Conner Bleackley

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Born (1996-02-07) February 7, 1996 (age 28)
High River AB, CAN
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Right
WHL team Red Deer Rebels
NHL Draft 23rd overall, 2014
Colorado Avalanche
Playing career TBD–present

Conner Bleackley (born February 7, 1996) is a Canadian ice hockey player. He is currently playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Red Deer Rebels while his National Hockey League rights are owned by the Arizona Coyotes. Bleackley was originally selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.[1]

Playing career

Bleackley was selected by the Red Deer Rebels in the 1st round (21st overall) of the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft from AAA Bantam club the Okotoks Oilers.[2] After playing a further half season of midget hockey with the UFA Bisons of Strathmore in the Alberta Midget Hockey League he made his WHL debut in the 2011–12 season.

In only his second full season with the Red Deer Rebels he was named team captain as a 17-year-old for the 2013–14 season.[3] Bleackley whilst showing positional versatility broke out offensively with the Rebels, producing a career high 29 goals and 68 points in 71 games. His outstanding play was further rewarded when he was chosen to skate in the 2014 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.[4]

Bleackley draft stock rose and he finished the season rated as a top prospect[5] who was viewed as a possible first round selection heading into the 2014 NHL Entry Draft before he was selected by the Colorado Avalanche.[6] In his first NHL training camp with, the Avalanche were critical of Bleackley's conditioning and promptly returned him the junior without an entry-level contract.[7] In the 2014–15 season, Bleackley continued his scoring pace from previous seasons with 27 goals and 49 points in 51 games. On February 6, Bleackley suffered a strained groin, effectively ruling him out until the post-season in which Red Deer suffered a first-round exit.[7]

During the off-season in the lead up to the 2015–16 season, Bleackley returned to the Avalanche rookie and training camp with ambition to earn an entry-level contract.[8] With an improved physical performance, Bleackley was later returned for his final season of junior after competing in a pre-season game with the Avalanche. Prior to the commencement of the WHL season, Bleackley was relinquished of the captaincy by the Rebels, with coach Brent Sutter explaining the intent to focus on reaching his potential.[9] With a guaranteed berth at the 2016 Memorial Cup, Bleackley struggled in the early stages of the year offensively. Bleackley picked up his offensive production and scored 41 points in 47 games before suffering a broken kneecap against the Everett Silvertips on January 23, 2016.[10]

With the Avalanche intending not to offer Bleackley a contract, at the trade deadline on February 29, 2016, his right's were included in a trade alongside Alex Tanguay and fellow prospect Kyle Wood to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Mikkel Boedker.[11]

International play

As a 17-year-old he was chosen to compete with the team representing Canada Pacific at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, and as an 18-year-old he help Team Canada capture the bronze medal at the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships.[12]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2011–12 UFA Bisons AMHL 26 13 17 30 41 2 0 0 0 0
2011–12 Red Deer Rebels WHL 16 2 0 2 6 — — — — —
2012–13 Red Deer Rebels WHL 66 9 9 18 28 9 2 1 3 0
2013–14 Red Deer Rebels WHL 71 29 39 68 48 1 0 1 1 0
2014–15 Red Deer Rebels WHL 51 27 22 49 49 5 1 1 2 4
2015–16 Red Deer Rebels WHL 55 13 33 46 49 — — — — —
WHL totals 259 80 103 183 180 15 3 3 6 4

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2013 Canada Pacific U17 5th 5 3 1 4 12
2014 Canada WJC18 3rd 7 1 1 2 4
Junior totals 12 4 2 6 16

Awards and honours

Honours Year
CHL
CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game (Team Cherry) 2014 [13]
International
World U-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada Pacific) 2013 [14]
IIHF World U18 Championship Bronze Medal 2014 [15]

References

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External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Colorado Avalanche first round draft pick
2014		 Succeeded by
Mikko Rantanen


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