"Boom Boom" Geoffrion, Howie Morenz Extend Legacy to Nashville

By Buddy Oakes

Brentwood, Tennessee native, and Predator prospect, Blake Geoffrion was named one of the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the top college hockey player each year.

The list of 10 players will be narrowed to the three finalist on March 31, with the winner announced on April 9 during the Frozen Four at Ford Field in Michigan.

Geoffrion is in his senior year at the University of Wisconsin, where he is a team leader and tri-captain this year. He has had 23 goals and 18 assists this season as Wisconsin continues to pursue a national championship.

In spite of growing up in Tennessee, he comes from a hockey family. His father, Danny, grandfather Bernie “Boom Boom”, and great grandpa Howie Morenz all played for Montreal.

Bernie and Howie were placed in the Hockey Hall of Fame and played for the Canadiens during their glory days. The two have hoisted the Stanley Cup nine times between them.

Barry Trotz talked at length about Geoffrion after Thursday's game, "He's really a solid two-way guy. He can kill penalties, he can win draws late in the game and in important situations. He will commit his body to danger when needed and just has an all round game...

"Probably very similar to (Nick) Spaling, in the minors for us, and he's shown some offensive upside.

"The great thing for us is that not only has he done it, but he's done it from a non traditional market here in Nashville, playing youth hockey and then going on to be a Hobey Baker finalist. That's a feather in Nashville's youth hockey and all the people who have coached him along the way."

In closing, Trotz said, "We are really happy. He sounds like he is a Predator type of guy. He has a little bit of blood and guts, a two way hockey player that has that real good drive so we are really excited about that and wish him the best."

When Geoffrion suits up for the Predators, he will become the first native Tennessean to play in the NHL.