After a 21-year NHL career with three teams, defenseman Rob Blake will retire from hockey with a press conference next week. A report coming from Comcast Sportsnet is saying the Stanley Cup champion, Olympic champion, and six-time all-star will to wait until after the Stanley Cup finals to formally announce his retirement out of respect to the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks. CSN reported for their story that Blake and the Sharks declined to comment.
Blake won the Norris Trophy as NHL’s best defenseman in 1998 with his first stint with the Los Angeles Kings. He spent 12.5 seasons with the Kings, leaving in 2001 in a trade to Colorado and returning in 2006. He finished his career with San Jose when he signed as a free-agent in 2008. He was named captain of the Sharks earlier this season when the “C” was stripped from Patrick Marleau. He won his only Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Av’s as well as winning the Olympic gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.
The 70th overall pick in the 1988 draft by Los Angeles played his college hockey at CCHA member Bowling Green, where he was All-America in 1990. His career-high’s for a single season were 84 games (1994 when they played 84 regular season games) 23 goals (1998), 48 assists (1994), 68 points (1994), and 152 PIM (1993).
Other facts about Blake:
Blake also scored 23 goals previously. He lit the lamp 23 times for Bowling Green in 1990, in 42 games.
Blake has also played in an NHL-record 55 different arenas throughout his career.
