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Samuel Blais

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Sammy Blais
Sammy Blais.jpg
Blais with the St. Louis Blues in 2019
Born (1996-06-17) June 17, 1996 (age 28)
Montmagny, Quebec, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
KHL team
Former teams		 Ak Bars Kazan
St. Louis Blues
New York Rangers
National team  Canada
NHL draft 176th overall, 2014
St. Louis Blues
Playing career 2016–present

Samuel "Sammy" Blais (born June 17, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently with the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the sixth round, 176th overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, and has also played in the National Hockey League for the Blues and New York Rangers.

He played junior ice hockey with Trois-Rivières Estacades and Lévis Commandeurs in the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League (QMAAA) before entering the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He split his time between the Commandeurs and the Victoriaville Tigres before being selected 176th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Blais spent three seasons in the QMJHL, the latter portion with the Charlottetown Islanders, before making his professional debut with the Chicago Wolves during the 2016–17 season.

Carrying his scoring touch from juniors, Blais helped the Wolves reach the postseason in his rookie year before eventually making his NHL debut on October 14, 2017. During his early years with the Blues organization, Blais alternated between the San Antonio Rampage and St. Louis consistently, resulting in hockey pundits jokingly referring to the highway between the two cities as the Sammy Blais Expressway. As a member of the Blues, Blais helped the team win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2019.

Early life

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Blais was born on June 17, 1996, in Montmagny, Quebec[1] to parents Sébastien and Marie-Josée and siblings Étienne and Florence.[2] His older brother Étienne also plays hockey and last played for the Montmagny Décor Mercier in the Ligue Hockey Côte-Sud.[3] Growing up, he played summer hockey with future NHL player Daniel Sprong until they were 10 or 11 years old.[4]

Playing career

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Junior

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Blais began his junior ice hockey career playing with the Rive-Sud Express in Quebec, where he recorded 10 goals with 16 assists in 23 regular season games.[5] He played in the 2008 and 2009 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with the Rive-Sud Est and later Rimouski.[6] During the summer of 2012, Blais attended the Lévis Commandeurs training camp but failed to make the jump to AAA midget.[7] As this was his second time failing to make the final roster, Blais stated he "thought it was the end of my hockey career."[8] Instead, he caught the attention of general manager Frédéric Lavoie of Trois-Rivières Estacades who, after listening to praise from his assistant Pascal Luneau and scout Jean-Philippe Glaude, signed him to their team.[7] Blais competed with the Trois-Rivieres during the 2012–13 season, where he recorded 16 goals and 24 assists to help them qualify for the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League (QMAA) playoffs.[5]

Blais was originally selected 129th overall in the 2013 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft by the Victoriaville Tigres[5] but was reassigned to the Commandeurs out of the Tigres' training camp.[9] At the time of his draft selection, Blais stood at 5'9 but was praised for having "undeniable potential for development."[10] After spending the remainder of the 2013–14 season split between the Commandeurs and the Tigres, Blais was chosen in his first year of eligibility by the St. Louis Blues in the sixth round, 176th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.[11] Blais was unaware he had been drafted and only learned through Twitter. He impressed the coaches during the Blues' Development Camp during the summer and earned an invitation to their training camp in September.[12]

Blais rejoined the Tigres for the 2014–15 season where he posted a career high 82 points in 61 games. After losing in the playoffs, Blais signed an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) with the St. Louis Blues' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, on April 22, 2015.[13] He was eventually released from his contract,[14] and attended the Blues' Prospect Camp in July.[15] He rejoined the Tigres for his final junior season where he led the team in scoring. By November 14, 2015, Blais was signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues.[16] He produced 40 points in 30 games before he was dealt by the Tigres to the Charlottetown Islanders on December 20, 2015.[17]

Upon his arrival with the Islanders, Blais continued his scoring prowess and spent time on their penalty kill.[18] Blais continued his offensive output in leading the Islanders to finish with a combined 82 points in just 63 games.[1] His scoring helped lead the Islanders to the QMJHL Quarter-finals against the Shawinigan Cataractes, where they lost in six games.[19] At the conclusion of the season, Blais was nominated for the teams' Offensive Player of the Year Award and Three Stars Award.[20] When reflecting on his years playing junior hockey, Blais has stated "I was not really a physical player....But when I came into pro hockey, ‘Chief’ (Berube) told me I was a big guy, I could use my shoulders more. I started doing it, and I think it was another aspect to my game. When I started using it, I became a better player. I think that's why I'm in the NHL today."[21]

Professional

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St. Louis Blues

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Embarking on his professional career, Blais was assigned by the St. Louis Blues to American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, for the 2016–17 season.[22] He recorded two shots on goal during his AHL debut on October 14, 2016, against the Grand Rapids Griffins[23] and consistently played on a line with Magnus Paajarvi and Wade Megan.[24] While with this pairing, he recorded his first professional goal on November 5, in a 4–2 win over the Griffins.[25] Blais carried over his scoring ability from junior to lead the Wolves in scoring with 26 goals in 75 games.[26] He helped the team qualify for the 2017 Calder Cup playoffs, where they lost in five games to the Griffins in the Central Division Finals.[27]

After attending the Blues training camp the following summer, Blais with a strong showing was potentially earmarked to make NHL roster for the 2017–18 season.[28] He played with the Blues for their preseason games, during which he was hit from behind by Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson. This resulted in Wilson receiving a five-minute major, a game misconduct, and a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety.[29] However, he was among the Blues final cuts and was reassigned to open the season with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL.[30] After playing in two games with the Rampage, Blais received his first call-up to the NHL,[31] forcing him to travel cross-country and arrive in Tampa Bay.[28] He made his NHL debut that night on October 14, 2017, in a 2–1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning[32] and recorded his first career NHL goal on November 26, to help the Blues win 6–3 over the Minnesota Wild.[33] While playing with the Blues on December 16, against the Winnipeg Jets, he suffered a lower body injury[34] and missed two weeks to recover. Upon his return to the lineup on January 5, he was reassigned to the Rampage.[35] He played in the AHL alongside Tage Thompson and Zach Sanford before being recalled for the fifth time to the NHL level on February 19, 2018.[36] Overall, Blais alternated between San Antonio and St. Louis six times throughout the season, resulting in some reporters to joking refer to the highway between the two cities as the Sammy Blais Expressway.[37]

Blais holding a miniature Stanley Cup during the 2019 Stanley Cup parade

Blais was once again invited to the St. Louis Blues training camp prior to the 2018–19 season,[38] and recorded four goals in four games during their pre-season games.[39] His efforts were noticed and he cracked the Blues' opening night roster against the Winnipeg Jets.[40] His assignment was short-lived as he was reassigned to the Rampage on October 23, 2018, after playing in eight games.[41] He spent nine games at the AHL level, registering two goals and 16 penalty minutes, before earning a recall to the NHL.[42] Once again, Blais spent the season alternating between the AHL and NHL as the Blues qualified for the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Blais made his playoffs debut in Game 6 of the Second Round of the Western Conference and recorded his first NHL playoff goal to push the series to seven games.[43] Blais and the St. Louis Blues eventually won the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins, to bring St. Louis their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.[44]

Blais was one of the many members of the Blues' Stanley Cup winning team who returned to their opening night roster for the 2019–20 season.[40] He impressed coach Craig Berube at the beginning of the season and was assigned a top line position alongside David Perron and Ryan O'Reilly.[45] After playing in 20 games and recording eight points, Blais missed 10 weeks to recover from wrist surgery as a result of an injury suffered during a 3–1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.[46] He returned to the Blues lineup on January 28, 2020, for a game against the Calgary Flames, after missing 28 games.[47] While the NHL was suspended due to COVID-19, he signed a two-year, $3 million contract extension with the Blues.[48]

When the NHL returned for the 2020–21 season, Blais made the Blues' opening night roster against the Colorado Avalanche. During the first game of the season, Blais illegally checked Devon Toews's head and was subsequently given a two-minute penalty for elbowing.[49] Following the game, Blais was suspended for two games and forfeited $25,862.06 to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.[50]

New York Rangers

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On July 23, 2021, Blais was traded, along with a 2022 second-round pick, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Pavel Buchnevich.[51] He registered four assists in 14 games before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on November 15 against the New Jersey Devils following a dangerous collision with P. K. Subban. Blais was ruled out for the remainder of the 2021–22 season.[52]

Return to St. Louis

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Blais checking Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken in 2024.

On February 9, 2023, Blais was traded back to the Blues as part of a package for former teammates Niko Mikkola and Vladimir Tarasenko.[53] On March 2, Blais was signed to a one-year contract extension.[54]

Abbotsford Canucks

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At the conclusion of his contract with St. Louis Blues, Blais ended his second tenure with the club by leaving as a free agent. Un-signed over the summer, Blais later agreed to a one-year AHL contract with the Abbotsford Canucks on August 22, 2024.[55] He was simultaneously invited to attend NHL affiliate, the Vancouver Canucks, 2024 training camp on a professional tryout (PTO).[56] On September 30, Blais was released from the PTO after failing to make the team in camp.[57]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Finland/Latvia

On May 5, 2023, Blais was named to Canada men's national ice hockey team at the 2023 IIHF World Championship where he recorded six goals and two assists in ten games.[58] During the 2023 IIHF World Championship Final, he recorded two goals, including the game-winning goal to help Canada win a gold medal.[59]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2012–13 Trois-Rivières Estacades QMAAA 42 16 24 40 42 10 8 4 12 4
2013–14 Lévis Commandeurs QMAAA 21 12 23 35 12 — — — — —
2013–14 Victoriaville Tigres QMJHL 25 4 10 14 0 4 0 1 1 0
2014–15 Victoriaville Tigres QMJHL 61 34 48 82 50 4 2 3 5 4
2015–16 Victoriaville Tigres QMJHL 30 17 23 40 19 — — — — —
2015–16 Charlottetown Islanders QMJHL 33 16 26 42 14 12 4 15 19 14
2016–17 Chicago Wolves AHL 75 26 17 43 58 10 3 5 8 18
2017–18 San Antonio Rampage AHL 42 17 23 40 38 — — — — —
2017–18 St. Louis Blues NHL 11 1 2 3 6 — — — — —
2018–19 St. Louis Blues NHL 32 2 2 4 6 15 1 2 3 10
2018–19 San Antonio Rampage AHL 26 8 10 18 55 — — — — —
2019–20 St. Louis Blues NHL 40 6 7 13 20 8 1 3 4 12
2020–21 St. Louis Blues NHL 36 8 7 15 12 4 1 0 1 4
2021–22 New York Rangers NHL 14 0 4 4 17 — — — — —
2022–23 New York Rangers NHL 40 0 5 5 8 — — — — —
2022–23 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 5 4 0 4 8 — — — — —
2022–23 St. Louis Blues NHL 31 9 11 20 22 — — — — —
2023–24 St. Louis Blues NHL 53 1 6 7 31 — — — — —
NHL totals 257 27 44 71 122 27 3 5 8 26

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2023 Canada WC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 10 6 2 8 6
Senior totals 10 6 2 8 6

Awards and honours

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Award Year Ref
NHL
Stanley Cup champion 2019 [44]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sammy Blais". eliteprospects.com. Elite Propsects. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  2. ^ Pinkert, Chris (December 5, 2017). "Blais excited for homecoming in Montreal". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  3. ^ "Étienne Blais". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  4. ^ "Islanders forwards Blais, Sprong played together as kids". charlottetownislanders.com. Charlottetown Islanders. December 29, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Samuel Blais". hockeysfuture.com. Hockeys Future. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Ducharme, Nicolas (July 2, 2014). "Repêchage de la LNH: la surprise d'une vie pour Samuel Blais" (in French). Le Nouvelliste. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  8. ^ Chaumont, Jean-François (December 5, 2017). "Samuel Blais: Une Belle Histoire". tvasports.ca (in French). TVA Sports. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  9. ^ "5 joueurs retranchés par les Tigres". tigresvictoriaville.com (in French). August 26, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  10. ^ Chauvette, Ghyslain (June 30, 2014). "Un potentiel de développement indéniable". La Nouvelle. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  11. ^ "Strickland: Breaking down the Blues' 2014 draft class". Fox Sports. June 30, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  12. ^ Dubé, Kevin (March 8, 2015). "Le parcours improbable de Samuel Blais" (in French). Le Journal de Montréal. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  13. ^ "Wolves Add Seven Ahead Of Game 1". chicagowolves.com. Chicago Wolves. April 22, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Wolves Make Roster Moves". chicagowolves.com. Chicago Wolves. April 26, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  15. ^ "Blues Prospect Camp Set for July 6–9". nhl.com. National Hockey League. June 30, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  16. ^ "Blues sign Blais to entry-level deal". St. Louis Blues. November 14, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  17. ^ "Islanders acquire Blais from Victoriaville for Goulet". charlottetownislanders.com. Charlottetown Islanders. December 20, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  18. ^ "Blais helped to ignite Islanders' offence in second half". charlottetownislanders.com. Charlottetown Islanders. March 7, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  19. ^ "Isles' season comes to an end in Shawinigan". charlottetownislanders.com. Charlottetown Islanders. April 17, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  20. ^ "2016 Fan Choice Awards Winners". charlottetownislanders.com. Charlottetown Islanders. March 15, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  21. ^ Thomas, Jim (April 18, 2020). "Blues' Blais has found a home in St. Louis". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  22. ^ "Wolves Announce 2016–17 Opening Night Roster". chicagowolves.com. Chicago Wolves. October 13, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  23. ^ "Tale of the Tape: October 15, 2016 vs. Grand Rapids". chicagowolves.com. Chicago Wolves. October 15, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  24. ^ "Tale of the Tape: Nov. 4, 2016 vs. Milwaukee". chicagowolves.com. Chicago Wolves. November 4, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  25. ^ "Wolves Clip Griffins 4–2". chicagowolves.com. Chicago Wolves. November 5, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  26. ^ "Wolves Roundup: May 1–7, 2017". chicagowolves.com. Chicago Wolves. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  27. ^ "Griffins Take Game 5 To End Wolves Calder Cup Hopes". chicagowolves.com. Chicago Wolves. May 13, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  28. ^ a b Timmerman, Tom (October 14, 2017). "Blues notebook: Blais goes cross-country to make NHL debut". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  29. ^ "Capitals' Tom Wilson to have hearing for hit on Blues' Sam Blais". sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. October 2, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  30. ^ "Blues have 23-man roster set for opening night". St. Louis Blues. October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  31. ^ Pinkert, Chris (October 13, 2017). "Blues recall Blais from San Antonio". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  32. ^ "Kucherov scores in 5th straight game, Lightning beat Blues". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 14, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2020. {{cite web}}: More than one of |work= and |website= specified (help)
  33. ^ "Jaden Schwartz scores twice, Blues beat Wild 6-3". Fox Sports. Associated Press. November 26, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  34. ^ Solomon, David (December 17, 2017). "Winnipeg Jets stymied by hot goalie in loss to St. Louis Blues". globalnews.ca. Global News. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  35. ^ "Blues activate Blais from IR, assign him to Rampage". Fox Sports. January 5, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  36. ^ Timmerman, Tom (February 19, 2018). "Blues notebook: Blais is back again". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  37. ^ Thomas, Jim (September 4, 2018). "Blais wants to work back into the mix for Blues". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  38. ^ Pinkert, Chris (September 10, 2018). "Blues to begin training camp on Sept. 14". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  39. ^ Pinkers, Chris (September 28, 2018). "Blues giving Blais a good look in preseason". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  40. ^ a b Pinkert, Chris (October 2, 2018). "Blues roster set for Opening Night". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  41. ^ "Blais assigned to San Antonio". nhl.com. National Hockey League. October 23, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  42. ^ "Sammy Blais Recalled to St. Louis". oursportscentral.com. Our Sports Central. November 15, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  43. ^ "Blais Answers The Call in Stanley Cup Playoff Debut". sarampage.com. San Antonio Rampage. May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  44. ^ a b Pickens, Pat (July 31, 2019). "Blais scrubs Stanley Cup before parade in Quebec hometown". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  45. ^ Korac, Lou (October 6, 2019). "Sammy Blais running with prominent new role for Blues". ksdk.com. KSDK. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  46. ^ "Blues forward Sammy Blais to miss at least 10 weeks with wrist injury". sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. November 20, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  47. ^ "Blues' Sammy Blais returns after 28-game absence due to wrist surgery". ESPN.com. January 28, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020. {{cite web}}: More than one of |work= and |website= specified (help)
  48. ^ "Blues, Blais agree to two-year extension". tsn.ca. The Sports Network. April 15, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  49. ^ "Blais to have hearing for actions in Blues game". nhl.com. National Hockey League. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  50. ^ "Blais suspended two games for actions in Blues game". nhl.com. National Hockey League. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  51. ^ "Rangers acquire Sammy Blais and second round pick in 2022". New York Rangers. July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  52. ^ Stephenson, Colin (November 15, 2021). "Rangers lose forward Sammy Blais to apparent knee injury". Newsday. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  53. ^ "Tarasenko traded to Rangers by Blues". NHL.com. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  54. ^ Pinkert, Chris (March 2, 2023). "Blais agrees to one-year contract extension". NHL.com. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  55. ^ "Canucks sign Blais to AHL contract". American Hockey League. August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  56. ^ "Canucks sign Blais to a PTO". X. August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  57. ^ Kuzma, Ben (September 30, 2024). "Canucks: Sammy Blais released from PTO after facing long roster odds". The Province. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  58. ^ "20 players named to Canada's National Men's Team for 2023 IIHF World Championship". Hockey Canada. May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  59. ^ "Blais scores 2 as Canada downs Germany 5-2 for record 28th title at hockey worlds". The Washington Post. May 28, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
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