Mackenzie Blackwood
Blackwood with the Binghamton Devils in 2019
Born (1996-12-09) December 9, 1996 (age 27)
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
NHL team
Former teams		 San Jose Sharks
New Jersey Devils
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 42nd overall, 2015
New Jersey Devils
Playing career 2016–present

Mackenzie Blackwood (born December 9, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Blackwood was the top-rated North American goaltender ranked in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's final rankings for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.[1] He was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Early life

Blackwood was born on December 9, 1996, in Thunder Bay, Ontario.[2] His father was involved in local ice hockey teams, while his mother played basketball and track and field.[3] He began playing ice hockey at the age of nine, comparatively late by Canadian standards, and temporarily quit after only a year.[4][5] When he was 12 years old, the goaltender for Blackwood's youth hockey team was injured, and Blackwood volunteered to mind the net in his place. He enjoyed the new position and became a full-time goaltender.[6] He played in house leagues with the Volunteer Pool Bearcats and Neebing Hawks before joining the Thunder Bay Kings of the Thunder Bay AAA Hockey League for the 2011–12 minor ice hockey season.[4] There, he won 15 games while posting a 3.08 goals against average (GAA).[7] The following season, he was recruited for the Elmira Sugar Kings of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League; the son of Elmira director of hockey operations Keith Stewart was a scout for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and wanted Blackwood to gain a year of development in a lower-tier junior ice hockey league before he was drafted by a Junior A-level team.[8]

Playing career

Junior

Following his performance in minor hockey, the Colts selected Blackwood in the fifth round of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection.[7] Originally a backup during his rookie 2013–14 season, Blackwood became the Colts' starting goaltender early in the season when Mathias Niederberger left the team and Alex Fotinos struggled in the role.[9] He earned his first shutout on November 1, stopping all 31 shots from the Niagara IceDogs.[10] After leading all rookies in both the OHL and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) with a 2.98 GAA and .902 save percentage (SV%) and leading OHL rookies with 23 wins, Blackwood was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team in 2014.[11] Although the Colts' OHL postseason run came to an end with a loss to the North Bay Battalion in the second playoff round, Blackwood was praised by coaches for his performance during the season, and he was expected to remain Barrie's starting goaltender for the remainder of his junior hockey career.[12]

The following season, Blackwood was selected as a member of the OHL All-Stars for the 2014 Subway Super Series.[13] He was also chosen to play the 2015 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, but was unavailable due to illness.[14]

Professional

New Jersey Devils

On December 30, 2015, Blackwood signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils, who had drafted him in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.[15] After playing for the Devils' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, Blackwood was assigned to the Adirondack Thunder, the Devils' ECHL affiliate, on January 1, 2018.[16]

Blackwood in 2019

Blackwood began the 2018–19 season with the Devils' AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils. He was recalled to New Jersey on December 17 after goaltender Cory Schneider was placed on injured reserve.[17] Blackwood made his NHL debut the following night in a 7–2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He replaced starter Keith Kinkaid in the third period and saved eight of ten shots.[18] On December 20, Blackwood made his first NHL start against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and although the Devils lost 2–1, Blackwood had an impressive performance, saving 36 of 38 shots.[19] On December 27, Blackwood recorded his first NHL win, a 5–2 victory over the Boston Bruins, with another strong performance, making 40 saves on 42 shots.[20] In only his third NHL start, Blackwood recorded 37 saves to earn his first shutout in a 2–0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on December 29.[21] Blackwood was named a Star of the Week following this performance.[22] Following another shutout victory on December 31 against the Vancouver Canucks, Blackwood became the first Devils rookie goaltender to post back-to-back shutouts. He also became the youngest Devils goaltender to record multiple regular season shutouts, surpassing Martin Brodeur.[23] On January 3, 2019, Blackwood was named to the North Division roster for the 2019 American Hockey League All-Star Classic.[24] On January 10, Blackwood was placed on injured reserve by the Devils due to a lower body injury he suffered on January 2.[25] He returned to the Devils lineup and played his first game since January 4 in a 3–2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on January 12.[26]

Blackwood screened by Alexander Ovechkin during a game in January 2022

On December 23, 2020, the Devils re-signed Blackwood to a three-year contract.[27]

San Jose Sharks

As a pending restricted free agent with the Devils at the conclusion of his three-year contract, Blackwood was traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round pick on June 27, 2023.[28] On July 1, 2023, he signed a two-year deal with the Sharks.[29] His debut came on October 14, in a 2–1 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche, in which he made 51 saves.[30]

International play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Canada
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 Slovakia

On June 24, 2015, Blackwood was one of only three goaltenders invited to attend Hockey Canada's U-20 summer development camp.[31] He was one of three goaltenders who represented the Canadian junior team at the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[32]

On April 29, 2019, Blackwood was named as the third-choice goaltender to the senior Canadian roster for the 2019 IIHF World Championship held in Slovakia.[33] He made his debut for Canada in a relief appearance, replacing Carter Hart for nine minutes in a 5–0 round robin victory over Denmark on May 20. He earned a silver medal as Canada progressed through to the playoff rounds before losing the final to Finland on May 26.[34]

Personal life

Blackwood was raised in Thunder Bay. His mother, Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott, is the President and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.[35] His father was a fan of the Colorado Avalanche and encouraged his son to cheer for them.[36][37]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T/OT MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2011–12 Thunder Bay Kings Mn Midget AAA TBJBHL 38 15 13 2 — 121 1 3.08 — — — — — — — — —
2012–13 Elmira Sugar Kings GOJHL 24 10 8 2 — 74 0 3.39 .911 — — — — — — — —
2013–14 Barrie Colts OHL 45 23 15 2 2,497 124 0 2.98 .931 10 5 4 552 24 1 2.61 .904
2014–15 Barrie Colts OHL 51 33 14 2 2,953 152 0 3.09 .931 9 5 4 562 27 0 2.88 .922
2015–16 Barrie Colts OHL 43 28 13 0 2,452 111 2 2.72 .914 13 6 5 796 36 1 2.71 .915
2016–17 Albany Devils AHL 36 17 14 3 2,048 87 3 2.55 .907 4 1 3 254 9 1 2.13 .928
2017–18 Binghamton Devils AHL 32 7 17 6 1,810 103 2 3.41 .882 — — — — — — — —
2017–18 Adirondack Thunder ECHL 5 2 1 1 242 10 0 2.48 .920 5 3 1 240 4 1 1.00 .964
2018–19 Binghamton Devils AHL 20 8 10 1 1,139 56 1 2.95 .902 — — — — — — — —
2018–19 New Jersey Devils NHL 23 10 10 0 1,264 55 2 2.61 .918 — — — — — — — —
2019–20 New Jersey Devils NHL 47 22 14 8 2,685 124 3 2.77 .915 — — — — — — — —
2020–21 New Jersey Devils NHL 35 14 17 4 2,091 106 1 3.04 .902 — — — — — — — —
2021–22 New Jersey Devils NHL 25 9 10 4 1,400 79 2 3.39 .892 — — — — — — — —
2022–23 New Jersey Devils NHL 22 10 6 2 1,126 60 0 3.20 .893 — — — — — — — —
2022–23 Utica Comets AHL 2 1 1 0 119 6 0 3.03 .891 — — — — — — — —
NHL totals 152 65 57 18 8,564 424 8 2.97 .906 — — — — — — — —

International

Year Team Event Result GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2016 Canada WJC 6th 3 0 2 0 183 12 0 3.95 .858
2019 Canada WC 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1 0 0 0 9 0 0 0.00 1.000
Junior totals 3 0 2 0 183 12 0 3.95 .858
Senior totals 1 0 0 0 9 0 0 0.00 1.000

Awards and honours

Award Year
OHL
First All-Rookie Team 2013–14 [38]
Subway Super Series OHL All-Stars 2014–15 [39]
First Team All-Star 2015–16
Goaltender of the Year 2015–16 [40]

References

  1. ^ "Four Colts ranked highlighted by G Blackwood". The Barrie Examiner. April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  2. ^ "Mackenzie Blackwood Stats and News". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  3. ^ Kuzma, Ben (June 26, 2015). "Position 'surreal' for Blackwood". The Province. Retrieved December 2, 2021 – via PressReader.
  4. ^ a b "Blackwood set to take next step". The Chronicle-Journal. June 25, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  5. ^ Mazzeo, Mike (January 21, 2019). "In a Lost Season, the Devils May Have Found a Goalie of the Future". The New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  6. ^ McGran, Kevin (December 30, 2015). "Mackenzie Blackwood standing tall in goal for Team Canada". Toronto Star. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Dunick, Leith (April 7, 2012). "Four Kings players taken in OHL draft". TBNewsWatch.com. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  8. ^ Neilson, Whitney (August 8, 2015). "Former Kings goalie Mackenzie Blackwood taken in NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils". The Observer. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  9. ^ "Hulking Colts rookie takes up a lot of net". Barrie Examiner. October 11, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  10. ^ Gibson, Shawn (November 6, 2013). "Barrie Colts' Blackwood gets first OHL career shutout". Barrie Advance. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  11. ^ Annelin, Tom (April 21, 2014). "Net Shots: OHL recognizes rookie Blackwood". The Chronicle-Journal. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  12. ^ Gibson, Shawn (April 16, 2014). "Barrie Colts season comes to an end". Barrie Advance. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  13. ^ "OHL announces 2014 Super Series rosters". Subway Super Series. November 13, 2014. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  14. ^ "2015 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game: Big third period helps Team Orr coast to 6–0 victory – Hockey's Future". January 23, 2015.
  15. ^ "Junior goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood signs 3-year entry contract with Devils". National Hockey League. December 30, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  16. ^ "GOALTENDER MACKENZIE BLACKWOOD ASSIGNED TO ADIRONDACK". echlthunder.com. January 1, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  17. ^ "Devils place goaltender Cory Schneider on injured reserve". sportsnet.ca. December 17, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  18. ^ Stein, Amanda (December 18, 2018). "Devils fall to Maple Leafs". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  19. ^ @NJDevils (December 21, 2018). "Mackenzie Blackwood saw 38 SOG in his first @NHL start but the #NJDevils fall just short of a comeback. #NJDvsCBJ" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Kalman, Matt (December 27, 2018). "Blackwood gets first NHL win, Devils defeat Bruins". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  21. ^ "Blackwood's first NHL shutout lifts Devils past Hurricanes". National Hockey League. December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  22. ^ "Kane leads 3 Stars of the Week". National Hockey League. December 31, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  23. ^ "Blackwood's second straight shutout lifts Devils past Canucks". National Hockey League. December 31, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  24. ^ "AHL All-Star rosters filled with NHL first-round picks, call-ups". National Hockey League. January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  25. ^ "Ice Chips: Devils place G Blackwood on IR". The Sports Network. January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  26. ^ Mike G. Morreale (January 12, 2019). "Blackwood makes 32 saves, Devils top Flyers to end skid at three". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  27. ^ "RELEASE: Devils Re-Sign Blackwood to Three-Year Deal". National Hockey League. December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  28. ^ "Sharks acquire Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood from New Jersey". San Jose Sharks. June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  29. ^ "Sharks Sign Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood". National Hockey League. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  30. ^ "Stellar Sharks Debut for Blackwood but Sharks Fall Short in Shootout". National Hockey League. October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  31. ^ "Thunder Bay's Mackenzie Blackwood earns national junior team invite". June 24, 2015.
  32. ^ "Team Roster for Canada, 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships" (PDF). IIHF. January 2, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  33. ^ "Hockey Canada names 22 players to 2019 IIHF World Championship roster". Hockey Canada. April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  34. ^ "Finland defeats Canada for Gold Medal at World Championship". The Sports Network. May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  35. ^ Dunick, Leith (July 19, 2016). "Patients thrilled to see Stanley Cup at hospital". tbnewswatch.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  36. ^ Leith Dunick (April 29, 2015). "Thunder Bay's Mackenzie Blackwood highly ranked heading into NHL draft". tbnewswatch.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019. As a youngster, the 18-year-old Thunder Bay goalie said he was indoctrinated by his father to cheer for the Colorado Avalanche.
  37. ^ Mike Mazzeo (January 21, 2019). "In a Lost Season, the Devils May Have Found a Goalie of the Future". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2019. A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Blackwood rooted for the Colorado Avalanche as a child because his father was a fan of Joe Sakic.
  38. ^ nurun.com (September 29, 2023). "Colts named to all-rookie team". Barrie Examiner.
  39. ^ "OHL offense comes alive in 5–1 win over Russia". Subway Super Series. November 13, 2014. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  40. ^ "Mackenzie Blackwood Named OHL Goaltender of the Year". Ontario Hockey League. April 1, 2016. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.

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