EDMONTON -- Blake Fiddler wants to make the most of his experience at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and parlay it into a strong season with Edmonton of the Western Hockey League.
The son of former NHL forward Vernon Fiddler, Blake, a 17-year-old right-shot defenseman, is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft and is starting the season as captain of Team USA at the annual summer showcase tournament for draft-eligible players at Rogers Place.
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup features eight international teams, the United States, Canada, Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland, Czechia, Germany, and Finland, and runs through Saturday.
"I grew up in the U.S., I was born in Nashville and it's a huge honor to be able to represent the U.S. at the international stage," Fiddler said following a 2-1 loss to Czechia on Monday. "It's a big year, but you try to cancel out the outside noise. You try to be high on those (draft) rankings, but you just have to play your game and have tunnel vision on the goal ahead."
The Hlinka Cup attracts the attention of NHL general managers and scouts as it provides an early look at some of the top draft-eligible players. Fiddler is used to the attention trying to follow his father into the NHL.
Vern Fiddler played 14 seasons in the NHL and had 261 points (104 goals, 157 assists) in 877 games with the Nashville Predators, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils.
"My dad's been through it all, so he's a good guy to help me through all of this, even the little things about being a pro, getting ready for these tournaments, so I'm really grateful for him," Fiddler said. "He's really good at talking to me. If I have a bad game, he's not going to rip into me, but he lets me know what I can improve on. It's really nice to have a second set of eyes."
Blake Fiddler is going into his second season with Edmonton in the WHL, which plays its home games at Rogers Place. He had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 63 games as a 16-year-old rookie.
"Obviously as a 16-year-old, there are a lot of ups and downs but I had a great coaching staff and great teammates," Fiddler said. "Luke Pierce (Edmonton Oil Kings coach) helped me a lot during the season. There were a lot of good things and I'm happy with it."
Fiddler is expected to take on a bigger role this season as the team continues to rebuild after winning the WHL championship in 2022. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a good way for him to get a head start on the season.
"It'll be good, the place of play, it'll be good to get right into it early before the season," Fiddler said. "It's good to get the body (going) early, I don't have to use the first couple of pre-season games early to get my legs moving, so I'll be good going into the season."
Fiddler was also the unanimous selection to be captain by his teammates, United States coach Garrett Raboin said.
"He's a magnet, people are drawn to him and it's cool to see because he does nothing spectacular in terms of trying to draw attention to himself," Raboin said. "He's just all about the group and it's cool to see the kids respect that and it's cool to see when that happens."
Fiddler grew up in Frisco, Texas, while his father was playing with the Stars. He has dual citizenship with his father being Canadian but decided to represent the United States at the international level.
"It's a huge honor to represent your country and have a leadership role on this team," Fiddler said. "We have a lot of leaders on this team and a lot of guys that step up, and it's great."
Fiddler is 6-foot-3 and 193 pounds and still growing. He's a smooth skating two-way defenseman who is projected to be selected in the top rounds of the draft.
"He's got a great presence, he's big, he's long, he can skate, you see his poise in moments," Raboin said. "He's unassuming but tough and I think no moment is too big. He's a calming presence and captain of our group. He's certainly raised right, he's incredibly humble and hard working. I really enjoy working with him."
