About Mackenzie Blackwood
Mackenzie Blackwood (born December 9, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Blackwood was the top-rated North American goaltender ranked in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's final rankings for the 2015 NHL entry draft. He was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2015 NHL entry draft. == Early life == Blackwood was born on December 9, 1996, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. His father was involved in local ice hockey teams, while his mother played basketball and track and field. He began playing ice hockey at the age of nine, comparatively late by Canadian standards, and temporarily quit after only a year. When he was 12 years old, the goaltender for Blackwood's youth hockey team was injured, and Blackwood volunteered to mind the net in his place. He enjoyed the new position and became a full-time goaltender. He played in house leagues with the Volunteer Pool Bearcats and Neebing Hawks before joining the Thunder Bay Kings of the Thunder Bay AAA Hockey League for the 2011–12 minor ice hockey season. There, he won 15 games while posting a 3.08 goals against average (GAA).
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.