"Last year, we didn't get to have this opportunity, but this year has been such a blast," Blake said. "It's such a great group of guys. They all push you. It's super fun."
The 19-year-old forward, who was selected by the Hurricanes in the fourth round (No. 109) of the 2021 NHL Draft, is coming off his second season with Chicago of the United States Hockey League, which he led with 77 points (27 goals, 50 points) in 61 games.
Blake will play this season as a freshman at the University of North Dakota.
"For a lot of these kids, I think [college] is a great route to go," Hurricanes director of forward development Sergei Samsonov said. "He did such a great job in the USHL last season. He's probably picked the right avenue. I think he will surprise us in a couple years."
Blake is following in the footsteps of his dad, Jason Blake, who won the NCAA championship with North Dakota in 1997 and was a two-time Hobey Baker Award finalist (1997, 1999). He went on to play 13 NHL seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks, getting 486 points (213 goals, 273 assists) in 871 games.
Jason accomplished it all with a 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame, something Jackson, who is listed at 5-10, 152 pounds, is learning to navigate.
"I think I handle it pretty well," Jackson said. "Being this small, obviously I want to be a little bigger and a little heavier, but I think it helps me with my game because I think I'm a shifty guy and pretty skilled. I definitely want to grow a couple more inches and weigh in a little more, but other than that, I think it's been fine.
"[My dad] never had the opportunity to get drafted, but after I got drafted, he said, 'This is where it starts. You got yourself to this situation, but you have to push harder now.'"
Samsonov said he thinks Blake's physical development will be enhanced by a college routine.
"He's literally got to get stronger," Samsonov said. "In his case, we know he's got the skill, and we know he's got the hockey sense and the playmaking abilities. College allows guys to kind of do it at their own pace with the schedule and the way colleges treat their student-athletes."
Jackson plans to take full advantage the moment he steps on campus.
"I'm really excited," he said. "It's going to be awesome. It's going to be cold, but I'm from Minnesota, so it's not the worst thing."
Photo courtesy: Mackenzie Friedman/Carolina Hurricanes
