 2002–03 | New York Islanders | NHL | 81 | 25 | 30 | 55 | 58 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | New York Islanders | NHL | 75 | 22 | 25 | 47 | 56 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Lugano | NLA | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | New York Islanders | NHL | 76 | 28 | 29 | 57 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | New York Islanders | NHL | 82 | 40 | 29 | 69 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 82 | 15 | 37 | 52 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 78 | 25 | 38 | 63 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 56 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 26 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 76 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 41 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 826 | 206 | 268 | 474 | 449 | 30 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 19 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Comp | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 2000 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group A :Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2001# -World Championship Group B :... |
United States | WC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2004 2004 World Cup of Hockey The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues... |
United States | WCH World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2006 Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics -Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and... |
United States | OG 2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2009 2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 73rd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 46 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2010 competition... |
United States | WC | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Senior int'l totals | 26 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | ||