Grant Blair

Grant Blair (born August 15, 1964) is a Canadian retired ice hockey goaltender who was an All-American for Harvard.
==Career==
Blair had a fairly charmed junior career, playing on a Burlington Cougars squad that won the Sutherland Cup. The following season he jumped up to Junior-A hockey with the Guelph Platers, and helped the team win the OJHL regular season title, the league championship, the Buckland Cup, the Dudley Hewitt Cup and the Eastern Canada Championship. The team finished as runners-up in the 1982 Centennial Cup for the national Junior-A championship.
Blair arrived in Boston just as Harvard was again becoming a power in college hockey. In his freshman season, Harvard need one of its goaltender to step into the starter's role due to the graduation of Wade Lau. Blair quickly established himself in goal and backstopped the Crimson to its best finish in eight years. Blair allowed less than 2 goals per game in Harvard's first conference championship in twelve years and the team returned to the NCAA Tournament. The top-seeded Crimson squeaked by Michigan State in the quarterfinals and then downed Minnesota to make their first ever appearance in the NCAA Championship Game. While Harvard was soundly defeated by Wisconsin, Blair had performed so well during the season that he was selected by the Calgary Flames in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.
Graduations took their toll on Harvard the following season and, though they won their division, the team finished below .500 with paltry offense. Blair's numbers were only slightly worse, however, and he led Harvard to having the #2 defense in the conference. After Blair's sophomore season, several teams from ECAC Hockey left to form a new conference, Hockey East. That, compiled with the team's offense recovering, enabled the Crimson to finish second in their conference in 1985. Blair's heroics helped the team finish with one of the top defenses in the country and was 4th in the nation with a 2.89 goals against average. While Harvard made the NCAA tournament once more, they lost both of their quarterfinal games.
As a senior, Blair was even better for Harvard. He set numerous career records for the program as well as several single-season highs. Most have since been surpassed but his name still appears all of Harvard's record book. Blair led the team to a first-place finish, their first since 1975, and though the team was upset in the conference semifinal, they did receive an at-large bid to the 1986 NCAA Tournament. Harvard and Blair were dominant through their first three games, charging into their second NCAA title game with their eye on the crown. The game began well for Harvard and the Crimson had a lead after each of the first two periods, but Michigan State would not go away and the Spartans' powerful offense began wearing down the Crimson D. MSU scored three goals in the third, the last with under 3 minutes to play, and Harvard could not fins the equalizer before time ran out. Despite being named an All-American, Blair could not lift Harvard to an elusive championship and left the program as the all-time winningest goaltender, a position he still holds as of 2021.
After graduating, Blair played two seasons of professional hockey in the IHL before hanging up his pads in 1988.
==Statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	W 	L 	T 	MIN 	GA 	SO 	GAA 	SV% 		GP 	W 	L 	MIN 	GA 	SO 	GAA 	SV%
1980–81 	Burlington Cougars 	CJBHL 		— 	— 	— 	— 	1367 	78 	0 	3.42 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1981–82 	Guelph Platers 	OJHL 		20 	— 	— 	— 	1601 	85 	1 	3.18 	.826 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1982–83 	Harvard 	ECAC Hockey		26 	19 	7 	0 	1575 	72 	3 	2.74 	.904 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1983–84 	Harvard 	ECAC Hockey		23 	10 	11 	2 	1391 	71 	2 	3.06 	.910 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1984–85 	Harvard 	ECAC Hockey		31 	19 	9 	2 	1785 	86 	1 	2.89 	.901 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1985–86 	Harvard 	ECAC Hockey		31 	24 	6 	1 	1812 	82 	3 	2.72 	.896 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1986–87 	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	IHL 		25 	7 	15 	0 	1431 	108 	0 	4.53 	.858 		1 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1987–88 	Kalamazoo Wings 	IHL 		2 	1 	1 	0 	120 	11 	0 	5.50 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1987–88 	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	IHL 		19 	10 	6 	0 	813 	51 	0 	3.76 	.877 		3 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NCAA totals	NCAA totals 	NCAA totals		111 	72 	33 	5 	6563 	311 	9 	2.84 	.905 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
IHL totals 	IHL totals 	IHL totals 		46 	18 	22 	0 	2364 	170 	0 	4.31 	— 		4 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year 	
All-ECAC Hockey Second Team 	1984–85	
AHCA East Second-Team All-American	1985–86	
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:1964 births
Category:Living people
Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
Category:Canadian ice hockey goaltenders
Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario
Category:Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey players
Category:Salt Lake Golden Eagles players
Category:Kalamazoo Wings players
Category:Calgary Flames draft picks