Blake Geoffrion
Encyclopedia
Blake Geoffrion is an American professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 player who is currently playing for the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 (NHL). He was a second round selection of the Predators, 56th overall, at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
2006 NHL Entry Draft
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....

.

Geoffrion began his professional career in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 (AHL) with the Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...

 during the 2010 playoffs
2009–10 AHL season
The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11...

, and made his NHL debut on February 26, 2011. In doing so, he became the first fourth-generation player in the league's history, after his father Dan
Dan Geoffrion
Daniel Geoffrion is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 111 games in the National Hockey League and 78 in the World Hockey Association. He played with the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and Quebec Nordiques. He is the son of NHL Hall of Famer Bernie Geoffrion and grandson of...

, grandfather Bernie
Bernie Geoffrion
Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...

 and great-grandfather Howie Morenz
Howie Morenz
Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre for three National Hockey League teams: the Montreal Canadiens , the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers...

.

A graduate of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program
USA Hockey National Team Development Program
The National Team Development Program was started in 1996 by USA Hockey as a way to identify elite ice hockey players in the country under the age of 18, and centralize their training. There are two teams in the program, an Under-17 squad and an Under-18 squad. The teams are both based in Ann...

, Geoffrion represented Team USA
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...

 three times. He was a member of the gold medal winning team at the 2006 IIHF World U18 Championship and won bronze at the 2007 World Junior Hockey Championship. He moved on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he enjoyed a standout college 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 the Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...

 as the top college player in the United States.

College

Geoffrion was born in Plantation, Florida
Plantation, Florida
Plantation is the name of the following places in the U.S. state of Florida:*Plantation, Florida, a city in Broward County; the largest of the places named "Plantation" in Florida*Plantation, Sarasota County, Florida, a census-designated place...

, but grew up in Brentwood, Tennessee
Brentwood, Tennessee
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,445 people, 7,693 households, and 6,808 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,889 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.63% European American, 1.89% African American,...

. He first attended the Culver Military Academy
Culver Academies
The Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school and summer camp in the United States. The Culver Academies is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy for boys, Culver Girls Academy , and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps . Collectively known as Culver Academies located...

 where he helped his team win the Indiana state championship in 2003. He was invited to join the USA Hockey National Team Development Program
USA Hockey National Team Development Program
The National Team Development Program was started in 1996 by USA Hockey as a way to identify elite ice hockey players in the country under the age of 18, and centralize their training. There are two teams in the program, an Under-17 squad and an Under-18 squad. The teams are both based in Ann...

 (USNTDP) where he spent two seasons between 2004 and 2006. He made his international debut with Team USA
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...

 at the 2006
2006 IIHF World U18 Championships
The 2006 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Ängelholm and Halmstad, Sweden. The championships began on April 12, 2006 and finished on April 22, 2006. Games were played at Ängelholms Ishall in Ängelholm and Sannarps Isstadion in Halmstad...

 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. He scored five points in six games in the tournament for the gold medal winning Americans. From the USNTDP, Geoffrion was recruited to play with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey
The Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The team plays at the Kohl Center and is coached by former Badger and NHL player Mike Eaves...

.

Geoffrion joined the Badgers in 2006–07 where he led the team in penalties
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

 with 62 minutes. He again played for Team USA, this time at the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 2007 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Arena in Mora, and Ejendals Arena in Leksand...

 where he appeared in all seven of his team's games, registering one assist as the Americans won a bronze medal. In his sophomore season, Geoffrion improved to 30 points overall, and tied for the team lead with 19 points in Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....

 (WCHA) play. His teammates named him the most competitive player on the Badgers. He returned to the World Junior Hockey Championships in 2008
2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship, or, as it is commonly referred to in Canada as the 2008 World Juniors and the United States, the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships is the 2008 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships...

, scoring one point in six games while the Americans failed to win a medal.

Named co-captain of the Badgers in his sophomore 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. Serving as a tri-captain, he led the WCHA in goal scoring in 2009-10 with 19, and was second in the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 (NCAA) with 28. He reached the 50-goal plateau for his college career on March 13, and 100 points on February 19. 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.

He was named a first-team all-star in both the WCHA and the NCAA-West. Additionally, Geoffrion was named US College Hockey Online's national player of the year, Soon after the Badgers reached the 2010 NCAA championship game, Geoffrion was named the winner of the Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...

 as the top player in American college hockey. In doing so, he became the first Wisconsin player to win the award. Geoffrion and the Badgers were unable to cap off their season with a championship, however, losing 5–0 to the Boston College Eagles before a world indoor record crowd of 37,592 at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...

 in Detroit.

Professional

Following his sophomore season with the Badgers, the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 made Geoffrion their second round selection, 56th overall, at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
2006 NHL Entry Draft
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....

. 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
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...

 to conclude the 2009–10
2009–10 AHL season
The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11...

. He appeared in three playoff games with the Admirals, and scored two goals.

The Predators signed Geoffrion to a 2-year entry-level contract on June 15, 2010, making him the first native of Tennessee to sign an NHL deal. He was assigned back to Milwaukee to begin the 2010–11 AHL season
2010–11 AHL season
The 2010–11 AHL season is the 75th season of the American Hockey League. An all-time high of thirty teams will play 80 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on October 8, 2010 and ended on April 10, 2011...

 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 since Jim Carey in 1994.

As a result of his improved play Geoffrion was recalled to Nashville on February 25, 2011. After Jared Ross
Jared Ross
Jared Ross is an American professional ice hockey center who plays for ERC Ingolstadt of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . When he debuted with the Philadelphia Flyers at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, he became the first player born and trained in the state of Alabama to play in the NHL...

, he became the second player raised in the American South to participate in an NHL game. One night later, he made his National Hockey League debut against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...

. He scored his first NHL goal, in his third game, against Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 goaltender Martin Gerber
Martin Gerber
Martin Gerber is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Växjö Lakers Hockey of the Elitserien...

 on March 1.He registered his first hat trick on March 20, 2011, against the Buffalo Sabres.

Family and personal life

Upon making his debut with the Predators, Geoffrion became the NHL's first fourth generation player. His great-grandfather (paternal grandmother's father) was Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...

r Howie Morenz
Howie Morenz
Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre for three National Hockey League teams: the Montreal Canadiens , the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers...

, and the man named the best hockey player of the first half of the 20th century by the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...

. His paternal grandfather, Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion
Bernie Geoffrion
Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...

, is also a Hall of Famer and the man who invented the slap shot. (Hence the nickname "Boom-Boom".) His father, Dan
Dan Geoffrion
Daniel Geoffrion is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 111 games in the National Hockey League and 78 in the World Hockey Association. He played with the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and Quebec Nordiques. He is the son of NHL Hall of Famer Bernie Geoffrion and grandson of...

, played three NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 and Winnipeg Jets. Geoffrion's uncle by marriage, Hartland Monahan
Hartland Monahan
Hartland Patrick Monahan is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. His father-in-law is the late Hall of Famer Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, and is the father of former Major League Baseball player Shane Monahan....

, was also an NHL player, while Hartland's son Shane
Shane Monahan
Shane Hartland Monahan is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He played his entire, but brief career for the Seattle Mariners . He is a graduate of Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia and attended Clemson University...

 is a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 player.

Geoffrion was close to his grandfather, and was the last person "Boom Boom" spoke to before his death in 2006. Geoffrion wears #5 in his honor, while his teammates have nicknamed him "Boomer", after his grandfather. He has three brothers: Nick, Sebastien and Brice.

He majored in consumer affairs at Wisconsin, and is associated with a marketing firm in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....

. He continues to learn about marketing and public relations, and writes a weekly blog for Nashville newspaper The Tennessean
The Tennessean
The Tennessean is the principal daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky....

.

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

Team League GP G
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

A
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

Pts
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

PIM
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

GP G A Pts PIM
2004–05 U.S. National Development Team
USA Hockey National Team Development Program
The National Team Development Program was started in 1996 by USA Hockey as a way to identify elite ice hockey players in the country under the age of 18, and centralize their training. There are two teams in the program, an Under-17 squad and an Under-18 squad. The teams are both based in Ann...

USDP
USA Hockey National Team Development Program
The National Team Development Program was started in 1996 by USA Hockey as a way to identify elite ice hockey players in the country under the age of 18, and centralize their training. There are two teams in the program, an Under-17 squad and an Under-18 squad. The teams are both based in Ann...

48 9 18 27 86 10 2 5 7 23
2005–06 U.S. National Development Team USDP 54 18 23 41 68
2006–07 University of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey
The Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The team plays at the Kohl Center and is coached by former Badger and NHL player Mike Eaves...

WCHA
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....

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
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...

AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

3 2 0 2 0
2010–11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 45 11 26 37 38 1 0 2 2 2
2010–11 Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

20 6 2 8 7 12 0 2 2 4
NHL totals 20 6 2 8 7 12 0 2 2 4

International

Year Team Comp GP G A Pts PIM
2006
2006 IIHF World U18 Championships
The 2006 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Ängelholm and Halmstad, Sweden. The championships began on April 12, 2006 and finished on April 22, 2006. Games were played at Ängelholms Ishall in Ängelholm and Sannarps Isstadion in Halmstad...

United States WJC18
IIHF World U18 Championships
The IIHF World U18 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April and is organized according to a system similar to Ice Hockey World Championships and World...

6 1 4 5 8
2007
2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 2007 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Arena in Mora, and Ejendals Arena in Leksand...

United States WJC
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...

7 0 1 1 6
2008
2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship, or, as it is commonly referred to in Canada as the 2008 World Juniors and the United States, the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships is the 2008 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships...

United States WJC 6 0 1 1 8
Junior int'l totals 19 1 6 7 22

Awards and honors

  • 2009–10
    2009–10 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season
    The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 8, 2009 and concluded with the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 10, 2010 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...

    : First-team All-WCHA
    Western Collegiate Hockey Association
    The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....

     honors
  • 2009–10: Consensus first-team All-American honors
  • 2009–10: Consensus player of the year honors
  • 2009–10: Hobey Baker Memorial Award (Top U.S. Collegiate Player)
  • 2010: Nominated for ESPY Award for Best Male College Athlete

External links

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