Colin Blackwell (born March 28, 1993) is an American professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

for the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL).

Early life

Blackwell was born on March 28, 1993, to parents Jim and Carla Blackwell in

North Andover, Massachusetts North Andover is an affluent town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 30,915. History Native Americans inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European c ...

. Growing up, he was a fan of the New England Patriots,

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

, Boston Celtics, and

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

. From 2004 until 2010, Blackwell played with the Valley Junior Warriors from Peewee minors through the U16 level.

Playing career

Collegiate

Blackwell played high school hockey with St. John's Prep in

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from 2007 to 2011. A standout with St. John's, where he recorded 66 points in just 25 games, Blackwell was selected by the

San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...

in the seventh round, 194th overall, in the

2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars host ...

. Blackwell embarked on a collegiate career with

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

of the ECAC. During his tenure with the Crimson, Blackwell was affected by a concussion injury, forcing him to sit out the majority of his junior and senior seasons. He returned towards the end of his senior year in 2014–15, appearing in 11 games to help the team claim the ECAC Tournament Championship. Following his redshirt senior season, Blackwell began his professional career in the 2016–17 season, signing a one-year AHL contract with the San Jose Barracuda, primary affiliate to the San Jose Sharks. In a checking line role, Blackwell produced 11 points in 57 games before making 15 post-season appearances in the playoffs.

Professional

As a free agent, Blackwell left the Sharks organization to participate in the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

rookie camp, before joining its AHL affiliate, the

Rochester Americans The Rochester Americans (colloquially known as the Amerks) are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League; the team is an owned and operated affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, ...

, on a professional tryout to begin the 2017–18 season. He produced 3 points in 8 games before securing an AHL contract with the Americans on November 2, 2017. He continued to find an offensive role with the Americans, increasing his points totals to lead all forwards with 17 goals and 45 points in 61 games. On July 3, 2018, Blackwell signed his first NHL contract as a free agent, agreeing to a two-year, two-way deal with the Nashville Predators. After attending the Predators training camp, Blackwell was re-assigned to start the 2018–19 season with AHL affiliate, the

Milwaukee Admirals The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...

. Despite missing 27 games through injury, Blackwell recorded 7 goals in 14 games to earn his first recall to the Predators on January 19, 2019. He made his NHL debut the same day, playing on the fourth line, in a 4–2 defeat to the Florida Panthers at

Bridgestone Arena Bridgestone Arena (originally Nashville Arena, and formerly Gaylord Entertainment Center and Sommet Center) is a multi-purpose venue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Completed in 1996, it is the home of the Nashville Predators o ...

On October 9, 2020, Blackwell was signed as a free agent a two-year contract worth $725,000 annually with the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

, with the second year of his contract on a one-way basis. In the pandemic delayed season, on January 24, 2021, Blackwell made his Rangers debut during a game against the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

and scored his first goal with the team, despite a 3–2 loss. On March 28, which happened to be Blackwell's 28th birthday, Colin scored a career-high two goals against the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...

. He became the eighth Ranger to have a multi-goal game on his birthday, the first player since Ryan Callahan on March 21, 2009. In a break out season with the Rangers, Blackwell finished with 12 goals and 22 points through 47 regular season games. On July 21, 2021, Blackwell was selected from the Rangers at the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft by the

Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and began play during the league's 2021–22 season. ...

. Blackwell scored eight goals and 17 points in 38 games for Seattle. On March 20, 2022, Blackwell was traded from Seattle at the NHL trade deadline to the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

with

Mark Giordano Mark Giordano (; born October 3, 1983) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He also previously played with the Calgary Flames for fifteen seasons, where he was the tea ...

in exchange for a second-round pick in 2022 and 2023 and a third-round pick in 2024. Blackwell scored two goals and three points in 19 games for Toronto to finish the regular season, then added one goal and two points in seven playoff games during the Leafs' first-round loss to the Lightning. On July 13, Blackwell signed a two-year, $2.4 million contract with the

as a free agent.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blackwell, Colin 1993 births Living people American men's ice hockey centers Chicago Blackhawks players Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey players Milwaukee Admirals players Nashville Predators players New York Rangers players Rochester Americans players San Jose Sharks draft picks San Jose Barracuda players Seattle Kraken players Toronto Maple Leafs players