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.
“A good defenseman is always thinking two steps ahead of the play.”
