Blake Coleman: Career, Two Stanley Cups and the 'Pickles' Nickname

Blake Coleman is one of the NHL's most recognizable role players: a fast, physical forward who scores more than his draft position ever suggested and who won the Stanley Cup twice in a row with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is also one of the few NHL players raised and trained entirely in Texas, and the only one known across the league as "Pickles."

Blake Coleman at a glance

Detail	Blake Coleman
Born	November 28, 1991, Plano, Texas
Position	Forward
Draft	2011, 3rd round, 75th overall, New Jersey Devils
College	Miami University (RedHawks), 2011–2015
NHL teams	New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild
Stanley Cups	2020 and 2021 with Tampa Bay
Nickname	"Pickles"

A hockey player from Texas

Coleman grew up in Plano, a Dallas suburb, in an athletic family: his father played football at the University of Oklahoma. His grandmother took him to Dallas Stars games as a toddler, and he learned to skate at five at a rink in Irving because Plano did not have one yet. Ice time in Texas was scarce, so he often practiced early in the morning and played against older kids.

His breakout came in the United States Hockey League. In 2010-11 he won the USHL scoring title with the Indiana Ice, scoring 34 goals and 58 assists for 90 points, and was named the league's Player of the Year. That summer the New Jersey Devils drafted him in the third round, 75th overall.

Miami University and the Devils

Instead of turning pro right away, Coleman spent four seasons at Miami University in Ohio, playing for the RedHawks and earning a business degree from the Farmer School of Business. He then joined the Devils organization and worked his way up from the minors to a regular NHL role.

In New Jersey he became known for speed, forechecking and a knack for big hits, and his scoring grew every season. In 2019-20 he recorded his first NHL hat trick, becoming only the second Texas-born player to do it after Hall of Fame defenseman Brian Leetch. In total he played 237 games for the Devils, with 57 goals and 94 points.

Back-to-back Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay

On February 16, 2020, the Devils traded Coleman to the Tampa Bay Lightning for prospect Nolan Foote and a conditional first-round pick. The Lightning wanted exactly what he brought: energy, defense and secondary scoring. Coleman, Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow formed one of the best third lines of recent years, a line that shut down opponents and chipped in goals.

In the 2020 Stanley Cup Final against his childhood team, the Dallas Stars, Coleman scored Tampa Bay's second goal in the deciding Game 6. With that Cup he became the first player born and raised in Texas to win the Stanley Cup. A year later the line was back together, and the Lightning repeated as champions in 2021.

Calgary and the trade to Minnesota

On July 28, 2021, Coleman signed a six-year, $29.4 million contract with the Calgary Flames as a free agent, a cap hit of $4.9 million per season. He spent five seasons in Calgary as a top-nine forward and penalty killer, and in January 2024 he was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week after a seven-point week.

On July 2, 2026, the Flames traded Coleman and defenseman Olli Määttä to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Jacob Middleton and three draft picks, with Calgary keeping half of Coleman's salary. The 2026-27 season is the final year of his contract, and the move gives him a chance to chase a third Cup with a playoff team.

Why they call him "Pickles"

Coleman started drinking pickle juice in college after a teammate suggested it to fight cramps, and he kept the habit in the NHL. The nickname stuck after he was caught sipping pickle juice in the penalty box. He leaned into it: he launched his own pickle juice and merchandise line under the "P20" brand, after his jersey number, and in 2018 started the Pickles Pals program, which supported the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Newark Ironbound with academic programs for local kids.

Does pickle juice actually stop cramps? There is real research behind the habit, and it is more interesting than most people think. We explain it in Pickle Juice for Athletes: Does It Really Stop Cramps?

Playing style

Coleman is a classic modern bottom-six forward who can move up the lineup: he skates hard on the forecheck, kills penalties, blocks shots and finishes checks, but he also has a scorer's touch around the net. That mix of grit and scoring is why contenders keep trading for him, and why coaches trust him in the playoffs. For how forwards and defensemen split the work on the ice, see our guide to hockey positions.

A note on this site: the domain coleman20.com once hosted Blake Coleman's own website and P20 store. C20 Sport News is an independent publication and is not affiliated with Blake Coleman, his team or the NHL.