Blake Coleman

Lore & Background

Coleman was born in Plano, Texas, to parents Sandy and Rusty, into an athletic family; his father played football at the University of Oklahoma and his sister Brooke played volleyball at Ohio University. His grandmother sparked his interest in ice hockey by taking him to Dallas Stars games as a toddler. He learned to skate at age five at a rink in Irving, Texas. As a youth, he played in the 2004 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Dallas Alliance minor ice hockey team. In middle school, he was recruited to attend a Detroit-based Catholic school and play for the Belle Tire 16U AAA team in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. After a season there, he returned to Texas and played two seasons with the Dallas Stars Elite Hockey Club. He then played in the United States Hockey League for the Tri-City Storm and Indiana Ice, winning the USHL scoring title in 2010–11 with 34 goals and 58 assists for 90 points, and receiving the USHL Player and Forward of the Year award. Coleman played collegiate hockey for the Miami RedHawks at Miami University from 2011 to 2015, earning a degree in business. He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third round, 75th overall, of the 2011 NHL entry draft.

Reader's Guide

Coleman's significance lies in his path from Texas youth hockey to NHL success. He was the second Texas-born player to win the Stanley Cup and the first to be exclusively trained in the state. His amateur career included a standout USHL season where he set records for multi-point games and plus-minus rating. At Miami University, he overcame an injury-shortened junior season to post career highs in goals, assists, and points as a senior, earning NCHC Tournament MVP honors. His professional career began with the New Jersey Devils after signing a two-year entry-level contract. Coleman's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021 cemented his legacy as a player who developed from Texas roots into a champion at the highest level.

Did You Know?

• Coleman's grandmother sparked his interest in hockey by taking him to Dallas Stars games as a toddler.
• He was drafted 75th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2011 NHL entry draft despite not being invited to the NHL Combine.