Mike Blaisdell

Mike Walter Blaisdell (born January 18, 1960 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a retired professional right winger who played in the NHL and later in the BHL. He was selected 1st (11th overall) in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Blaisdell most recently was the head coach of the 2003–04 British Elite Ice Hockey League Champions, the Sheffield Steelers. 
==Professional career==
===Minor league hockey and college===
Blaisdell joined the Regina Pats of the WCHL (renamed the WHL the following season) for the end of the regular season and throughout the playoffs. In the final six games of the season, Blaisdell knocked in 5 goals with 5 assists to end the regular season with 10 points and a 1.66 points per game average. He continued to help add points in the playoffs, but the Pats didn't make it past the semi-finals. The following season, Blaisdell joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison hockey team before returning to the Pats for the 1979–80 WHL season where the Pats finished first in the league but faltered in the playoffs.
===The NHL comes calling===
In the 1980 NHL Entry Draft the Detroit Red Wings decided to pick Blaisdell with their 11th overall pick. They placed him in their farm team the Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL and instantly saw his potential. After just 41 games, Blaisdell was called up to play for the Red Wings full time. In the 1981–82 season, Blaisdell really started to feel comfortable in the league and formed a solid unit with Mark Kirton and Paul Woods. He scored 23 goals and ended with 55 points that season as the Red Wings once again failed to reach the playoffs. He continued to chip in goals for the Red Wings and on June 13, 1983 was involved in a large trade to the New York Rangers with Willie Huber and Mark Osborne for Ron Duguay, Eddie Mio and Eddie Johnstone. 
Most of Blaisdell's time with the Rangers was spent in and out of their farm teams; the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League and the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL. After failing to find a role in the organization, he was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 7, 1985. He scored 15 goals and played some his best two-way hockey during the 1985–86 season but his playing time decreased the next year while splitting time with Pittsburgh's farm team the Baltimore Skipjacks. After that season, Blaisdell was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 10, 1987 and only played in 27 games for the Leafs for the following two years which would be his last in the National Hockey League.
===International play===
Blaisdell decided this time would be better spent on the Canadian National Team during the 1990–91 season. Part-way through, he changed his mind and decided to see what else was out there. He joined the roster of Schwenninger ERC in West Germany's Bundesliga for three games and then the Albany Choppers of the IHL before heading across the pond joining the Durham Wasps of the British Hockey League where he instantly became a fans favourite. There he went on to score a record-breaking 74 goals in 1991–92 leading the Wasps to the second of their back-to-back championships. Blaisdell added 41 points the following season before deciding to try his hand at coaching with the Nottingham Panthers. After coaching for half the year, Blaisdell felt he still offered more when he was on the ice and decided to return to doing what he knew best; scoring goals. In the 1995–96 season, Blaisdell scored 35 goals to finish with 81 points on the season. Blaisdell slowly drew away from the league (by then called the Ice Hockey Superleague), but would continue to play in a few games here and there until 2001 when he played his last four games for the Sheffield Steelers before retiring.
Blaisdell is arguably one of the greatest ice hockey players to have ever played in Great Britain, with few players ever since, coming close to matching his 343 NHL games and 154 NHL points.
===Coach Blaisdell===
Blaisdell again returned to coaching in the 2001–02 season with the team he last stepped on the ice for, the Sheffield Steelers. He slowly learned what it took to coach a professional team over the next three years and finished the 2003–04 season with a record of 44–8–3 and a 0.821 win percentage. He lead the Steelers to the league's best record and won the League Championship before retiring from hockey.
==Awards==
*Ice Hockey Journalists UK British Coach of the Year in 1994–95, 2000–01, 2002–03 and 2003–04.
*Inducted to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
*Inducted to the Sheffield Steelers Hall of Fame in 2006.
==Career statistics==
===Player===
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1980–81 	Adirondack Red Wings 	AHL 	 	41 	10 	4 	14 	8 	 	12 	2 	2 	4 	5
1980–81 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	32 	3 	6 	9 	10 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1981–82 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	80 	23 	32 	55 	48 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1982–83 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	80 	18 	23 	41 	22 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1983–84 	Tulsa Oilers 	CHL 	 	32 	10 	8 	18 	23 	 	9 	6 	6 	12 	6
1983–84 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	36 	5 	6 	11 	31 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1984–85 	New Haven Nighthawks 	AHL 	 	64 	21 	23 	44 	41 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1984–85 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	12 	1 	0 	1 	11 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1985–86 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 	 	66 	15 	14 	29 	36 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1986–87 	Baltimore Skipjacks 	AHL 	 	43 	12 	12 	24 	47 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1986–87 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 	 	10 	1 	1 	2 	2 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1987–88 	Newmarket Saints 	AHL 	 	57 	28 	28 	56 	30 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1987–88 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	18 	3 	2 	5 	2 	 	6 	1 	2 	3 	10
1988–89 	Newmarket Saints 	AHL 	 	40 	16 	7 	23 	48 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1988–89 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	9 	1 	0 	1 	4 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1989–90 	Canadian National Team	Intl 	 	50 	12 	18 	30 	40 	 	 	 	 	 	
1989–90 	Schwenninger ERC 	Bund 	 	3 	1 	0 	1 	0 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1990–91 	Albany Choppers 	IHL 	 	6 	2 	0 	2 	0 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1990–91 	Durham Wasps 	BHL 	 	18 	36 	35 	71 	114 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1991–92 	Durham Wasps 	BHL 	 	36 	74 	52 	126 	86 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1992–93 	Durham Wasps 	BHL 	 	13 	23 	18 	41 	46 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1994–95 	Nottingham Panthers 	BHL 	 	11 	7 	10 	17 	60 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1995–96 	Nottingham Panthers 	BHL 	 	52 	35 	46 	81 	124 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1996–97 	Nottingham Panthers 	BISL 	 	7 	2 	2 	4 	6 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1998–99 	Nottingham Panthers 	BISL 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	0 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2000–01 	Sheffield Steelers 	BISL 	 	4 	0 	1 	1 	0 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	343 	70 	84 	154 	166 	 	6 	1 	2 	3 	10
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===Coach===
  	  	 	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	
Season 	Team 	League	 	G 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	PCT 	Finished 	 	Playoffs
1993–94	Nottingham Panthers	BHL 	 	44 	26 	16 	2 	- 	.591 	5th 	 	Semi-final
1994–95	Nottingham Panthers	BHL 	 	44 	32 	8 	4 	- 	.727 	2nd 	 	Semi-final
1995–96	Nottingham Panthers	BHL 	 	36 	19 	12 	4 	- 	.528 	4th 	 	Runners up
1996–97	Nottingham Panthers	BISL 	 	44 	21 	20 	1 	2 	.477 	4th 	 	Runners up
1997–98	Nottingham Panthers	BISL 	 	44 	22 	18 	4 	0 	.500 	5th 	 	Preliminary Round Group A
1998–99	Nottingham Panthers	BISL 	 	42 	25 	14 	1 	2 	.595 	3rd 	 	Runners up
1999–00	Nottingham Panthers	BISL 	 	??? 	??? 	??? 	??? 	??? 	??? 	- 	 	-
1999–00	Sheffield Steelers 	BISL 	 	??? 	??? 	??? 	??? 	??? 	??? 	1st 	 	Semi-final
2000–01	Sheffield Steelers 	BISL 	 	48 	35 	9 	0 	4 	.729 	1st 	 	Winners
2001–02	Sheffield Steelers 	BISL 	 	48 	18 	18 	12 	0 	.375 	3rd 	 	Winners
2002–03	Sheffield Steelers 	BISL 	 	32 	18 	8 	5 	1 	.563 	1st 	 	Semi-final
2003–04	Sheffield Steelers 	EIHL 	 	56 	44 	8 	3 	1 	.786 	1st 	 	Winners
2005–06	Nottingham Panthers	EIHL 	 	42 	23 	11 	6 	2 	.548 	3rd 	 	Preliminary Round Group B
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
*
*British Hockey Hall of Fame entry
Category:Born in 1960
Category:Adirondack Red Wings players
Category:Albany Choppers players
Category:Baltimore Skipjacks players
Category:British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Calder Cup champions
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:Durham Wasps players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New Haven Nighthawks players
Category:Newmarket Saints players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Nottingham Panthers coaches
Category:Nottingham Panthers players
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:Schwenningen Wild Wings players
Category:Sheffield Steelers players
Category:Regina Pats alumni
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Tulsa Oilers (CHL) players
Category:Wisconsin Badgers players
Category:Retired in 2001