Rob Blake
A towering defenseman whose powerful slap shot and leadership anchored teams from Los Angeles to a Stanley Cup in Colorado.
Born 1969 (age 57)·Canadian ice hockey player and executive·Birthday: December 10·Generation X
Biography
Rob Blake's 20-year NHL career was defined by a rare combination of size, skill, and smarts. Drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, the Ontario-born defenseman quickly became a cornerstone of the franchise, his blistering slap shot from the point a constant threat. He captained the Kings and in 1998 won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman, validating his all-around game. After a trade to Colorado in 2001, he reached the pinnacle, hoisting the Stanley Cup with a powerhouse Avalanche team. Blake later returned to L.A. to finish his playing days before moving seamlessly into management. As General Manager of the Kings, he architecturally steered the team through a rebuild, applying the lessons of his championship pedigree to the front office. His journey from franchise player to franchise builder completed a full circle in hockey.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rob was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
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
1974Started school
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
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 1998.
- Won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Colorado Avalanche in 2001.
- Served as captain of the Los Angeles Kings for five seasons.
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.
- As General Manager of the Kings, oversaw a significant team rebuild.
Did You Know?
He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot in his first game.
His number 4 jersey was retired by the Los Angeles Kings in 2015.
He played college hockey at Bowling Green State University.
He won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2002.
