Blair Atcheynum

Last updated
Blair Atcheynum
Born (1969-04-20) April 20, 1969 (age 55)
Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Right
Played for Ottawa Senators
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Chicago Blackhawks
NHL draft 52nd overall, 1989
Hartford Whalers
Playing career 1989–2001

Blair Michael Atcheynum (born April 20, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. Atcheynum from Sweetgrass First Nation is of Cree descent.

Contents

Playing career

Atcheynum was selected in the third round, 52nd overall, by the Hartford Whalers in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft after scoring 70 goals in 71 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League during the 1988–89 season. He never reached the NHL with the Whalers and was later claimed by the new Ottawa Senators in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft. [1]

He spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues but was able to break into the NHL for a total of 196 games over four seasons. He got his first taste of the NHL during the 1992–93 NHL season when he played four games for the Ottawa Senators, although he spent the majority of the season with their farm team, the New Haven Senators of the American Hockey League. It would take another four years to make it as a regular in the NHL. He played in 61 games (scoring a respectable 11 goals and 15 assists) during the 1997–98 NHL season for the St. Louis Blues after signing with the team as a free agent. The main reasoning behind Atcheynum being called up to the Blues during this period was due to the lack of depth on their roster early on in the 1997-98 season. [2] With St. Louis, Atcheynum would typically play on a line with Craig Conroy and Scott Pellerin that was fondly referred to as the "CPA Line". Blues general manager Larry Pleau was impressed by Atcheynum's hard work, saying "Blair's not a player in the bottom third of our roster. He's one of our first nine forwards. He can move up to the first or second line without missing a step if we need him". [3]

The next year he was selected in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft by the newly formed Nashville Predators. He played 53 games with the Predators before being traded back to St. Louis for a sixth-round draft pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. In 1999 he was signed as a free agent by the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he played 66 games between 1999 and 2001. Atcheynum retired as a professional hockey player in 2001.

Atcheynum is currently an assistant coach with the Battlefords North Stars of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League [4] Atcheynum is said to have been taking major strides with the North Stars program, as reports show that locals describe the North Stars level of play as "fast and intelligent hockey, free of buffoonery of the goon hockey that many people detest". [5] He was also most recently honoured at the 2012 First Nation Games, alongside Fred Sasakamoose, who was the first treaty Indian to play in the NHL. Atcheynum and Sasakamoose were recognized as role models at both the summer and winter games as hope for young First Nations athletes. [6]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1985–86 Battlefords North Stars SJHL 331614304162026
1985–86 Saskatoon Blades WHL 1914522—————
1986–87 Saskatoon BladesWHL210444—————
1986–87 Swift Current Broncos WHL52130—————
1986–87 Moose Jaw Warriors WHL123032—————
1987–88 Moose Jaw WarriorsWHL6032164852—————
1988–89 Moose Jaw WarriorsWHL71706813870725713
1989–90 Binghamton Whalers AHL 7820214145—————
1990–91 Springfield Indians AHL7225275242130666
1991–92 Springfield IndiansAHL621621376461122
1992–93 New Haven Senators AHL5116183447—————
1992–93 Ottawa Senators NHL 40110—————
1993–94 Columbus Chill ECHL 1615122710—————
1993–94 Portland Pirates AHL20000—————
1993–94Springfield IndiansAHL401822401360220
1994–95 Minnesota Moose IHL 1746107—————
1994–95 Worcester IceCats AHL5517294626—————
1995–96 Cape Breton Oilers AHL7930427265—————
1996–97 Hershey Bears AHL774245875713611176
1997–98 St. Louis Blues NHL6111152610100002
1998–99 Nashville Predators NHL53861416—————
1998–99St. Louis BluesNHL122242131346
1999–00 Chicago Blackhawks NHL4757126—————
2000–01 Chicago Wolves IHL71010—————
2000–01 Norfolk Admirals AHL37128201640006
2000–01 Chicago BlackhawksNHL191232—————
NHL totals19627336036231348

Awards

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References

  1. ↑ "LegendsofHockey.net - Blair Atcheynum". legendsofhockey.net. 2010-08-18. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  2. ↑ Gare, Joyce (29 January 1998). "Blues struggling with lack of depth: Hull returns to lineup against Maple Leafs". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ont. p. S3. ProQuest   1143330371.
  3. ↑ Gare Joyce (1998-03-09). "Lost causes? Wait just a minute". The Sporting News . Archived from the original on 2005-03-15. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  4. ↑ "North Stars staff". Battlefords North Stars. 2010-08-18. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2010-08-18..
  5. ↑ "Battlefords North Stars hockey club is appreciated". 16 January 2014.
  6. ↑ Cuthand, Doug (5 April 2012). "First Nations games a big-league affair". Star - Phoenix. Saskatoon. p. A.13. ProQuest   977911036.
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