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Pride On Ice Profile: Blake McLaughlin
10/21/2021 4:51:00 PM | Men's Hockey
McLaughlin leads the Gophers with seven points (one goal, six assists) this year.
MINNEAPOLIS -- GopherSports.com checks in with Gopher men's hockey senior forward and Anaheim Ducks prospect Blake McLaughlin as part of our Pride on Ice Profiles series.
You've had one of the more turbulent careers of any college hockey player – coming in as a freshman under a new coach, a crazy end to your freshman year, the pandemic ends your sophomore year early, last year was unprecedented in pretty much every way imaginable. Just how much are you looking forward to what is hopefully a little bit of a normal senior year?
I'm very excited to have a normal year, and hopefully it stays that way. Hopefully we can keep the fans in the building because it was really a blast to have them back this year. It has been quite an up-and-down ride – kind of a roller coaster – with everything that has happened over the last few years. But I'm excited to see what this year brings and hopeful about what the team can do.
A lot has been made about your pairing with Sammy Walker over your careers. You've basically been linemates with him since arriving on campus, and it just seems to work having you two paired up. It was certainly evident during the first two series once again. What's the relationship like between the two of you?
I think we started playing together when we were like 15 or 16 – he was 16, I was 15. We were playing at model camp here on campus. We got thrown on a line together, and it just sort of clicked. I didn't play with him again until I was 18 in college, but as soon as we were put together again our freshman year it started right back up. The rest is history. Coach (Motzko) started calling us "peanut butter and jelly" because you can't take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich apart once you put it together. I guess that's our new thing.
Have you seen the new Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom commercial where Ovi puts Backstrom on his life insurance policy to protect his points in case something happens to him, and does it remind you of you and Sammy?
I have seen it. It's a good one. I guess it kind of works for me and Sammy. Honestly, you're just lucky to play with talented teammates here at Minnesota. With the two of us, nobody is ever worried about who is scoring the goal. It's just about making plays and having fun.
On a team filled with NHL draft prospects, the Anaheim Ducks have three Gophers in the pipeline between you, Jackson LaCombe and Jack Perbix. Is there anything shared between the three of you knowing that your careers could carry on past your college experience here at the University of Minnesota?
Yeah, especially with me being a senior this year. I don't know what the future holds for Perbix or LaCombe, but my goal after college is to get to Anaheim or San Diego. I think it would be kind of nice having those guys around that I'll have played with for three or four years now. When you're going through a new process like that, having guys around that you have chemistry, comfort, experience – whatever you want to call it – just makes things easier.
How special is it for you to see Sampo Ranta on the opening night roster for the Colorado Avalanche given he was right here with you guys last year?
I actually just Facetimed him the other day. I think Colorado might be the hardest roster in the NHL to crack right now given that they are a favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year. Seeing someone you've played with for the last three years and knowing how dominant he was in college, we aren't surprised. But it's really special to see how well he's done already, and we are really excited for what the future holds for him.
You come from a blended hockey family (stepdad Grant Bischoff and stepbrother Jake Bischoff both played for the Gophers, sister Jordan McLaughlin played at Minnesota State), and it's probably hard to get all of you in the same place at the same time these days. When that does happen, how much hockey talk is there?
So say we have all seven siblings and both parents together – which doesn't happen too much anymore – there is absolutely zero hockey talk. It's mainly hunting or fishing or whatever we are going to do for the weekend. Honestly, most of our time is spent trying to plan whatever is happening because getting nine people on the same page can be a bit of a gong show.
You've built a reputation as one of the best puck stealers in college hockey over the years. How did you get so good at that skill?
I've kind of always had an instinct for it. Growing up and playing a lot of pond hockey, you just kind of learn how to win stick battles. I'm proud of it -- being able to create turnovers and create offense is a pretty good skill to have in this game.
You've had one of the more turbulent careers of any college hockey player – coming in as a freshman under a new coach, a crazy end to your freshman year, the pandemic ends your sophomore year early, last year was unprecedented in pretty much every way imaginable. Just how much are you looking forward to what is hopefully a little bit of a normal senior year?
I'm very excited to have a normal year, and hopefully it stays that way. Hopefully we can keep the fans in the building because it was really a blast to have them back this year. It has been quite an up-and-down ride – kind of a roller coaster – with everything that has happened over the last few years. But I'm excited to see what this year brings and hopeful about what the team can do.
A lot has been made about your pairing with Sammy Walker over your careers. You've basically been linemates with him since arriving on campus, and it just seems to work having you two paired up. It was certainly evident during the first two series once again. What's the relationship like between the two of you?
I think we started playing together when we were like 15 or 16 – he was 16, I was 15. We were playing at model camp here on campus. We got thrown on a line together, and it just sort of clicked. I didn't play with him again until I was 18 in college, but as soon as we were put together again our freshman year it started right back up. The rest is history. Coach (Motzko) started calling us "peanut butter and jelly" because you can't take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich apart once you put it together. I guess that's our new thing.
Have you seen the new Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom commercial where Ovi puts Backstrom on his life insurance policy to protect his points in case something happens to him, and does it remind you of you and Sammy?
I have seen it. It's a good one. I guess it kind of works for me and Sammy. Honestly, you're just lucky to play with talented teammates here at Minnesota. With the two of us, nobody is ever worried about who is scoring the goal. It's just about making plays and having fun.
On a team filled with NHL draft prospects, the Anaheim Ducks have three Gophers in the pipeline between you, Jackson LaCombe and Jack Perbix. Is there anything shared between the three of you knowing that your careers could carry on past your college experience here at the University of Minnesota?
Yeah, especially with me being a senior this year. I don't know what the future holds for Perbix or LaCombe, but my goal after college is to get to Anaheim or San Diego. I think it would be kind of nice having those guys around that I'll have played with for three or four years now. When you're going through a new process like that, having guys around that you have chemistry, comfort, experience – whatever you want to call it – just makes things easier.
How special is it for you to see Sampo Ranta on the opening night roster for the Colorado Avalanche given he was right here with you guys last year?
I actually just Facetimed him the other day. I think Colorado might be the hardest roster in the NHL to crack right now given that they are a favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year. Seeing someone you've played with for the last three years and knowing how dominant he was in college, we aren't surprised. But it's really special to see how well he's done already, and we are really excited for what the future holds for him.
You come from a blended hockey family (stepdad Grant Bischoff and stepbrother Jake Bischoff both played for the Gophers, sister Jordan McLaughlin played at Minnesota State), and it's probably hard to get all of you in the same place at the same time these days. When that does happen, how much hockey talk is there?
So say we have all seven siblings and both parents together – which doesn't happen too much anymore – there is absolutely zero hockey talk. It's mainly hunting or fishing or whatever we are going to do for the weekend. Honestly, most of our time is spent trying to plan whatever is happening because getting nine people on the same page can be a bit of a gong show.
You've built a reputation as one of the best puck stealers in college hockey over the years. How did you get so good at that skill?
I've kind of always had an instinct for it. Growing up and playing a lot of pond hockey, you just kind of learn how to win stick battles. I'm proud of it -- being able to create turnovers and create offense is a pretty good skill to have in this game.
Highlights: Gophers 2, Michigan 4
Friday, February 27
Highlights: Gophers 4, Michigan 2
Thursday, February 26
Highlights: Gophers 2, Notre Dame 3
Saturday, February 14
Highlights: Gophers 2, Notre Dame 2
Friday, February 13