Rob Blake Retires as San Jose Sharks Captain, Leaves Legacy for Others To Follow

Rob Blake spent his final two seasons in San Jose and was the Sharks captain for his final year in the NHL.

The veteran defenseman earned many accolades throughout his 20-year career, including hoisting the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001.

In 1998, Blake won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best blueliner, and in 2002, he played on Team Canada's gold-medal squad.

Blake was a seven-time All-Star, and he scored 240 goals over his career with 537 assists. He had more than 40 points in a season for 12 different years.

Those are remarkable numbers for an impact player throughout his career.

Blake played for Los Angeles, Colorado, and San Jose after being selected as the 70th overall pick in the 1988 draft.

He made his NHL debut with Los Angeles in 1990, and replaced Wayne Gretzky as the King's captain in 1996. It was a 2001 deal that sent him to Colorado where he played a key role in the Avalanche's run to the Cup that season.

Blake would later return to the Kings in 2006 before signing a one-year deal with the Sharks in the 2008-2009 season.

After signing another one-year deal for 2009-2010 with the Sharks, Blake took over as captain when Patrick Marleau was stripped of the honor during the offseason.

With Blake as their captain, the Sharks finished with the best record in the Western Conference and won two playoff rounds before being swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the Chicago Blackhawks.