Robert Bowlby Blake, born on December 10, 1969, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and executive. He most recently served as the general manager of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Blake was originally drafted by the Kings in 1988 and had an impressive career spanning several teams and international competitions. Let's delve into the details of his remarkable journey.
Early Years and College Career
Before making his mark in the NHL, Rob Blake honed his skills in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He then entered Bowling Green State University in 1987, where he played for their ice hockey squad for three years.
Rob Blake played his college hockey for the Bowling Green State University Falcons from 1987 to 1990, where he became one of the program’s finest defensemen. His collegiate career culminated in a stellar final season in 1989-90, during which he was named a Top 10 Finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the most outstanding player in NCAA men’s ice hockey. That year, he set a Falcons record for goals by a defenseman with 23, contributing to his 59 total points, and earned First Team All-CCHA honors and the CCHA’s Best Offensive Defenseman award. Blake’s performance at Bowling Green solidified his status as an elite prospect before he began his extensive professional journey.
He was selected 70th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Blake had completed his freshman year with Bowling Green State University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) when he was drafted and went on to play three years total in the college ranks, earning CCHA and NCAA West first All-Star team honors in 1990. Blake was also the first player to ever receive the CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman award.
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NHL Career
In 1988, Blake was recruited by the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. He suited up for four games with the team during the 1989-1990 season. He spent the next ten years skating exclusively for the squad, being named captain in 1996 and winning the James Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman in 1998.
After a 59-point campaign in his third season, Blake helped lead the Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, where they were defeated in five games by the Montreal Canadiens. In a season where Blake was kept to just six games due to injury, the Kings traded captain Wayne Gretzky to the St. Louis Blues at the 1995-96 trade deadline, leaving the team's captaincy vacant.
Near the end of the 2000-2001 season he was traded to the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and won the 2001 Stanley Cup with his new team. After 11 seasons in Los Angeles, Blake joined Colorado late in the 2000-01 season and made an immediate impact, scoring 10 points in the final 13 games of the regular season after being traded. In the 2001 playoffs, he played a second-round series against his former club, the Kings, before he won his first and only Stanley Cup with the Avalanche, adding 19 points in 23 playoff games.
On July 1, 2001, Blake re-signed with the Avalanche in the off-season to a five-year contract with an optional sixth year. As the Avalanche's top defenseman, Blake recorded his highest total with the Avalanche in recording 56 points in 75 games, third amongst NHL defenseman, in the 2001-02 season, before falling in their defense of the Stanley Cup in the Western Conference finals to the Detroit Red Wings.
In the following 2002-03 season, Blake recorded his 500th career point against the Minnesota Wild on October 29, 2002. In finishing fifth in Norris Trophy voting, Blake placed second amongst Avalanche defenseman with 45 points in 79 games. In each of his first three seasons with the Avalanche, he was selected to the NHL All-Star Game, and in the 2003-04 campaign, he was selected as a starter for the 2004 All-Star Game in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
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After losing a season to the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Blake returned for his final season under contract with the Avalanche in 2005-06. He continued his scoring presence amongst the Avalanche in recording 51 points in 81 games, the seventh time in his career he surpassed the 50-point plateau. After five years with Colorado, the Avalanche did not pick up his option for the 2006-07 season, making him a free agent.
Coming off a 51-point campaign with Colorado the previous year, Blake's production dipped upon his return to Los Angeles. He recorded 34 points in 2006-07, his lowest total since 1996-97.
Blake extended his contract with the Sharks, re-signing for another year at $3.5 million to avoid free agency.
After a two-season return to Los Angeles, Blake signed with the San Jose Sharks in 2008, retiring as its captain after the 2009-10 season. On June 18, 2010, Blake announced his final retirement from professional hockey.
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International Career
Along the way he won silver (1991) and gold (1994, 1997) medals playing for Canada at the World Championships and made non-medaling appearances at the 1998 and 1999 World Championships, as well as the 1998 Winter Olympics, scoring one goal in six games.
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The following year he suited up for six matches and scored one goal at the 2002 Winter Olympics and brought home one of Canada’s first gold medals in Olympic ice hockey in fifty years. Internationally, Blake played for Canada in three consecutive Winter Olympics in 1998, 2002, and 2006, winning gold in 2002 and becoming the 11th member of the Triple Gold Club.
Post-Retirement Career
On March 3, 2011, during a Los Angeles Kings telecast, Blake discussed his post-playing career as a hockey operations manager for the NHL, based in Toronto. Blake said, "This job kind of developed over the summer (of 2010) in talking with Brendan Shanahan. I played for a while in the NHL (20 years). As a former player, I can provide the league with some insight in various aspects of the game. I was able to stay on the West Coast (and commute to Toronto for work), so it worked out really well." He continued, "I watch the game much differently now, just because I've been in Toronto, in the war room.
Before the 2013-14 season, the Los Angeles Kings hired Blake as assistant general manager. The Kings won the Stanley Cup in his first year. On April 10, 2017, the Kings named Blake the vice-president and general manager of the team. In eight seasons as general manager, Blake led the Kings to the playoffs five times; however, the team never advanced past the first round, including four consecutive series losses to the Edmonton Oilers from 2022 to 2025. Blake out as Kings general manager, no replacement named NHL.com. May 5, 2025.
Personal Life
Blake and his wife Brandy have three children, sons Jack and Max, and daughter Brooke. His best friend is former NHL goaltender Dwayne Roloson, with whom he grew up playing hockey in Simcoe, Ontario. He is also distantly related to Hall of Famer Red Kelly.
Awards and Achievements
- James Norris Memorial Trophy (1998)
- Stanley Cup (2001)
- Olympic Gold Medal (2002)
- World Championship Gold Medals (1994, 1997)
- Triple Gold Club Member
- 7-time NHL All-Star
Key Statistics
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| NHL Draft | Drafted by Los Angeles Kings, 1988 (70th overall) |
| Teams | Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks |
| International | Canada (Olympics, World Championships) |