Rod Blackburn
Induction Year: 2002
Birthday: July 29, 1939
City/Town: Berlin, NH
A Berlin, New Hampshire Native, Rod Blackburn became the University of New Hampshire’s first ever all-American in 1961.
His goaltending career began at Notre Dame High School, perennial New Hampshire schoolboy champions in the 1950’s. In 1957, Blackburn helped guide Notre Dame beyond the state title to its first New England schoolboy championship.
As a freshman at U.N.H. in 1957-58, he averaged 60 saves per game on the freshman team, and in one contest against Boston University, he stopped 102 shots as his team lost 8-0. This noteworthy performance attracted national media attention and was reported in “Faces in the Crowd” section of Sports Illustrated’s March 1958 issue, dedicated to superb feats by athletes all over the world. As U.N.H. team captain in 1961, Rod averaged 42 saves per game and was considered by many U.S. College Coaches as the best goaltender in college hockey, east or west. He was a post season selection to the All-New England, All-East and finally to the NCAA First Team All-American Team.
Blackburn made the transition to Senior Hockey with the Berlin Maroons Hockey Club, finalist at the 1961 and 1962 National AHA tournaments. At each of these tournaments, he was selected tournament Most Valuable Player.
Following commissioned service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Rod played with the St. Paul Steers of the U.S. Hockey League in 1965. In 1966 he was selected and played as a member of the U.S. National Hockey Team for the World Tournament in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia and again in 1967 for the world Tournament in Vienna, Austria.
In 1983, Rod was inducted into the U.N.H. Athletic Hall of Fame.