| Blake Geoffrion | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Geoffrion with theNashville Predators in 2011 | |||
| Born | (1988-02-03)February 3, 1988 (age 37) Plantation,Florida, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 188 lb (85 kg; 13 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Nashville Predators Montreal Canadiens | ||
| NHL draft | 56th overall,2006 Nashville Predators | ||
| Playing career | 2010–2013 | ||
Blake Daniel Geoffrion (born February 3, 1988) is an American former professionalice hockey player who last played for theMontreal Canadiens of theNational Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 56th overall, by theNashville Predators in the2006 NHL entry draft and made his NHL debut on February 26, 2011. In doing so, he became thefirst fourth-generation player in the league's history, after his fatherDan, grandfatherBernie and great-grandfatherHowie Morenz. He was traded to the Canadiens in 2012 and, while playing with theirAmerican Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, theHamilton Bulldogs, suffered adepressed skull fracture that forced his retirement from the game in 2013. He then joined theColumbus Blue Jackets initially as a proscout, before earning a promotion as the assistant general manager to AHL affiliate, theLake Erie Monsters.
A graduate of theUSA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP), Geoffrion representedTeam USA on three occasions. He was a member of the gold medal winning team at the2006 IIHF World U18 Championship and won bronze at the2007 World Junior Hockey Championship. He then moved on to theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison where he enjoyed a standoutcollegiate career. He was a conference all-star in his senior year of 2009–10, was also named the consensus All-American and Player of the Year and won theHobey Baker Award as the top college player in the United States.
Geoffrion was born inPlantation, Florida, but grew up inBrentwood, Tennessee.[1] As a youth, he played in the 2002Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with aminor ice hockey team fromCleveland.[2]
He first attended theCulver Military Academy where he helped his team win the Indiana state championship in 2003.[3] He was invited to join theUSA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) where he spent two seasons between 2004 and 2006. He made his international debut withTeam USA at the2006IIHF World Under-18 Championship. He scored five points in six games in the tournament for the gold medal winning Americans.[4]
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From the USNTDP, Geoffrion was recruited to play with theUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonBadgers.[citation needed]
Geoffrion joined the Badgers in 2006–07 where he led the team inpenalties with 62 minutes.[3] He again played for Team USA, this time at the2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where he appeared in all seven of his team's games, registering one assist as the Americans won a bronze medal.[5] In his sophomore season, Geoffrion improved to 30 points overall and tied for the team lead with 19 points inWestern Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) play. His teammates named him the most competitive player on the Badgers.[3] He returned to theWorld Junior Hockey Championships in2008, scoring one point in six games while the Americans failed to win a medal.[6]
Named co-captain of the Badgers in his junior season of 2008–09, Geoffrion led his team in goals within the WCHA with 12 and tied for the lead overall at 15. His overall total of 28 points was fourth best on the team.[3] Serving as a tri-captain, he led the WCHA in goal scoring in 2009-10 with 19 and was second in theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with 28. He reached the 50-goal plateau for his college career on March 13 and 100 points on February 19.[3] Considered one of the NCAA's most complete players, Geoffrion was his team's top faceoff performer and was praised for the way his play improved as his team's games grew in importance.[7]
He was named a first-team all-star in both the WCHA and the NCAA-West.[8] Additionally, Geoffrion was named US College Hockey Online's national player of the year.[9] Soon after the Badgers reached the2010 NCAA championship game, Geoffrion was named the winner of theHobey Baker Award as the top player in American college hockey.[10] In doing so, he became the first Wisconsin player to win the award.[11] Geoffrion and the Badgers were unable to cap off their season with a championship, however, losing 5–0 to theBoston College Eagles before a world indoor record crowd of 37,592 atFord Field in Detroit.[12]
Following his sophomore season with the Badgers, theNashville Predators made Geoffrion their second round selection, 56th overall, at the2006 NHL entry draft. He chose to complete his college career before turning to the professional game and signed an amateur try-out contract with the Predators'American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, theMilwaukee Admirals, to conclude the2009–10.[13] He appeared in three playoff games with the Admirals and scored two goals.[8]
The Predators signed Geoffrion to a two-year entry-level contract on June 15, 2010.[14][15] He was assigned back to Milwaukee to begin the2010–11 AHL season where he struggled to begin the season before injuries and the promotion of other players to Nashville opened up more ice time for him. After scoring 16 points in his first 31 games of the season, Geoffrion improved to 17 points in seven games at the end of January and beginning of February. His scoring outburst made him the first player to earn consecutive AHL player of the week sinceJim Carey in 1994.[16]
As a result of his improved play Geoffrion was recalled to Nashville on February 25, 2011. AfterJared Ross, he became the second player raised in theAmerican South to participate in an NHL game.[17] One night later, he made his National Hockey League debut against theDallas Stars.[18] He scored his first NHL goal, in his third game, againstEdmonton Oilers goaltenderMartin Gerber on March 1. Geoffrion registered his first hat trick on March 20, 2011, against the Buffalo Sabres.[citation needed]
On February 17, 2012, Geoffrion was traded to theMontreal Canadiens withRobert Slaney and a2012 second-round pick for defensemanHal Gill and a conditional fifth-round draft pick in the2013 NHL entry draft.[19] To honor his grandfather and great-grandfather, Geoffrion chose to wear number 57 on his jersey (Bernie Geoffrion wore 5, Howie Morenz wore 7).[20]
Geoffrion began the2012–13 season with the AHL'sHamilton Bulldogs. During a November 9, 2012, game against theSyracuse Crunch, he suffered a depressedskull fracture following ahip check byJean-Philippe Côté.[21] As Geoffrion fell to the ice, his head struck the end of Côté's skate blade, causing the injury. He required emergency surgery to repair the fracture and was initially expected to make a full recovery.[22] Four months after the injury, Geoffrion informed the Canadiens that he was contemplating retirement due to the injury, though he had not come to a final decision.[23] He eventually decided to retire from professional hockey on July 15, 2013, at the age of 25.[24]
In July 2013, the day following his retirement from active play, Geoffrion was hired by theColumbus Blue Jackets as a proscout.[25]
Following two seasons working in a scouting role with the Blue Jackets, Geoffrion transitioned into management, being named as the assistant general manager of Columbus' AHL affiliate, theLake Erie Monsters, on July 19, 2016.[26]
Upon making his debut with the Predators, Geoffrion became the NHL's first fourth generation player.[27] His father,Dan, played three NHL seasons with theMontreal Canadiens and the originalWinnipeg Jets.[18] His great-grandfather (paternal grandmother's father) wasHockey Hall of FamerHowie Morenz,[28] and the man named the best hockey player of the first half of the 20th century by theCanadian Press.[18] His paternal grandfather,Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion, is also a Hall of Famer and the man who invented the slap shot (hence the nickname "Boom-Boom").[29] Geoffrion was close to his grandfather and was the last person "Boom Boom" spoke to before his death in 2006. Geoffrion wore #5 while with the Predators in his honor, while his teammates have nicknamed him "Boomer", after his grandfather.[15]
Geoffrion's uncle by marriage,Hartland Monahan, was also an NHL player, while Hartland's son,Shane, was aMajor League Baseball (MLB) player.[30] He likewise has three brothers: Nick, Sebastien and Brice.[3]
While attendingWisconsin, Geoffrion majored in consumer affairs[3] and is presently associated with a marketing firm inMadison. He continues to learn about marketing and public relations, and writes a weekly blog for Nashville newspaperThe Tennessean.[31]
Geoffrion got engaged to his girlfriend Katelyn Deady in June 2012.[32]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2003–04 | Culver Military Academy | HS Prep | 45 | 12 | 28 | 40 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | U.S. NTDP U17 | USDP | 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | U.S. NTDP U18 | NAHL | 37 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 62 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 23 | ||
| 2005–06 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 41 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | U.S. NTDP U18 | NAHL | 13 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 36 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 36 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 35 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 40 | 28 | 22 | 50 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 45 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 20 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 22 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 20 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 9 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 84 | 21 | 43 | 64 | 59 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||||
| NHL totals | 55 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 34 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing United States | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 | 2007 Mora | |
| IIHF U18 Championships | ||
 | 2006 Halmstad | |
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | United States | U17 | 5th | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2006 | United States | WJC18 |  | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | |
| 2007 | United States | WJC |  | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 2008 | United States | WJC | 4th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| Junior totals | 24 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 24 | ||||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-WCHAFirst Team | 2009–10 | |
| AHCAWest First-Team All-American | 2009–10 | |
| West First Team All-American | 2009–10 | |
| Hobey Baker Memorial Award | 2009–10 | |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Winner of theHobey Baker Award 2009–10 | Succeeded by |