In a four-year span from 1986 to 1990, the Bowling Green hockey program went 114-58-9, winning a Central Collegiate Hockey Association championship and a CCHA playoff championship.
Rob Blake (1987-90) and Nelson Emerson (1986-90) were big parts to those teams that made four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Tonight, the two NHL stars return to the BG Ice Arena for Rob Blake bobble head Night starting with an autograph signing at 6 p.m.
“It’s exciting having two of the premier players and premier people we’ve had through our program come back,” head coach Scott Paluch said. “These guys have meant a lot to our program, not only in what they did on the ice while they were here, but how they conduct themselves. They are great ambassadors for the game of hockey and more importantly for BG hockey.”
Blake, a 14-year veteran of the NHL, is considered by many today as one of the top defensemen in the world. In 2001, he helped the Colorado Avalanche to the Stanley Cup championship before going on to help Team Canada win the gold medal in the 2002 Olympics.
The 1991 all-rookie team member started his career with the Los Angles Kings after his junior season, before being traded to the Avalanche in 2001. In 903 NHL games, Blake has scored 186 goals and recorded 400 assists. In the 1997-98 season he added a James Norris Trophy (best NHL defenseman) to his list of accolades which also includes making five All-Star appearances.
In three years, he put up 104 points from 39 goals and 65 assists. A 1990 Hobey Baker Award Finalist as a junior, he was named to the All-CCHA first team after being named to the second team as a sophomore.
“Its special being back in BG, I haven’t been here in seven or eights years,” Blake said. “I’m forever indebted to BG for what it did for me maturing as a person, player and helping get me ready for the years to come in the NHL.”
The lockout this season has forced Blake into a break which he has used to spend more time with his family at their home in California.
“I have two young kids, so I have had a lot of family time,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed this time; it’s a forced time off so I’ve taken it as time to be around my kids. I still train, obviously you got to be ready in case so we skate around a few times during the week, but the rest is just spending time with family in the afternoons.”
Much like Blake, Emerson has had more family time as well in the past few seasons after retiring in 2002. He spends his time involved with youth hockey teams and still enjoys being around the rink as he is a coaches aide with the Kings.
In 12 NHL seasons, Emerson played in 776 games scoring 195 goals and tallying 294 assists for a career total of 489 points. He started his career in 1990 with the St. Louis Blues before going on to play for Winnipeg, Hartford, Carolina, Chicago, Ottawa, Atlanta and finishing his last few years with the Kings.
While at BG, Emerson was a two-time first team All-CCHA selection ending his career as the Falcons all-time leading scorer with 294 points, which ranks seventh in NCAA history.
He, like Blake was also a Hobey Finalist as he was nominated three times in his four seasons.
“It’s nice to be back and around,” he said. “This place gave me a base and catapulted me into my future in the NHL. It allowed me to mature academically and also physically as a hockey player.”
“It’s not all the hockey moments here that stand out as much as the moments I had as a college athlete,” he added. “On the ice, I remember the fans and the students being very active as we use to fill the arena each night. Then off the ice, it was the moments just being a college student and not trying to cause too much trouble that I look back on.”
Coach Paluch was a teammate of both players as he played for the Falcons from 1984-88 and knew that his teammates could become something special.
“We’re talking about two elite players here,” Paluch said. “Nelson was a player, that when he picked up the puck he would bring people right out of their seats, he was that electric and dynamic of a player. Then Blake was just a young guy, who came in my senior season and you knew was really going to be something.”
Both players will be in attendance tonight as free bobble heads will be given out to the first 700 fans in the arena. The Falcons host Notre Dame at 7:05 p.m. in crucial CCHA series.
