Blake Lizotte

Blake Joseph Lizotte (born December 13, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Los Angeles Kings.

Playing career After going undrafted out of high school, Lizotte played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Fargo Force from the 2015–16 season to the 2016–17 season. He then committed to play collegiate hockey at St. Cloud State University of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).

In two seasons he helped lead the Huskies to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) regular-season championship in both years and helped secure the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. In his sophomore season in 2018–19, Lizotte ranked second on his team in points, tied for first in assists and fourth in goals. He was named to the NCHC First All-Star Team. Over the course of his two seasons in St. Cloud he tallied 69 points 76 games.

After suffering a second consecutive early exit with the Huskies at the NCAA Tournament, Lizotte agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings on April 2, 2019. He immediately joined the Kings to conclude the 2018–19 season, making his debut in the Kings' season finale, a 5–2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on April 6, 2019. Lizotte scored his first career NHL goal and added an assist in a 3–2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on November 9, 2019.

After scoring 10 points and leading the Kings in plus-minus rating during the 2020-21 season, Lizotte agreed to a one-year, $800,000 contract extension with the Kings on June 24, 2021. He re-signed a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.675 million with the Kings on March 21, 2022.

On July 1, 2024, Lizotte signed a two-year contract, worth an average $1.85 million annually, with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was injured in a preseason game against the Ottawa Senators on September 29; Penguins defenseman Kris Letang accidentally cleared the puck into his team's bench, and Lizotte was struck in the face. He sustained a concussion and missed a month of action, making his Penguins debut against the Anaheim Ducks on October 31.

Personal life Lizotte grew up in Lindstrom, Minnesota. His father, aged 45, died when Blake was 14 from complications of epilepsy, leaving his mother to raise him and his two brothers on her own.

Lizotte married his wife, Abby Skaalerud, in 2021. Their son was born in February 2026.

Lizotte is a Christian.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2012–13 Chisago Lakes High USHS 25 8 19 27 4 3 1 0 1 0 2013–14 Chisago Lakes High USHS 25 11 29 40 0 3 3 5 8 0 2014–15 Minot Minotauros NAHL 56 14 38 52 14 6 0 3 3 4 2015–16 Fargo Force USHL 54 12 34 46 26 — — — — — 2016–17 Fargo Force USHL 56 19 46 65 42 3 0 0 0 0 2017–18 St. Cloud State NCHC 39 8 19 27 20 — — — — — 2018–19 St. Cloud State NCHC 37 14 28 42 28 — — — — — 2018–19 Los Angeles Kings NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2019–20 Los Angeles Kings NHL 65 6 17 23 20 — — — — — 2019–20 Ontario Reign AHL 1 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 2020–21 Los Angeles Kings NHL 41 3 7 10 16 — — — — — 2021–22 Los Angeles Kings NHL 70 10 14 24 28 7 0 1 1 16 2022–23 Los Angeles Kings NHL 81 11 23 34 70 3 0 0 0 2 2023–24 Los Angeles Kings NHL 62 7 8 15 20 5 1 0 1 2 2024–25 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 59 11 9 20 26 — — — — — 2025–26 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 55 7 12 19 25 6 0 2 2 2NHL totals 434 55 90 145 205 21 1 3 4 22

Awards and honors