Jason Blake (ice hockey)

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size=
team=Toronto Maple Leafs
former_teams = Los Angeles Kings
New York Islanders
league = NHL
position = LW/RW
shoots = Left
height_ft = 5
height_in = 10
weight_lb = 180
nationality = USA
birth_date = Birth date and age|1973|9|2|mf=y
birth_place = Moorhead, MN
draft = undrafted
career_start = 1999

Jason Blake (born September 2, 1973 in Moorhead, Minnesota, U.S.) is a professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs.

Playing career

He played for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

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. He recorded his 40th goal of the 2006–07 season 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 U.S. 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 that he would probably test the free agent market if not re-signed by the Islanders prior to the NHL trading deadline. [http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/ny-spblake115090042feb11,0,3725196.story?coll=ny-hockey-headlines] 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. The doctors said he should plan to live a long, healthy life. Jason continued to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rest of the season. [ [http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=339449 Toronto Maple Leafs - Press Releases: Statement From Jason Blake Regarding Condition - 10/08/2007 ] ]

In Jason Blake's first season as a Toronto Maple Leaf, 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 won the Bill Masterton Trophy at the end of the season. [cite news | url = http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2008/05/09/masteron-trophy.html | title = Blake, Pisani, Chelios finalists for NHL's Masterton Trophy | publisher = CBC Sports | date = 2008-05-09 | accessdate = 2008-05-09]

Accomplishments

*1994–95: All-Rookie Team (CCHA)
*1996–97: First All-Star Team (WCHA)
*1997–98: First All-Star Team (WCHA)
*1997–98: West Second All-American Team (NCAA)
*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 (NHL)
*2007-08: Won the Masterton Trophy

Career statistics

International play

*2006 - Played for the United States in the XX Olympic Winter Games

References

External links

*hockeydb|26530|Jason Blake
* [http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_43475.htm Jason Blake's U.S. Olympic Team bio]
*nhlprofile|8467844|Jason Blake