Colin Blackwell Bio
Colin Blackwell is an American professional ice hockey center for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born March 28, 1993, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Blackwell progressed from strong high school and collegiate play to a sustained professional career that began in the American Hockey League and moved into the NHL.
Blackwell has played for multiple NHL organizations after being selected in the seventh round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks. Known for his perseverance following collegiate injuries, he earned NHL roles with Nashville, New York, Seattle, Toronto, Chicago and Dallas while also contributing at the AHL level.
Early Life and Background
Colin Blackwell was born to Jim and Carla Blackwell in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and raised in North Andover, Massachusetts. He played minor hockey with the Valley Junior Warriors through 2010 and spent time with the Boston Junior Whalers before and during his high school years.
Blackwell attended St. John’s Prep, where he starred from 2007 to 2011. In the 2010–11 season he recorded 26 goals and 24 assists for 50 regular season points and added 16 points in five Division 1A tournament games, earning recognition as the top male high school player by ESPN Boston and later induction into the St. John’s Prep Athletics Hall of Fame.
Path to Hockey
Following his strong prep career, Colin Blackwell joined the Harvard Crimson in ECAC Hockey beginning in 2011. He made an early impact at Harvard, earning ECAC Rookie of the Week honors and recording notable performances in conference tournament play during his freshman season.
Blackwell’s collegiate tenure included significant adversity from two concussions that limited his play during the 2012–13 season and forced him to miss the entire 2013–14 campaign. He returned later in his Harvard career, helping the Crimson to an ECAC Tournament title and receiving the Joe Tomasello Unsung Hero Award from New England Hockey Writers for his contributions.
Colin Blackwell Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
After completing his collegiate career, Blackwell entered professional hockey in 2016 within the San Jose Sharks organization. He attended Sharks training camp and was reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League, making his AHL debut on October 15, 2016, and scoring his first professional goal on November 25, 2016.
Blackwell finished his first AHL season with four goals and seven assists in 57 games and contributed during the Calder Cup playoffs. For 2017–18 he signed with the Rochester Americans, where he became a top forward, finishing the season with 17 goals and 45 points in 61 games and helping lead the Americans in scoring among forwards.
Nashville Predators Breakthrough (2018–2020)
On July 3, 2018, Blackwell signed his first NHL contract, a two-year entry-level deal with the Nashville Predators. He spent time with the AHL Milwaukee Admirals and earned NHL call-ups during the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons.
Blackwell made his NHL debut for the Predators on January 19, 2019, and scored his first NHL goal on January 9, 2020, in a 5–2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Across his initial NHL opportunities with Nashville, he split time between the AHL and NHL while establishing a reputation as a hardworking bottom-six center capable of contributing secondary offense.
New York Rangers Breakthrough (2020–2021)
As a free agent, Colin Blackwell signed a two-year contract with the New York Rangers on October 9, 2020. During the pandemic-delayed 2020–21 season he debuted for the Rangers on January 24, 2021, and recorded his first goal for the club in that game span.
Blackwell enjoyed a productive season in New York, finishing with 12 goals and 22 points in 47 games. That year showcased his ability to provide reliable secondary scoring, penalty killing minutes and energy in a middle‑depth role.
Seattle Kraken and Toronto Maple Leafs (2021–2022)
Colin Blackwell was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on July 21, 2021. He scored his first goal for Seattle on November 19, 2021, and produced eight goals and 17 points in 38 games for the expansion club before a March 20, 2022 trade sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Traded to Toronto alongside veteran defenseman Mark Giordano, Blackwell appeared in the final 19 regular‑season games and recorded his first Stanley Cup playoff goal on May 6, 2022, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, finishing the postseason with two points in seven games.
Chicago Blackhawks Era (2022–2024)
On July 13, 2022, Blackwell signed a two‑year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. He appeared in 53 games during the 2022–23 season before suffering a season‑ending sports hernia on March 23, 2023, and was later activated from injured status in December of the following season when recovered.
Throughout his time in Chicago Blackwell was recognized for perseverance and team contributions; the Blackhawks nominated him for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in recognition of his dedication, sportsmanship and comeback from injury. Injuries limited portions of his tenure but he continued to provide veteran depth and work‑manlike minutes.
Dallas Stars Era (2024–Present)
After the conclusion of his contract with the Blackhawks, Colin Blackwell signed a one‑year contract with the Dallas Stars on July 2, 2024, with a reported value of US$775,000 for the 2024–25 season. The move reunited him with an NHL club seeking experienced depth at center and a penalty‑killing presence.
Blackwell joined the Stars roster bringing a track record of secondary scoring, faceoff work and special teams play. His role with Dallas centers on providing energy in middle‑line combinations, adaptability across forward positions, and veteran leadership within a competitive NHL dressing room.
Driving Style and Strengths
Colin Blackwell plays a compact, high‑effort style characterized by quickness, board play and defensive responsibility. He is effective on the penalty kill, wins puck battles in traffic, and contributes timely offense from competitive minutes. Coaches have deployed him in checking lines and as a versatile center able to move between wing and center assignments.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Blackwell’s career include his selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks, an NHL debut with the Nashville Predators in January 2019, his first NHL goal in January 2020, a breakout 2020–21 season with the New York Rangers, and his first Stanley Cup playoff goal with the Toronto Maple Leafs in May 2022. He has also been recognized at the collegiate and prep levels for scoring and team leadership.
Colin Blackwell Career Wins
Across AHL and NHL stints Colin Blackwell has accumulated professional goals and playoff contributions that reflect consistent secondary scoring and depth forward production. He led the Rochester Americans in goals among forwards in 2017–18 and has recorded multi‑goal NHL games and postseason scoring in his NHL tenure.
Professional Highlights
Blackwell’s notable professional highlights include his first professional goal for the San Jose Barracuda in November 2016, a 17‑goal, 45‑point AHL season with the Rochester Americans in 2017–18, his first NHL goal with the Nashville Predators in 2020, and a 12‑goal season with the New York Rangers in 2020–21.
Other Wins & Perfromances
At the collegiate and prep levels, Blackwell earned ECAC recognition, contributed to Harvard’s ECAC Tournament title, and received prep awards and Hall of Fame recognition at St. John’s Prep. These achievements bookend a development path that carried him from Massachusetts youth hockey to a sustained professional career.
Colin Blackwell Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Colin Blackwell is the son of Jim and Carla Blackwell. He grew up in a Massachusetts hockey community and developed through local youth programs before progressing to prep and collegiate competition.
Personal Life
Public records list Blackwell’s education at St. John’s Prep and Harvard University. Other personal details such as marital status and residence are not included in the provided verified facts.
2025 Season Performance
Entering the 2025 season cycle, Colin Blackwell is under a contract that covered the 2024–25 season with the Dallas Stars and carried the expectation that he would provide experienced middle‑depth center play. His role for that season focused on penalty killing, faceoffs and reliable minutes in the bottom six while offering occasional secondary scoring.
Outlook for the season emphasized Blackwell’s value as a veteran depth option who could step into different forward roles as needed and support the Stars’ postseason push with physical play, defensive attention and situational scoring when opportunities arose.