For former NHLer Jason Blake, the dream of the Stanley Cup had a very different flavor in 2026. In his 13-season career, Blake played in 871 regular-season games and six playoff appearances, but he never made it past the first round. His son Jackson Blake later climbed the mountain at age 22 with the Carolina Hurricanes.Jackson was a big part of Carolina’s title run, leading the way in the postseason with 20 points in 19 games. The second-year forward scored seven goals and 13 assists, including a goal and an assist in the 3-0 Stanley Cup-clinching win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6.
Jason Blake’s son Jackson Blake reaches Stanley Cup heights with Carolina Hurricanes
Jackson Blake’s championship experience couldn’t have been any more different from his dad’s NHL playoff experience. Blake played 871 games for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks, scoring 213 goals and adding 273 assists for 486 points during the regular season. He played in 30 playoff games, but never advanced past the first round.Meanwhile, Jackson reached the Stanley Cup Final in only his second full NHL season. Carolina Hurricanes picked him in the fourth round, 109th overall, of the 2021 NHL Draft. He blossomed into a productive young forward, setting a career-high 53 points on 22 goals and 31 assists in 81 games in the 2025-26 regular season.
| Jason Blake | Jackson Blake |
| 13 NHL seasons | Two full NHL seasons entering 2026-27 |
| 871 regular-season games | 81 games in 2025-26 |
| 486 regular-season points | 53 regular-season points in 2025-26 |
| 30 playoff games | 19 playoff games in 2026 |
| Never reached the second round | Won Stanley Cup with Carolina Hurricanes |
| 2007-08 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner | 2026 Stanley Cup champion |
The championship also added a big milestone to Jackson’s blossoming career. The University of North Dakota said he was the 15th former Fighting Hawks player to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup and the first North Dakota alumnus to do so since T.J. Oshie in 2018.
Jackson Blake and Carolina Hurricanes celebrate Stanley Cup triumph
The time of truth came in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. Carolina came into the game leading the series and finished the championship with a 3-0 sweep. Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist to push his postseason point total to 20.Blake paced the Carolina Hurricanes in postseason scoring. His seven goals and 13 assists came in 19 playoff games, and his overall play helped Carolina finish off its championship run. He became the youngest player in Hurricanes/Whalers franchise history to record seven multi-point games in one postseason, reported NHL.com.He had carved out a role in the postseason with Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven. That trio was a huge part of Carolina’s run to the Final, and their speed and puck movement became more and more important as the playoffs went on, according to NHL.com.
| Jackson Blake’s 2026 playoff numbers | Figure |
| Games | 19 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Assists | 13 |
| Points | 20 |
| Stanley Cup | 1 |
| Stanley Cup Final opponent | Vegas Golden Knights |
| Clinching-game production | 1 goal, 1 assist |
The result also gave Jackson a championship achievement very early in his NHL career. The Carolina Hurricanes are the defending Stanley Cup champions after finishing last year’s regular season 53-22-7.
Jason Blake’s NHL career shaped Jackson Blake’s journey
Long before the Stanley Cup, Jackson’s career had given a direct hockey connection to Jason Blake. Jason played college hockey at the University of North Dakota and became an undrafted NHL forward. His professional career eventually spanned 871 regular-season games, giving Jackson a chance to grow up around the demands of professional hockey.Jason enjoyed one of his trademark NHL seasons with the New York Islanders in 2006-07. He was an All-Star that season and developed into one of the league’s productive forwards. His career also faced a major personal challenge when he was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 2007.Jason continued to play after diagnosis and won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for the 2007-08 season. He is listed among the award winners in NHL records. The award is given to those who show perseverance , sportsmanship and dedication to the game of hockey .But his postseason record was the lone glaring hole in an otherwise long NHL career. Jason made the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times but never made it past the first round. It was an unusual experience for the former forward to watch Jackson go through multiple rounds, NHL.com noted before the 2026 Final.The contrast was especially meaningful during Carolina’s championship celebration. Jason sat in the stands as Jackson finished a playoff run that had eluded him during his playing days. Jason got emotional celebrating with his son on the ice after the Game 6 win, NHL.com reported.Jackson had already spoken before the Final about what a championship would mean to his father. Now that the title was in Carolina’s hands, the moment became a family achievement, not just another milestone in a young player’s career.Jackson later brought the Stanley Cup back to his home state of Minnesota. He was celebrating with fans at the Eden Prairie community center this summer, bringing the championship celebration back to the area that launched his hockey career, NHL.com reported.So the father-son story has very different records in the NHL postseason. Jason Blake had a long pro career without ever advancing past the second round. Jackson Blake made the Stanley Cup Final in only his second full NHL season and was Carolina’s top scorer in the 2026 playoffs. The emotional Game 6 celebration connected the two career paths in one of the family’s biggest hockey moments.