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After a breakthrough regular season in 2025-26, when he scored 22 goals and 53 points in 81 games, he scored in overtime of Game 4 in the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers to send Carolina to the Eastern Conference Finals. Winning the state tournament or scoring an OT goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which means more? "I think they're similar, they're just different stages," Blake said. "Winning a state tournament is so cool. I dreamt of winning a Stanley Cup, but I also dreamt of winning a state tournament. "They 're both really special moments and good memories to have." He finished the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a team-high 20 points, including seven goals. The Hurricanes lost just three playoff games on the way to the championship, giving Blake and his family a chance to celebrate with the Stanley Cup after the Game 6 win in Las Vegas. "Everyone came down on the ice after, and it was really emotional just because it's a dream come true at that point," Blake said. "You grind your whole life. You do so many things to get to that point, and when it was finally over, it just kind of sank in. A big sigh of relief, I would say." THE EDEN PRAIRIE PATH It all started when he came through Eden Prairie's hockey program, from Squirts to Bantams to high school. "Those were fun years, for sure," Blake said. "Growing up with all your buddies and playing together every year was a lot of fun. "We always had some pretty good teams, which made it more fun. It was great. I'm happy that I got to grow up in Eden Prairie, for sure." UNDERSIZED AND UNDETERRED Blake, listed at 5-11 and 185 pounds in the NHL, was always one of the smaller Eagles in youth hockey. "For me, I think I got to learn how to play as a smaller guy earlier, if that makes sense," Blake said. "It wasn't fun going against guys who were double my size and double my weight. "But I think it was an advantage to learn at a young age to play the game and protect yourself a little more versus guys who are so big and know that they're not going to get touched, or if they do, they're way bigger than everyone else." Still, people worried about Blake being undersized, said Lee Smith, Blake's former coach and longtime coach of the Eden Prairie varsity program until 2022. As the game has evolved, though, Blake is no longer considered undersized. "His competitive greatness and his ability to outthink other players on the rink put him in spots where he could elude the bigger- bodied guys," Smith said. Former Eden Prairie teammate Mason Langenbr unner remembered Blake's small stature in youth hockey, when he would "get hit off the puck easily." Photo / Rick Olson Blake grew up playing with his best buddies in Eden Prairie, winning a Class 2A Minnesota State High School Championship in 2021. M H J ON L I N E . C O M | O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 24 "We always had some good teams, which made it more fun. It was great. I'm happy I got to grow up in Eden Prairie for sure."