Mike Blaisdell

Last updated
Mike Blaisdell
Mike Blaisdell.png
Blaisdell circa 2001
Born (1960-01-18) January 18, 1960 (age 63)
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Toronto Maple Leafs
Schwenninger ERC
Durham Wasps
Nottingham Panthers
Sheffield Steelers
NHL Draft 11th overall, 1980
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 1980–2001

Michael Walter Blaisdell (born January 18, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1980 and 1989 and later in the British Hockey League (BHL) from 1990 to 2001. He was selected 11th overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Blaisdell later worked as a coach in the United Kingdom.

Contents

Professional career

Amateur and college hockey

Blaisdell was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. In 1978, Blaisdell joined the Regina Pats of the WCHL (later the WHL for the end of the 1977-78 regular season and the playoffs. [1] In the final six games of the season, Blaisdell scored 5 goals and 5 assists, for 10 points and a 1.66 points per game average. He added 11 points in 13 playoff games. The following season, Blaisdell played 20 games at University of Wisconsin–Madison before returning to the Pats for the 1979–80 WHL season.

NHL career

In the 1980 NHL Entry Draft the Detroit Red Wings took Blaisdell with their 11th overall pick. They placed him in their farm team the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League (AHL) and instantly saw his potential. After just 41 games, Blaisdell was called up to play for Detroit. In the 1981–82 season, Blaisdell formed a solid unit with Mark Kirton and Paul Woods. He scored 23 goals and ended with 55 points that season but the Red Wings failed to reach the playoffs. He continued to chip in goals for the Red Wings and on June 13, 1983 was involved in a large trade to the New York Rangers with Willie Huber and Mark Osborne for Ron Duguay, Eddie Mio and Eddie Johnstone.

Most of Blaisdell's time with the Rangers was spent in and out of their farm teams; the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League (CHL) and the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL. He won the 1983-84 CHL Championship (Adams Cup) as a member of the Tulsa Oilers team coached by Tom Webster. Due to bankruptcy, the Oilers suspended operations on February 16, 1984, and the team played only road games for final six weeks of 1983-84 season. Despite this adversity, the team went on to win the league's championship. [2] Blaisdell played in all nine playoff games, and lead the team in both goals (6 - tied with Bob Scurfield) and points (12 - tied with Gary Burns). [3]

After failing to find a role in the organization, he was claimed in the 1985 NHL Waiver Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 7, 1985. He scored 15 goals and played some of his best two-way hockey during the 1985–86 season, but his playing time decreased the next year while splitting time with Pittsburgh's farm team, the Baltimore Skipjacks. After that season, Blaisdell was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 10, 1987 but only played in 27 games for the Leafs for the following two years, which would be his last in the National Hockey League.

International play

Blaisdell played with the Canadian National Team during the 1990–91 season. Partway through, he changed his mind and decided to look for other opportunities. He joined the roster of Schwenninger ERC in West Germany's Eishockey-Bundesliga for three games and then the Albany Choppers of the International Hockey League (IHL) before heading back to Europe, joining the Durham Wasps of the British Hockey League where he instantly became a fan favourite. He went on to score a record-breaking 74 goals in 1991–92 leading the Wasps to the second of their back-to-back championships. Blaisdell added 41 points the following season before coaching with the Nottingham Panthers. After coaching for half the year, Blaisdell felt he still offered more when he was on the ice. In the 1995–96 season, Blaisdell scored 35 goals to finish with 81 points on the season. Blaisdell slowly drew away from the league (by then called the Ice Hockey Superleague), but would continue to play in a few games until 2001 when he played his last four games for the Sheffield Steelers before retiring.

Coach Blaisdell

Blaisdell again returned to coaching in the 2001–02 season with the team he last stepped on the ice for, the Sheffield Steelers, and finished the 2003–04 season with a record of 44–8–3 and a 0.821 win percentage. He led the Steelers to the league's best record and won the League Championship before retiring from hockey.

Personal life

Blaisdell's son Harrison played junior hockey for the Chilliwack Chiefs in the British Columbia Hockey League [4] and later attended the University of North Dakota.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1977–78 Regina Pat Blues SJHL 60704611643—————
1977–78 Regina Pats WCHL 6551021347110
1978–79 University of Wisconsin WCHA 2372919—————
1979–80 University of WisconsinWCHA10002—————
1979–80 Regina PatsWHL63713810962181692526
1979–80 Regina Pats M-Cup —————44590
1980–81 Detroit Red Wings NHL 3236910—————
1980–81 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 41104148122245
1981–82 Detroit Red WingsNHL8023325548—————
1982–83 Detroit Red WingsNHL8018234122—————
1983–84 New York Rangers NHL36561131—————
1983–84 Tulsa Oilers CHL 321081823966126
1984–85 New York RangersNHL1210111—————
1984–85 New Haven Nighthawks AHL6421234441—————
1985–86 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL6615142936—————
1986–87 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL101122—————
1986–87 Baltimore Skipjacks AHL4312122447—————
1987–88 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL183252612310
1987–88 Newmarket Saints AHL5728285630—————
1988–89 Toronto Maple LeafsNHL91014—————
1988–89 Newmarket SaintsAHL401672348—————
1989–90 Canadian National Team Intl5012183040—————
1989–90 Schwenninger ERC GER 31010—————
1990–91 Albany Choppers IHL 62020—————
1990–91 Durham Wasps BHL 18363571114824143818
1990–91 HC Sierre NDA 54046—————
1991–92 Durham WaspsBHL36745212686811132422
1992–93 Durham WaspsBHL1323184146—————
1994–95 Nottingham Panthers BHL117101760—————
1995–96 Nottingham PanthersBHL332633597781674
1996–97 Nottingham Panthers BISL 72246—————
1998–99 Nottingham PanthersBISL30110—————
2000–01 Sheffield Steelers BISL40110—————
AHL totals2458774161174122245
BHL totals1111661483143832436336944
NHL totals3437084154166612310

Coaching

  Regular season 
SeasonTeamLeagueGWLTOTLPCTFinishedPlayoffs
1993–94 Nottingham Panthers BHL 4426162—.5915thSemi-final
1994–95Nottingham PanthersBHL443284—.7272ndSemi-final
1995–96Nottingham PanthersBHL3619124—.5284thRunners up
1996–97 Nottingham Panthers BISL 44212012.4774thRunners up
1997–98 Nottingham PanthersBISL44221840.5005thPreliminary Round Group A
1998–99 Nottingham PanthersBISL42251412.5953rdRunners up
1999–00 Nottingham PanthersBISL————————
1999–00 Sheffield Steelers BISL——————1stSemi-final
2000–01 Sheffield SteelersBISL4835904.7291stWinners
2001–02 Sheffield SteelersBISL481818120.3753rdWinners
2002–03 Sheffield SteelersBISL3218851.5631stSemi-final
2003–04 Sheffield Steelers EIHL 5644831.7861stWinners
2005–06 Nottingham PanthersEIHL42231162.5483rdPreliminary Round Group B

Awards

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References

  1. ↑ "Mike Blaisdell hockey statistics & profile at". Hockeydb.com. 1960-01-18. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  2. ↑ "Special Features: The Tulsa Oilers were true road warriors". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  3. ↑ "1983-84 Tulsa Oilers [CHL] roster and player statistics at". Hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  4. ↑ Welsh, Eric (June 23, 2017). "Chilliwack Chiefs sign 16 year old away from WHL's Vancouver Giants". Chilliwack Progress. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  5. ↑ "1980 NHL Entry Draft - Mike Blaisdell". Hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  6. ↑ "1980 NHL Entry Draft - Mike Blaisdell". Hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  7. ↑ "1980 NHL Entry Draft - Mike Blaisdell". Hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  8. ↑ Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Sshof Forum". Hallofsteel.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
Awards
Preceded by
John Lawless
Dave Whistle
Dave Whistle
 BIHWA Coach of the Year
1994–95
2000–01
2002–03, 2003–04		Succeeded by
Paul Heavey
Dave Whistle
Paul Thompson
Sporting positions
Preceded by Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick
1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Kevin Murphy
 Nottingham Panthers Head Coach
1993–99		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Don McKee
 Sheffield Steelers Head Coach
1999–04		Succeeded by
Rob Stewart
Preceded by Nottingham Panthers Head Coach
2005–06		Succeeded by
Mike Ellis
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