Jonathon Blum

Lore & Background

Blum grew up in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, and played roller hockey at age four before switching to ice hockey. He played minor hockey with the California Wave, a team that traveled to Canada and the Northeast United States for elite competition. In 2004, his family's house caught fire from a gas leak, killing his twin sister Ashley; shortly after, his mother was diagnosed with juvenile cancer, which she overcame by May 2006.

Blum played major junior hockey with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, helping the team win the President's Cup in 2006 and the Memorial Cup in 2007. He became the Giants' all-time assists leader and won the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as WHL top defenseman and CHL Defenceman of the Year in 2009. Internationally, he represented Team USA at the 2006 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament (silver), the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships, and the 2018 Winter Olympics, failing to medal in each.

Blum turned professional in 2009 with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. He made his NHL debut with the Predators on February 22, 2011, and scored his first NHL goal five days later. He appeared in 23 NHL games that season and played in the Stanley Cup playoffs, where the Predators eliminated the Anaheim Ducks in six games before losing to the Vancouver Canucks.

Early Life & Personal Tragedy

Jonathon Gregory Blum was born on January 30, 1989, in Long Beach, California, to John and Dana Blum. The family settled in Rancho Santa Margarita, roughly forty miles southeast, where he grew up as an avid surfer. His hockey path began with recreational roller hockey at four, then ice hockey a couple of years later.

He played minor hockey for the California Wave, coached by Jeff Turcotte, younger brother of former NHLer Alfie Turcotte. Lacking elite junior competition in California, the Wave traveled to Canada and the Northeast for top-level tournaments, posting second-place finishes in national Midget AAA and Bantam AAA championships and winning an international Bantam title in Kamloops, British Columbia, in 2004. A scout at one of those events led to his selection by the Vancouver Giants in the seventh round of the WHL junior draft.

Tragedy struck just before his first training camp. On April 2, 2004, a gas leak set the family home ablaze, killing his twin sister Ashley. He was a freshman at Trabuco Hills High School.

Shortly after, his mother was diagnosed with juvenile cancer. Blum nearly stayed in California to be near her but headed to Vancouver at her urging. She underwent heart surgery and chemotherapy, overcoming the illness by May 2006.

Major Junior Dominance with the Vancouver Giants

Drafted 134th overall in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft, Blum played four seasons with the Vancouver Giants, transforming from a 24-point rookie into the league's most dominant defenseman. In 2005-06 he helped the Giants capture the President's Cup as WHL champions and reach the Memorial Cup in Moncton, where they placed third. The following year he posted 51 points and a league-best +37 plus-minus, earning the WHL Plus-Minus Award, and the Giants defeated the Medicine Hat Tigers 3-1 in the Memorial Cup final to claim the franchise's first CHL title.

In 2007-08 he set Giants franchise records for single-season goals and points among defensemen with 18 and 63 respectively. The next season, elevated to team captain after Spencer Machacek's departure, Blum recorded his first WHL hat trick and, on February 7, 2009, became the Giants' all-time assists leader with his 148th assist. Despite a shoulder injury that cost him 21 games, he finished with 66 points in 51 games, earning the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL's top defenseman and the CHL Defenceman of the Year, edging out Dmitri Kulikov and Ryan Ellis.

NHL Draft & Professional Trajectory

Ranked 17th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Blum was selected 23rd overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2007 NHL entry draft, making him the first California-born-and-raised player to be taken in the first round. After being sent back to junior from Nashville's training camp in September 2007, he signed an entry-level contract with the Predators on December 17, 2007.

Turning professional in 2009, Blum spent parts of three seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals, the Predators' AHL affiliate, before eventually joining the Nashville roster. His professional journey has since carried him across borders; he currently plays for HC Pustertal Wölfe in the ICE Hockey League, a testament to a career that stretched well beyond the North American circuit.

International Career with Team USA

Blum has represented the United States on four separate occasions across his career. His international debut came at the 2006 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, where he helped Team USA capture the silver medal. He then suited up for the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships, though the Americans failed to reach the medal round in either tournament.

Nearly a decade later, Blum earned a spot on the 2018 Olympic roster, competing at the Winter Games. Once again the team fell short of the podium. Across these four international engagements, Blum carried the weight of a California kid who had risen through the WHL and into the NHL pipeline, representing his country on the world's biggest stages even when the results did not always reflect the effort.

Reader's Guide

Jonathon Blum's significance lies in his pioneering role as the first California-born-and-raised player selected in the first round of the NHL entry draft, breaking a geographic barrier for hockey development in a non-traditional market. His journey from roller hockey in Southern California to the WHL and NHL highlights the expanding reach of the sport. Blum's major junior career with the Vancouver Giants was distinguished by team championships and individual honors, including the WHL's top defenseman award and CHL Defenceman of the Year.

His international career with Team USA, though medal-less in later tournaments, included a silver at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. Blum's NHL tenure with the Predators was brief but included a playoff appearance and a memorable first goal. His legacy is tied to his role as a trailblazer for California-born players and his success at the junior level, which set a standard for future prospects from the region.

Did You Know?

• He won the WHL Plus-Minus Award in 2006–07 with a league-high +37.