Blake Dalton

Player Profile
 
Blake Dalton
Position: Center
Team: St. John’s Privateers
Favourite Team:  Colorado Avalanche
Favourite Player:  Pavel Datsyuk
Role Model:  Matt Duchene
 
 
The 2014 Chronicle Herald East Coast IceJam tournament will not only feature the skills and talents of many young hockey players, but also reveal how they and their team mates handle the pressures of an intense tournament in front of family, fans and scouts.  Examples of sportsmanship, perseverance, fortitude and leadership will be readily apparent in every round robin and elimination game. 
 
Veteran Major Midget players, like Blake Dalton of the St. John’s Privateers will be asked by their coaches to step up and lead their younger team mates.  Asked about his role as an Assistant Captain on the Privateers, Blake says, “I try to lead by example on the ice and in off-ice activities.”  “We have a lot of young players and our coaches encourage us captains to be leaders and help out the rookies.”  Blake Dalton remembers when he was a rookie, “Ben Cleary was my role model.  He was a third year player on the Privateers, a good leader, and he really helped me out”.  Like Ben did for me, I am trying to do the same this year for the young guys on the team.”    
 
This year, the Privateers are in an unfamiliar spot in the standings of the Newfoundland Major Midget League – last place.   In previous years, the Privateers were one of the dominant franchises in Newfoundland, often representing the league at the Atlantics as League Champions.   This season they are the youngest team in the Newfoundland League with 11 first year players.   According to Blake, the Privateers’ coaches have been instrumental in his development as a player and they encourage all the players to get better each day and to keep striving for success.  “This season, the coaches added a third practice to our weekly schedule just to focus on skill development like shooting and stick handling and battle drills,” Blake says.  “It is a great environment to come to practice, work hard and learn.  The Privateers are a great team to be a part of.”
 
Despite their low standing in the Newfoundland Major Midget League, the Privateers achieved better results at the Monctonian hockey tournament than many of their rivals.   “We didn’t know anything about the other teams we were playing”, Blake says, “We just went out and played our game and did our best.”   On Wednesday at the IceJam Tournament, the Privateers will have a rematch with the Rothesay Rivermen, the team they defeated at the Monctonian.  Following that game, the Privateers will face the Cape Breton Tradesmen and the Kensington Wild.  Asked if he knew anything of these teams Blake said, “Doesn’t Mitchell Balmas play for the Tradesmen?  I am looking forward to playing against him.”
 
Outside of the rink, Blake is in Grade 11 and attends St. Kevin’s High School in Goulds, NL.  He is a first class honor student and prefers Math and Science as subjects over Social Studies and the Arts.  Blake says, “I hope to play Junior A hockey next year in Ontario or Alberta and try and get an NCAA scholarship.  Eventually, I would like to pursue a degree in Engineering or Medicine.”
Good luck to Blake and the Privateers this week at the IceJam.