Blair Chapman
A high-scoring winger who helped the Pittsburgh Penguins transition from a struggling franchise to a competitive force in the late 1970s.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: June 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Blair Chapman's hockey journey began in the wide-open spaces of Saskatchewan, leading him to a standout junior career with the Saskatoon Blades where his scoring touch turned heads. Drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1976, he arrived with the weight of a franchise's hopes on his shoulders. For five seasons, Chapman was a consistent offensive contributor on the Penguins' top lines, his gritty play and goal-scoring ability providing a spark for a team finding its footing. His career path later included stops with the St. Louis Blues and the Hartford Whalers, where his role evolved. While his name isn't etched on the Stanley Cup, Chapman's tenure in Pittsburgh is remembered as part of the essential groundwork that shifted the team's identity before the arrival of the superstar era.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Blair was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Blair Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Blair's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected 2nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft.
- Recorded a career-high 74 points (32 goals, 42 assists) during the 1978-79 NHL season.
- Played 501 regular-season games in the NHL, amassing 305 points (144 goals, 161 assists).
Did You Know?
He was part of the famous 1976 NHL Draft class that also included future Hall of Famers like Patrik Sundstrom and Bernie Federko.
Chapman played his junior hockey for the Saskatoon Blades, becoming a local star before his NHL career.
After his playing days, he returned to Saskatchewan and worked in the agricultural business.
“You have to be ready when your number is called, because you might only get one shot.”
