For home games during the 2017-18 season, the Carleton Place Canadians will be profiling one player from the team. This time, the profile is on Sam Knoblauch.
Quick Bio
Birthdate: Feb. 15, 1998
Hometown: Rochester, Mich.
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 190 lbs
Shoots: R
Position: F
Knoblauch, in his second season with Carleton Place, is serving as one of the team’s assistant captains.
“I was a captain on my high school team for two years, so I think I have an idea of what I have to do,” said Knoblauch at the start of the season. “Definitely have to be watching yourself, be supportive of the younger guys and know that, whatever you do, they’re watching. You’ve got to lead by example because they’re looking up to you.”
Coming from Michigan, he played in a well-respected and very well talented U.S High School hockey league for University of Detroit Jesuit Academy. In his final season at U of D Jesuit, Knoblauch served as team captain and averaged two-points-per-game – 56 points in 28 games.
“My coach stressed a lot of the same things that (Canadians coach Jason) Clarke does,” Knoblauch said. “High school (hockey) is the same structure as junior, we kind of have older guys and younger guys, and the younger guys get to the team after you’ve been there for a couple of years so it’s kind of the same like that.”
Last season, Knoblauch had a strong rookie-season with 10 goals and 38 points in 59 games.
“It was definitely a learning experience, I improved a lot as a player from the beginning to the end. It was fun to win a championship, that was great, it was a good experience to go to the Fred Page Cup but all and all it was a good experience.”
Knoblauch turned that experience into success this season as he has been at or near the top of league scoring for most of the year. Through 52 games, Knoblauch has 24 goals and 69 points as he has been showcasing his offensive abilities.
The attacking side of Knoblauch’s game is only part of what he brings to the ice as he also has a defensive prowess that Clarke trusts in penalty killing and late-game situations. That combination of offence and defence earned Knoblauch a scholarship to UMass-Lowell starting in the 2018-19 season.
