GRANT BLAKEY
Mercyhurst
Sr. | C | Canton, Mich.

Grant Blakey

Key Statistics: Blakey stormed into Atlantic Hockey as one of its most productive freshmen in 2009-10, ranking third among rookies with 27 points and 11 goals and posting an impressive plus-16 rating. His numbers have cooled off since then, but his value has gone up, says coach Rick Gotkin. He posted nine goals and 23 assists as a sophomore and added four goals and 16 points during a junior season in which he missed eight games to injury – notably, Mercyhurst was 4-4 in his absence, scoring two-or-fewer goals in five of those contests. He returned in time for the playoffs and was credited with an assist in the game one victory over Holy Cross. In 105 career games, he has 24 goals, 42 assists and 66 points.

What He Does: The normally quiet Blakey lets his game speak for itself. He’s a top-six forward who skates well, understands the game and plays on the power play and penalty kill. He’s very good in the defensive zone, especially on draws. At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Blakey can take a check or make one in order to make a play. Depending on the situation, Blakey is always on the puck when the Lakers are down and he makes smart plays when the team is trying to hold a lead.

The Bigger Picture: When Gotkin asks his players whom they would like to play alongside, Blakey’s name invariably comes up. Blakey will reprise his role on the special teams, and will add the title of captain for his senior season. Gotkin has asked Blakey to be more assertive on offense and take more shots; if he follows through, Gotkin expects Blakey to have his best season offensively.

Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin on Blakey: “He is an unsung kind of kid. He is not a guy who shows up on the score sheet every night but he does so many little things. We just think he’s invaluable to us. … Really, he is one of the most complete players that we’ve had. He is just a complete kid who I think is going to have a great year and hopefully move on to bigger and better things.’’