Jason Blake said winning the NCAA championships in college is a memory close to his heart. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Jason Blake signed a five-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2007. He's also played for the Los Angeles Kings, the New York Islanders, and Team USA in the 2006 winter Olympics. Before joining the NHL, Blake played in the United States Hockey League for the Waterloo Black Hawks.

CBC Sports.ca: How did you get into hockey?

Blake: "Well as a kid there were basically two things to do. I'm from Grand Forks, North Dakota. That's where I grew up, and it's cold, and there wasn't much to do there. And it was either, basically, hockey and golf. Those were the two big sports in town. You know football wasn't that big, and obviously, there were programs like baseball, but I don't know, my dad gave me a pair of skates when I was three years old and or three and a half or something, and I just took a liking to it."

CBC Sports.ca: What was the first game you can remember playing?

Blake: "I can't remember how old I was, I think I was about eight, that I remember actually playing. Yeah, it was fun, now I'm thinking back, it was in Grand Forks, we beat the team about 20-0, I had 19 goals, I remember that, I do remember that, yeah."

CBC Sports.ca: Who was your funniest teammate, and why?

Blake: "That would probably have to be Rick Dipietro from the New York Islanders and Shawn Bates. They're both from Boston, and they have that accent, and they both throw one-liners all day long, and they're both sharp as a tack on their feet. It was definitely entertainment in the locker room 24/7 with those guys in the room."

CBC Sports.ca: Where was the most memorable tournament you ever played, and why?

Blake: "Well, there have been quite a few of them that I played where we won the tournament or when we won the national championship… That was probably the biggest one. I mean, it wasn't so much a tournament, but it was two games and we won the NCAAs in college so that was probably the one that is closest to my heart."

CBC Sports.ca: Where was the coldest game of hockey you ever played? Describe it.

Blake: "Well, when I was a kid I used to play games outside, so, that would be right up there. Like our house league games would be outside, so, think of it up north in January, it'd be, I don't know, minus 10, but you loved it, you know, your feet would be freezing, or numb, but you'd still want to go out there any play."

CBC Sports.ca: Who was the most memorable hockey parent you ever met? Why?

Blake: "The most memorable hockey parent I ever met was Wayne Gretzky's dad. I met him at the Olympics. He got on his hands and knees and played Polly Pockets with my daughter…for like an hour. He was on the floor playing with her, all intense about it too. So I knew what a great dad he was, that's pretty cool for him to do that. I think my kid was like, 'Who is this guy?' but no, it was good."