Tom Bladon

Thomas George Bladon (born December 29, 1952) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and businessman. He played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and Detroit Red Wings. He won the Stanley Cup with the Flyers in 1974 and 1975.

Early life Bladon was born on December 29, 1952, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Playing career Amateur While playing for the Edmonton Maple Leafs in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Bladon was indefinitely suspended after breaking the jaw of an opponent on October 22, 1968. In protest of the suspension, the Maple Leafs threatened to pull out of the AJHL entirely. After the Maple Leafs appealed the suspension, the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association agreed to reinstate Bladon. He scored in his return to the Maple Leafs lineup on December 17 against the Red Deer Rustlers. Bladon was transitioned from forward to defenceman in the 1969-70 AJHL season due to the death of team captain and defenceman Lorne Owens. Although he graduated high school in 1970, Bladon chose not to pursue higher education.

Bladon was one of four Maple Leafs players promoted to their parent club, the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL), for the 1970–71 season. Through his first 10 games as a defenceman for the Oil Kings, Bladon scored four goals and six assists. He was praised by the Oil Kings general manager for his slapshot and was predicted to go in the first round of the 1972 NHL amateur draft. and was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round. He signed a three-year contract with the Flyers on June 23, 1972. Bladon was named to their opening night roster for the 1972–73 season. Flyers' head coach Fred Shero later said that Bladon was playing under more pressure than any other rookie because he was used in "every situation." By mid-February, Bladon ranked high among the NHL's rookie scoring leaders with eight goals and 23 assists. Despite going through a scoring drought, Bladon tied Rick Foley's franchise record for points by a defenseman in early March. He finished his rookie season with 11 goals and 42 points, surpassing Bobby Orr's NHL record for assists by a rookie defenseman. Following their 1974 Stanley Cup win, Bladon signed a long-term contract extension with the Flyers.

On December 11, 1977, Bladon became the first defenceman in NHL history to record eight points in a single game. He scored four goals and four assists in the Flyers' 11–1 win over the Cleveland Barons. His record stood for nearly a decade before being tied by Paul Coffey of the Edmonton Oilers in 1986.

Following the 1977–78 season, Bladon, Orest Kindrachuk, and Ross Lonsberry were traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for their first-round selection in the 1978 NHL amateur draft. As a free agent in July 1980, Bladon was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for future considerations. However, he refused to report to the Oilers minor league team after playing only four periods. After receiving a release from the team, Bladon earned a tryout with the Detroit Red Wings.

Personal life Following his retirement, Bladon bought a trophy store in Victoria, British Columbia. He also worked as head coach at the Island Pacific Hockey School For Girls. By 2007, Bladon and his wife Diane gained ownership of a Tim Hortons franchise in Calgary.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1969–70 Edmonton Maple Leafs AJHL 46 12 17 29 115 — — — — — 1970–71 Edmonton Oil Kings WCHL 66 13 25 38 124 14 5 6 11 46 1971–72 Edmonton Oil Kings WCHL 65 11 44 55 90 16 6 7 13 10 1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 78 11 31 42 26 11 0 4 4 2 1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 70 12 22 34 37 16 4 6 10 25 1974–75 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 76 9 20 29 54 13 1 3 4 12 1975–76 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 80 14 23 37 68 16 2 6 8 14 1976–77 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 80 10 43 53 39 10 1 3 4 4 1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 79 11 24 35 57 12 0 2 2 11 1978–79 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 78 4 23 27 64 7 0 4 4 2 1979–80 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 57 2 6 8 35 1 0 1 1 0 1980–81 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 41 3 15 18 28 18 3 3 6 16 1980–81 Edmonton Oilers NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1980–81 Winnipeg Jets NHL 9 0 5 5 10 — — — — — 1980–81 Detroit Red Wings NHL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — — NHL totals 610 73 197 270 392 86 8 29 37 70

Awards and honours Award Year(s) WCHL Second All-Star Team 1972 Stanley Cup champion 1974, 1975 NHL All-Star Game 1977, 1978 Calder Cup champion 1981