Just one day after announcing his retirement from professional hockey, Blake Geoffrion has a new job.
On Tuesday, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced they added Geoffrion to their professional scouting department.
“I’ve spoken at length with him a few times, and he really has a great read on today’s players,” said Jackets GM Jarmo Kekelainen. “It’s a real advantage when you can deal [with] people who have actually play against these guys, not just watched them.”
Geoffrion, 25, suffered what amounted to a career-ending depressed skull fracture on a hit (video) while playing for Montreal’s AHL Hamilton affiliate in November of last year.
Drafted 56th overall by Nashville in 2006, Geoffrion was a star with the University of Wisconsin and was the Hobey Baker winner in 2010.
Acquired by Montreal in 2011, he was celebrated as a fourth-generation Hab -- the son of former Canadien Danny Geoffrion, the grandson of Hall of Famer Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion and the great-grandson of another Hall of Famer, Howie Morenz.
As for his hire in Columbus -- Kekalainen’s reference to Geoffrion’s playing experience is interesting, and makes a lot of sense.
Geoffrion played with a number of young, talented NHLers during his time with the Badgers -- Kyle Turris, Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, Brendan Smith, Jake Gardiner, Brian Elliott, Jamie McBain, Davis Drewiske, Craig Smith -- and against countless others during his four-year collegiate career.
He was also a teammate of Blue Jackets farmhand Cody Goloubef at Wisconsin.