E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120: Blake Coleman #101

By Eldon MacDonald

101. Blake Coleman - “Grandma’s Man” - C – USA

Vitals: Size - 5’10”, 198 lb.; Shoots left; Born 28-Nov-91 - Plano, TX
Team: Indiana, USHL
2010-11 Stats: 59-34-58-92-72-(+52) + USHL playoffs 5-2-2-4-10-(-1)

Rankings:
101 - E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120
198 - Christopher Ralph's Top 210
264 - NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings (198th North American skater)
Draft result:
75 - New Jersey Devils

Thanks Grandma is all I can say!!! How does a kid from Plano, Texas just outside of Dallas become the USHL scoring champion and winner of both the 2010-11 USHL Player of the Year and the 2010-11 USHL Forward of the Year as determined by a vote of League coaches and general managers. Yes, it was Grandma who started taking little Blakey to Dallas Stars games - then he tried a little roller blading and finally real skates and the rest is history including:
1. 2004 3rd place at Tier II National with Alliance PeeWee AA
2. 2005 7th place at Tier I Nationals with Alliance Bantam AAA
3. 2007 Michigan State Champions with Belle Tire Midget Major AAA
4. 2008 5th Place at Tier 1 Nationals with Dallas Stars Midget Major AAA
5. 2009-10 USHL - Tri-City/Indiana - 56-10-18-28-56-(-10)
6. 2010-11 USHL - Indiana - 59-34-58-92-72-(+52) - the only player in the USHL to exceed 90 points since Thomas Vanek (46g, 45a) in 2001-02 for the Sioux Falls Stampede and Tomas Vanek seems to have turned out OK.
7. 2011-12 CCHA - University of Miami (Ohio) commit

So what type of player is he, I think his coach, Charlie Skjodt, is the best qualified to answer that. This is what he had to say @ http://www.ushl.com/news/story.cfm?id=3869 “He reminds me a little of Bobby Clarke because he is a strong two-way player – he can score, is solid in the defensive zone, kills penalties, and plays in the final minutes of the game. He is the hardest working kid in the League in my opinion."

In summary, Blake is a draft eligible this year as an overager because he played more a defensive role last year and didn’t have the same opportunities that he had this year. However, he made use of the extra year by working hard to make his body more muscular so that he could not only compete better but win his competitions. As for skills, he has the shot, he has the wheels, he has the hockey sense to add to his high determination and compete levels in the trenches or open ice and has been known to drop “em” a few times as well. Thanks again, Grandma!!!