Hockey is a big man’s game, or so it would seem. The game of hockey is played by many players who are of different sizes, colors, and weights. One thing that may be forgotten is the fact that some of the best hockey players of all time have not been the biggest.
Blake Lizotte may not make the NHL Hall of Fame, but he can’t be looked past anymore. Lizotte, the 5-foot-7 and 172-pound center, has embraced his role with the team. He has also come to the fact that he isn’t, nor ever will be, the biggest guy on the ice. That fact is what makes what he is doing incredible.
Lizotte is a versatile player who, until this season, has played on different lines at different positions. He has the speed to create chances offensively by avoiding defenders and breaking up scoring chances going into the defensive zone. The fiesty center is a ferocious penalty killer who relies on his hockey instincts to be at the right place at the right time.
His size could have had something to do with him not being drafted in the NHL Entry Draft.
After going undrafted, he signed with the Kings out of St. Cloud State University as a free agent. That season at St. Cloud State University, he recorded 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 points in 37 games. His first season in the NHL was during the 2019-20 season, in which he contributed six goals and 17 assists for 23 points in 65 games.
Another aspect of his game that makes him successful is his ability to wait out opposing forwards to create turnovers. The 24-year-old uses his speed and determination to be one of the best and most reliable forwards for the Kings this season.
Making the Kings roster would be enough for anyone, but Lizotte wants to succeed and lift the Stanley Cup. Making the team out of training camp, he had doubters but proved those doubters wrong by his strong play and will to win. Lizotte has one of the better complete games out there. He is a big player in a big game that goes unrecognized. Maybe now they will notice him.
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