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Blair Atcheynum
Blair Atcheynum
Born	April 20, 1969 (age 55); Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Ottawa Senators; Nashville Predators; St. Louis Blues; Chicago Blackhawks
NHL draft	52nd overall, 1989; Hartford Whalers
Playing career	1989–2001

Blair Michael Atcheynum (born April 20, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. Atcheynum from Sweetgrass First Nation is of Cree descent.

Playing career

Atcheynum was selected in the third round, 52nd overall, by the Hartford Whalers in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft after scoring 70 goals in 71 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League during the 1988–89 season. He never reached the NHL with the Whalers and was later claimed by the new Ottawa Senators in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft.^[1]

He spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues but was able to break into the NHL for a total of 196 games over four seasons. He got his first taste of the NHL during the 1992–93 NHL season when he played four games for the Ottawa Senators, although he spent the majority of the season with their farm team, the New Haven Senators of the American Hockey League. It would take another four years to make it as a regular in the NHL. He played in 61 games (scoring a respectable 11 goals and 15 assists) during the 1997–98 NHL season for the St. Louis Blues after signing with the team as a free agent. The main reasoning behind Atcheynum being called up to the Blues during this period was due to the lack of depth on their roster early on in the 1997-98 season.^[2] With St. Louis, Atcheynum would typically play on a line with Craig Conroy and Scott Pellerin that was fondly referred to as the "CPA Line". Blues general manager Larry Pleau was impressed by Atcheynum's hard work, saying "Blair's not a player in the bottom third of our roster. He's one of our first nine forwards. He can move up to the first or second line without missing a step if we need him".^[3]

The next year he was selected in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft by the newly formed Nashville Predators. He played 53 games with the Predators before being traded back to St. Louis for a sixth-round draft pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. In 1999 he was signed as a free agent by the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he played 66 games between 1999 and 2001. Atcheynum retired as a professional hockey player in 2001.

Atcheynum is currently an assistant coach with the Battlefords North Stars of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League^[4] Atcheynum is said to have been taking major strides with the North Stars program, as reports show that locals describe the North Stars level of play as "fast and intelligent hockey, free of buffoonery of the goon hockey that many people detest".^[5] He was also most recently honoured at the 2012 First Nation Games, alongside Fred Sasakamoose, who was the first treaty Indian to play in the NHL. Atcheynum and Sasakamoose were recognized as role models at both the summer and winter games as hope for young First Nations athletes.^[6]

Career statistics

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1985–86	Battlefords North Stars	SJHL	33	16	14	30	41	6	2	0	2	6
1985–86	Saskatoon Blades	WHL	19	1	4	5	22	—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Saskatoon Blades	WHL	21	0	4	4	4	—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Swift Current Broncos	WHL	5	2	1	3	0	—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL	12	3	0	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL	60	32	16	48	52	—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL	71	70	68	138	70	7	2	5	7	13
1989–90	Binghamton Whalers	AHL	78	20	21	41	45	—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	Springfield Indians	AHL	72	25	27	52	42	13	0	6	6	6
1991–92	Springfield Indians	AHL	62	16	21	37	64	6	1	1	2	2
1992–93	New Haven Senators	AHL	51	16	18	34	47	—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Ottawa Senators	NHL	4	0	1	1	0	—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Columbus Chill	ECHL	16	15	12	27	10	—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Portland Pirates	AHL	2	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Springfield Indians	AHL	40	18	22	40	13	6	0	2	2	0
1994–95	Minnesota Moose	IHL	17	4	6	10	7	—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Worcester IceCats	AHL	55	17	29	46	26	—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Cape Breton Oilers	AHL	79	30	42	72	65	—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Hershey Bears	AHL	77	42	45	87	57	13	6	11	17	6
1997–98	St. Louis Blues	NHL	61	11	15	26	10	10	0	0	0	2
1998–99	Nashville Predators	NHL	53	8	6	14	16	—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	St. Louis Blues	NHL	12	2	2	4	2	13	1	3	4	6
1999–00	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	47	5	7	12	6	—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Chicago Wolves	IHL	7	1	0	1	0	—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	37	12	8	20	16	4	0	0	0	6
2000–01	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	19	1	2	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals			196	27	33	60	36	23	1	3	4	8

Awards

WHL East First All-Star Team – 1989

References

^ "LegendsofHockey.net - Blair Atcheynum". legendsofhockey.net. 2010-08-18. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
^ Gare, Joyce (29 January 1998). "Blues struggling with lack of depth: Hull returns to lineup against Maple Leafs". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ont. p. S3. ProQuest 1143330371.
^ Gare Joyce (1998-03-09). "Lost causes? Wait just a minute". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on 2005-03-15. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
^ "North Stars staff". Battlefords North Stars. 2010-08-18. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2010-08-18..
^ "Battlefords North Stars hockey club is appreciated". 16 January 2014.
^ Cuthand, Doug (5 April 2012). "First Nations games a big-league affair". Star - Phoenix. Saskatoon. p. A.13. ProQuest 977911036.