Colin Blackwell

Lore & Background

Blackwell grew up in North Andover, Massachusetts, and played high school hockey at St. John's Prep from 2007 to 2011. In his senior season, he recorded 26 goals and 24 assists for 50 points in the regular season, plus 16 points in five Division 1A tournament games, earning the Mr. Hockey Award from ESPN Boston. He was inducted into the St. John's Prep Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022. Blackwell played collegiate hockey at Harvard University, where in his second season he suffered two concussions four months apart, causing him to miss most of that season and the entire following season. He returned to play two more seasons, helping Harvard win the ECAC Tournament in 2015 and receiving the Joe Tomasello Unsung Hero Award from the New England Hockey Writers in 2016.

After college, Blackwell began his professional career in the San Jose Sharks organization, playing for their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. He then spent a season with the Buffalo Sabres' AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, where he led all Americans forwards with 17 goals and 45 points. In 2018, he signed his first NHL contract with the Nashville Predators, making his NHL debut on January 19, 2019, and scoring his first NHL goal on January 9, 2020, against the Chicago Blackhawks. He later played for the New York Rangers, was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 expansion draft, and was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, with whom he made his Stanley Cup playoff debut. Blackwell joined the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022 and signed with the Dallas Stars two seasons later.

Reader's Guide

Colin Blackwell's career is notable for his perseverance through significant injury setbacks. After suffering two concussions in college that cost him nearly two full seasons, he returned to play two more years at Harvard and eventually earned an NHL contract. His path to the NHL included stops in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda and Rochester Americans, where he led the Americans in scoring before signing with Nashville. Blackwell's first NHL goal came against the Chicago Blackhawks, the team he would later join. His selection by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 expansion draft and subsequent trade to Toronto added to his journeyman profile. With the Blackhawks, he contributed as a depth forward during a rebuilding period. His signing with Dallas in 2024 continued his career as a veteran center. Blackwell's story underscores the challenges of recovering from head injuries and the determination required to establish a professional hockey career after such setbacks.

Did You Know?

• Blackwell was drafted 194th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2011 NHL entry draft.
• He missed the entire 2013–14 season due to concussion symptoms.
• Blackwell scored his first NHL goal against the Chicago Blackhawks on January 9, 2020.

High School Dominance and a Late Draft Selection

Colin Blackwell grew up in North Andover, Massachusetts, where he played minor hockey with the Valley Junior Warriors from 2004 to 2010 before joining the Boston Junior Whalers for a spring and summer stint. His true breakout came at St. John's Prep, where he played from 2007 to 2011. In his senior year, he posted 26 goals and 24 assists for 50 points with a +42 rating in the regular season, then added 16 points across five Division 1A playoff games, finishing with 66 points in just 25 games. ESPN Boston recognized him with the Mr. Hockey Award as the top male high school player in the region. Despite this dominance, pre-draft rankings placed him 173rd among North American skaters. On June 27, 2011, the San Jose Sharks selected him in the seventh round, 194th overall, a late pick that would set the stage for a long, winding path to the NHL. In 2022, St. John's Prep inducted him into its Athletics Hall of Fame.

Harvard Years and Overcoming Concussions

Blackwell joined the Harvard Crimson in the ECAC Hockey conference in 2011, making his collegiate debut against Princeton and scoring his first goal against Colgate shortly after. His freshman campaign ended with 19 points, and he was named a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award, given to the best American-born college hockey player in New England. However, his trajectory was dramatically interrupted by two concussions four months apart during the 2012-13 season, which cost him most of that year and the entirety of 2013-14. He returned in late February 2015, and in the ECAC Tournament, he scored multiple goals against Brown and an empty-netter against Colgate to help Harvard claim the conference title. In his final season, he played at Madison Square Garden against Quinnipiac, recording a goal and two assists. The New England Hockey Writers honored him with the Joe Tomasello Unsung Hero Award for his resilience and production.

The Long Road to the NHL

After Harvard, Blackwell's professional journey began in the AHL. He started with the San Jose Barracuda in 2016, scoring his first professional goal against Bakersfield and finishing the season with 11 points in 57 games, plus three goals in 15 Calder Cup playoff games. As a free agent, he joined the Buffalo Sabres organization in 2017, impressing at rookie camp with two goals in the opening prospects challenge game. He signed with the Rochester Americans and led all their forwards with 17 goals and 45 points in 61 games. In 2018, he finally signed his first NHL contract with the Nashville Predators. Over two seasons, he split time between Nashville and the Milwaukee Admirals, making his NHL debut and playing his first league games. At the end of his contract, he signed with the New York Rangers before being selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 expansion draft.

A Journeyman's Path Across the NHL

Blackwell's NHL career has been defined by movement and perseverance. During the Kraken's inaugural season, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he made his Stanley Cup playoff debut, a milestone that capped years of work in the minors. In 2022, he joined the Chicago Blackhawks, spending two seasons with the organization before signing with the Dallas Stars. His path from a 194th overall pick to a player who has suited up for five different NHL franchises, Nashville, New York, Seattle, Toronto, and Chicago, now Dallas, reflects a career built on grit rather than headline-making stardom. He also continued his connection to youth hockey, serving as a coach with the Boston Junior Whalers program in later years. His story is one of a player who never stopped working toward his dream, even when the road stretched longer than most could imagine.

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