Robert Bowlby Blake (born September 2, 1969, in
Simcoe, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey
defenseman, currently with the Los Angeles Kings of
the National Hockey League.
Rob Blake was drafted 70th overall in 1988 by the
Los Angeles Kings, with whom he played for twelve
seasons. While there, he reached the Stanley Cup
final in 1993, losing to the Montreal Canadiens, and
eventually became the Kings' captain after Wayne
Gretzky was traded to St. Louis in 1996.
In 2001, Blake was traded to Colorado, winning the
Stanley Cup that same year. After four seasons with
Colorado, on October 20, 2005, Rob Blake learned
that the Avalanche would not pick up his option for
the 2006-2007 NHL season, making him a free agent.
He re-signed with his former team, the Kings, for
two years ($6 million per year) on July 1, 2006. On
September 28, 2007, the Kings named Rob Blake as
team captain.
Blake was selected to play for the Canadian Olympic
teams of 1998 and 2002, winning gold in 2002. He
also was selected to play for Canada at the 2006
Olympics. His most productive NHL season was
1993-94, when he had 68 points. In 1997-98, Blake
received the James Norris Trophy as the NHL's best
defenseman for the year.
He and his wife have two children. His best friend
in the NHL is Edmonton Oilers goaltender Dwayne
Roloson, whom he grew up playing hockey with in
Simcoe. He is also closely related to Hall of Famer
Red Kelly.
