‘Blanky’s the man!’: Blankenburg earns Maple Leafs’ respect the hard way

SALT LAKE CITY — Undersized Nick Blankenburg may have only squeezed into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ winning lineup Saturday in Denver because of high altitude and a coach’s decision to dress a seventh defenceman. 

But the former Avalanche was the first Toronto defenceman to be celebrated so vociferously in the glow of Saturday’s 6-3 upset victory.

“Top (expletive), Blanky!” one Leafs staffer hollered in gleeful puck parlance, as he congratulated Blankenburg on his top-shelf laser, the first and only goal by a Toronto blueliner this season.

“Blanky’s the man!” echoed captain Auston Matthews. “He’s one of those guys who just comes to the rink every day, works hard, never complains, and is an absolute treat to be around and spend time with. 

“He's got a great personality, and all the boys love him here. So, coming back and playing his old team, it was awesome to see him get on the board, and it was a big goal for us to get going.”

The smile of William Nylander, who assisted on the snipe, broadened when the depth D-man’s name was brought up: “He roofed that thing! How many seconds into his first shift?” 

Thirty-eight seconds, William.

Torturous delay. Immediate takeoff.

“First time you get into game,” Blankenburg said postgame, “you’re a little bit nervous. But I think it’s a good kind of nervous. Like, excited. So, to get one there in the first shift definitely felt nice.”

After such a long wait, a weight lifted.

“When you have to fight and claw and earn everything you get, I think it’s just another game for me,” Blankenburg said. 

“Just super thankful, super blessed, and just excited for the opportunity and to be here.”

Blankenburg has had to earn his way every step of it.

So, why would the 28-year-old defenceman’s new $1.4-million, one-way contract with the Maple Leafs, signed only after a sprint of a training camp tryout, be any different?

“There’s guys who are so good growing up until they’re like 18. Then they hit a little bit of adversity, and then they don’t know what to do because they’ve just naturally had that talent and that opportunity,” Blankenburg told Sportsnet.ca in a recent interview. 

“I've had to earn everything I've gotten, and I feel like that was instilled in me at a very young age. With how my parents raised me, but also with the experiences I've had in hockey growing up ever since I was young. And I feel like that's allowed me to thrive in situations.”

While constantly needing to demonstrate himself worthy of the next job does get tedious, Blankenburg — undrafted and possibly on tippy-toes when measured at 5-foot-9 — wears his prove-’em-wrong ethos like a badge of honour.

The late-blooming Blankenburg enjoyed his most productive season in 2025-26, posting career highs in games (61), goals (eight) and points (24). Yet despite engaging in talks with Leafs GM John Chayka back on July 1, no multi-year deal materialized anywhere. He chose the PTO route because he didn’t want to train away from a team environment, waiting on an injury.

This is a guy who tried out for the North American Hockey League twice without success, who made his native University of Michigan NCAA squad as a walk-on and eventually rose to captain. 

This fall, he outbattled internal candidates and Marlies champions for a spot on the Maple Leafs’ opening roster, only to serve five consecutive healthy scratches.

Head coach Jim Hiller notes how relaxed and assured Blankenburg remained while stuffed in the press box.

“Every year in my four-year career so far, it's been out of the lineup, wait. One year was three games. One year was eight games. This year again, (five) games,” Blankenburg said, matter-of-fact. 

“I just kept telling myself leading up to this: I've been in this situation before, and every time I've been able to handle it and been able to grind through that adversity and keep believing in myself.”

Would the puck-moving righty have such a stressful time earning league-wide confidence in his abilities if he were a few inches taller? 

“I think about it sometimes,” he said. GMs aren’t exactly falling over themselves to sign small, undrafted D-men in free agency. “It doesn't matter how well I play or how many points you put up, or what opportunities you get, I feel like right off the bat, teams are going to be like, ‘Yeah, we’re not looking for that.’ ” 

Blankenburg is also thankful that a game tilting toward skill and speed and away from pure size and brute strength has more space for a blueliner of his profile than it would have 10 years ago. And that Chayka, who also re-signed undersized Troy Stecher and traded for undersized Emil Andrae (now in Columbus), is eager to inject mobility and versatility on Toronto’s back end.

Chayka’s message to Blankenburg, who has already bounced from Columbus to Nashville to Colorado: “There's going to be opportunity for you. It’s up to you what you’re going to do with it. We're going to put you in positions to be successful.”

Blankenburg found Toronto’s offer “intriguing.” He views himself as a complete defender who can chip in on both special teams, 5-on-5, and 3-on-3 in the event of injury. He says he won’t break the puck out the same way as, say, hard-as-nails Jake McCabe does, but his feet and smarts have got him this far already.

“John seemed to have respect for not only my game but my character too, and really valued that,” Blankenburg explained. “Again, I've always been in that situation where you have to come in and wait for an opportunity. Once you get in, then don't look back. 

“My skill set gels well with what they're trying to build here, too.”