Boldly Breaking Barriers

A Q&A with Blake Bolden ’09

BY STEPHEN REED

Over the last couple of years, Northwood grad Blake Bolden '09 has been featured in articles in Sports Illustrated — (“The Unrelenting” about the 100 most powerful women in sports — and SI’s media partner, Empower Onyx — “100 Influential Black Women in Sports.” Blake’s hockey career after Northwood has been full of impressive achievement: at Boston College she was a Hockey East Defensive Player of the Year and All-American. She is the first black woman to play professional ice hockey and the first to scout for an NHL team and recently has been added to the “NHL on ESPN” team. Blake last visited campus in 2019 when she was inducted into our Fullerton Wall of Recognition. We recently caught up with her and asked the following:

Back in 2005, you chose Northwood as

your prep school. Why? I don’t believe in accidents or coincidences. When I was playing AAA boys’ hockey in Cleveland, I was trying to find a place to play so I could get recruited. My family and I had not found the right fit. Soon after that call, my mom and I drove ten hours north for an official visit. I fell in love with the Adirondacks, the lakes, the quaint village, and its hockey history. I turned to my mom after the visit and told her I wanted to be here.

What were the highlights (athletic and

otherwise) of your time here? Oh gosh, SO many highlights. Mainly the teachers and staff who became family. I have many fond memories of Mountain Day, senior pranks, playing hockey on the 32 and 80 Rinks (especially NSA vs Northwood), -20 degrees and sliding down the hill to Bergamini or the science building in my Uggs. Donny telling me to RICE it every time I stopped by the training room to complain about

Blake Bolden '09

something that hurt. Having first period off, sleeping in and hanging out with Tom in the kitchen. Miserable 2Ks with the Runyons and 6 a.m. jogs around Mirror Lake. Formal dinners, taking pics by the fireplace. Trying not to get in trouble during the egregious two-hour study hall.

As a young athlete did you have any role

models? I admired Manon Rheaume, my first female coach; she took my team to Quebec for the world-renowned PeeWee tournament. She was the first woman to play in the NHL. Seeing her made me believe in my dreams. She broke barriers, and I wanted to learn from her experience and take my love of hockey to the next level.

What led you to choose BC as your college?

I remember watching the Women’s Frozen Four my first year at Northwood. I was fourteen, and it was the first major women’s tournament I’d ever seen. BC played UM-D in the semi-final, and the game went into three overtimes. I felt that I could learn so much from BC’s coaches (Katie KingCrowley and Courtney Kennedy, who who both had played in multiple Olympics) and that I could help bring further success to the program. I had travelled to Boston for youth hockey tournaments and fell in love with Beantown, its rich history, and the rivalry with BU, with whom we

If I had quit out of fear of failure, I wouldn’t be here. So keep going.”

—BLAKE BOLDEN '09