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Early life

[edit]

Atkinson was born on June 5, 1989, in Riverside, Connecticut.[1] The middle child of five born to Tom and Ellen Atkinson, he was part of an athletic family. All five children began playing ice hockey at a young age, and while Atkinson dabbled in "pretty much every sport", he was the most passionate about tennis and hockey.[2] His father was a Vancouver native who played junior ice hockey there and served as Atkinson's coach, helping him to emphasize his speed and intelligence on the ice to account for his smaller size.[3] As a child, Atkinson also played with future National Hockey League (NHL) skaters Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Quick on youth hockey teams in Fairfield County, Connecticut.[4]

In 2004, Atkinson began attending Avon Old Farms, an all-boys boarding school in Avon, Connecticut, that was known for its hockey program.[5] When he was 15 years old, Atkinson fractured his tibia and fibula during a hockey tournament in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and was told by a doctor that the injury was career-ending. Atkinson's father took him to get a second opinion, and two pins were surgically inserted into Atkinson's leg, allowing him to make a full recovery.[6] In his final year with Avon Old Farms, he posted 63 points in 28 regular season games.[7]

Playing career

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NCAA

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  • 2008–09
  • 2009–10
  • 2010–11

Professional

[edit]

Columbus Blue Jackets (2011–2021)

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2011–2013: AHL seasons
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On March 27, 2011, Atkinson opted to leave Boston College, signing a two-year entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets.[8] The deal also included an amateur tryout agreement that would let Atkinson finish out the 2010–11 season with the Springfield Falcons, the Blue Jackets' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.[9] He made his professional hockey debut on April 1, 2011, scoring the game-winning goal in a victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.[10] He appeared in five games for Springfield that season, with three goals and five points in the process.[11]

Atkinson was one of three rookies to make their Columbus debut on opening night of the 2011–12 season, joining Ryan Johansen and David Savard on October 7 for a 3–2 loss to the Nashville Predators.[12] His first goal came three days later, opening scoring with a shot past Cory Schneider in a 3–2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.[13] He was sent back down to Springfield after four NHL games, playing on a line with AHL veterans Martin St. Pierre and Alexandre Giroux.[10] He found offensive success in Springfield, leading the Falcons with 15 goals (including eight power play goals) through 30 games, and was named to the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic at the start of January.[14] The Blue Jackets called Atkinson back up on February 24, by which point he had 29 goals and 15 assists through 50 AHL games and led the league with 13 power play goals.[15] He could not replicate that offensive success in the NHL: despite creating scoring chances beside linemates Mark Letestu and Vinny Prospal, Atkinson did not have a point through the first six games of his recall.[16] After scoring the only goal in a 4–1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on March 10,[17] he entered another 12 game goalless streak that was broken on April 7 when, playing with R. J. Umberger and Derick Brassard, Atkinson recorded his first NHL hat-trick in a 5–2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.[18] He finished the season with seven goals and seven assists in 27 NHL games. Five of those goals came in the final two games of the season, with two goals against the New York Islanders in addition to his Colorado hat-trick.[19] Atkinson's 36 goals between Springfield and Columbus were the most of anyone in the organization that season.[20]

When a lockout indefinitely delayed the start of the 2012–13 NHL season, Atkinson was one of many young players to play for their respective AHL team as they waited for the lockout to end.[21] Just before the start of the season, Atkinson injured both eyes when he was hit in the face with a resistance band at the gym, but he recovered in time for the season opener.[22] By December, Atkinson had 14 goals for the Falcons, who were 14–5–1–3 through their first 23 games, and he told reporters that he was less focused on waiting out the NHL lockout as he was in performing in the AHL.[23] He played in 33 lockout games with Springfield, recording 17 goals and 21 points in the process, and his 38 points were the third-highest in the AHL.[24] When the lockout ended in January, Atkinson was called back up to the NHL for a shortened 48-game season, playing back on the top line with Brassard and Umberger.[25][26] He missed the first month of the season, however, with a high ankle sprain suffered in training camp that kept him out of the lineup until February 21. In the first 12 games after returning from the injury, Atkinson had only two goals and three assists, and coach Todd Richards noted that Atkinson seemed slower on the ice.[27] He steadily improved through March and April, and after recording eight goals and eight assists in 34 games, the Blue Jackets signed Atkinson to a two-year contract extension.[28] Atkinson added a goal and an assist in the 3–1 season finale win over Nashville, but because both the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild also won their respective season-ending games, Columbus did not clinch a berth in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs.[29]

2013–TK: Subtitle here
[edit]
  • 2013–14 (PLAYOFFS)
  • 2014–15
  • 2015–16
  • 2016–17 (PLAYOFFS)
  • 2017–18 (PLAYOFFS)
  • 2018–19 (PLAYOFFS)
  • 2019–20 (PLAYOFFS)
  • 2020–21

Atkinson's first goal of the 2020–21 season came on January 26, 2021, when he put Columbus up 3–2 shorthanded over the Panthers in an ultimate 4–3 shootout loss.[30] After another four-game drought, Atkinson scored his 200th NHL goal on February 4, sliding one past Anton Khudobin of the Dallas Stars. He was only the second Blue Jacket to reach that goal mark, following Rick Nash.[31]

Philadelphia Flyers

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On July 24, 2021, the Blue Jackets traded Atkinson to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for his former teammate Jakub Voráček.[32] He enjoyed early success on the second line with Derick Brassard and Joel Farabee,[33] with six goals in the first five games of the 2021–22 season, but soon entered a scoring slump felt by many of the Flyers' forwards, with only one goal in his next 16 outings.[34] Atkinson scored his seventh NHL hat-trick and first with his new team on December 14, with two goals on Mackenzie Blackwood and one against Akira Schmid of the New Jersey Devils.[35]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Denmark
  • Ivan Hlinka

In 2012, Atkinson represented the United States men's national ice hockey team at that year's Ice Hockey World Championship. He scored his first goal of the tournament in the preliminary rounds, during a 5–3 win over Belarus.[36] The United States were eliminated by Finland with a goal from Jesse Joensuu in the final seconds of the quarterfinals,[37] and Atkinson had one goal and two assists in the eight games he played for the seventh-place United States team.[38]

  • 2018 WC

Awards and honors

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Personal life

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Atkinson met his wife, Natalie Malone, when the two attended Boston College,[39] and they married in July 2017.[40] Former Columbus teammate Derick Brassard served as a groomsman at the wedding.[41] Atkinson and his wife have two sons together: Declan Cameron, born July 24, 2018,[42] and Caden John Paul, born March 28, 2020.[43] His wife is an avid fan of Flyers mascot Gritty, and she acquired a Gritty t-shirt from Scott Hartnell in 2020. When Atkinson was traded to the Flyers, he wore the shirt for his first media appearance under his new team.[44] Around the same time, a photo of Atkinson and his grandmother Marge dressed in Flyers attire gained Internet popularity among Flyers fans, who created a line of "Grandma Marge" t-shirts.[45]

Outside of hockey, Atkinson is known for his charity work in a number of fields. Since joining the Blue Jackets, he has been involved in annual visits to Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Mid-Ohio Food Collective.[46] In 2012, Atkinson recruited several NHL players, including Jonathan Quick, Chris Kreider, and Martin St. Louis, for a charity auction to raise money for the Marty Lyons Foundation.[47] Atkinson and his uncle also helped create the Force Network Fund, a philanthropic organization for military and first responders. For his 30th birthday, he hosted a charity carnival to raise money for Operation Military Kids of Ohio and The Fallen 15, both Ohio-based operations for military families.[48] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Atkinson launched his personal "CA13" brand of clothing, with proceeds going to a local sports bar impacted by pandemic shutdowns.[49] That same year, he held a virtual 5K run to raise money for Riverside Methodist Hospital to obtain a COVID-19 testing apparatus.[50] In 2021, the Blue Jackets awarded Atkinson their Community MVP award for his extensive charity work.[46]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Blue Jackets spotlight: Cam Atkinson". The Columbus Dispatch. September 5, 2018. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  2. ^ Fischer, Jim (October 5, 2016). "Candid Cam: At home with Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson". Columbus Alive. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  3. ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (January 12, 2017). "Cam Atkinson playing above his height". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  4. ^ Rabinowitz, Gershon (March 27, 2016). "Greenwich Native Cam Atkinson Stands Tall On NHL Ice". Greenwich Daily Voice. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "Meet Cam Atkinson – the Blue Jacket's unlikely leading scorer". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. January 13, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Bonjour, Doug (April 13, 2017). "Blue Jackets' Cam Atkinson Rebuked Naysayers With Standout Season". The New York Times. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  7. ^ Svoboda, Jeff (October 19, 2020). "Battalion Breakdown: Looking at Cam Atkinson's season". National Hockey League. Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  8. ^ "Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Forward Cam Atkinson Standard Two-Year Entry Level Contract". National Hockey League. Columbus Blue Jackets. March 27, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  9. ^ Brown, Garry (March 31, 2011). "Boston College's Cam Atkinson to make pro debut with the Springfield Falcons". The Republican. Springfield, MA. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Fornabaio, Michael (November 12, 2011). "Falcons' Atkinson: 'Wherever I am, it's fun'". Greenwich Time. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  11. ^ Arace, Michael (September 27, 2011). "Michael Arace commentary: 5–7 Atkinson could loom large in Jackets' future". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  12. ^ "Predators slip past Blue Jackets on rookie Matt Halischuk's goal". ESPN. Associated Press. October 7, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  13. ^ "Canucks send Jackets to 1st 0–3 start as Alex Burrows caps rally". ESPN. Associated Press. October 11, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  14. ^ Brown, Garry (January 4, 2012). "Cam Atkinson of Springfield Falcons named to AHL All-Star roster". The Republican. Springfield, MA. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  15. ^ "Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Forward Cam Atkinson from AHL's Springfield Falcons". National Hockey League. Columbus Blue Jackets. February 24, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  16. ^ Rabinowitz, Bill (March 7, 2012). "Blue Jackets: Atkinson refuses to panic". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  17. ^ "Brian Elliott helps Blues top Blue Jackets to tie home win mark". ESPN. Associated Press. March 10, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  18. ^ Mitchell, Shawn (April 7, 2012). "Blue Jackets notebook: Atkinson finishing with flurry". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  19. ^ Fierro, David (July 11, 2012). "Atkinson eager to make impact in NHL". Greenwich Time. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  20. ^ Portzline, Aaron (May 6, 2012). "Blue Jackets' Atkinson seeks polish at world tournament". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  21. ^ Brown, Garry (October 9, 2012). "Cam Atkinson locked in for Springfield despite NHL lockout". The Republican. Springfield, MA. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  22. ^ Portzline, Aaron (October 9, 2012). "Blue Jackets notebook: Atkinson OK after freak eye injury". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  23. ^ Portzline, Aaron (December 15, 2012). "NHL: Jackets make major impact in minors". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  24. ^ Mitchell, Shawn (January 11, 2013). "Blue Jackets: Atkinson gains edge with time in AHL". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  25. ^ "Blue Jackets regrouping after end of NHL lockout". Sports Illustrated. January 7, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  26. ^ "After disastrous season, lockout, Columbus Blue Jackets shake things up before 12th campaign". National Hockey League. January 18, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  27. ^ Mitchell, Shawn (March 16, 2013). "Blue Jackets notebook: Sprain limits Atkinson". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  28. ^ Mixer, Rob (April 26, 2013). "Jackets secure another piece with Atkinson's new deal". National Hockey League. Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  29. ^ "Blue Jackets top Predators, but fall short of playoffs". ESPN. Associated Press. April 27, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  30. ^ Merz, Craig (January 26, 2021). "Panthers rally to defeat Blue Jackets, start season with three wins". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  31. ^ Svoboda, Jeff (February 5, 2021). "Atkinson hopes Goal No. 200 is just the start of a big year". National Hockey League. Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  32. ^ "Flyers acquire forward Cam Atkinson from Columbus for Jakub Voracek". National Hockey League. Philadelphia Flyers. July 24, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  33. ^ Fish, Wayne (October 21, 2021). "Atkinson, linemates key in Flyers' win over Boston". Bucks County Courier Times. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  34. ^ Reiner, Olivia (December 14, 2021). "Flyers earn first three-game win streak of the season with 6–1 victory over the Devils". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  35. ^ Dusterberg, Kurt (December 14, 2021). "Atkinson hat trick propels Flyers past Devils". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  36. ^ "World Championship: Jackets' Atkinson scores for U.S. in victory over Belarus". The Columbus Dispatch. May 11, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  37. ^ "IIHF: Finland's last-minute goal eliminates U.S." Sportsnet. May 17, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  38. ^ "Cam Atkinson". USA Hockey. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  39. ^ Hedger, Brian (August 29, 2021). "Cam Atkinson thanks Blue Jackets fans with send-off skate: 'It's just a little goodbye'". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  40. ^ "Atkinson gets hat trick, wedding cash from late All-Star bid". USA Today. Associated Press. January 29, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  41. ^ Crechiolo, Michelle (March 26, 2018). "Getting to Know: Derick Brassard". National Hockey League. Pittsburgh Penguins. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  42. ^ Hedger, Brian (August 18, 2018). "Atkinson on fatherhood: 'You definitely look at life a little different'". National Hockey League. Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  43. ^ Portzline, Aaron (April 6, 2020). "Born in a pandemic: Cam and Natalie Atkinson welcome a son in trying times". The Athletic. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  44. ^ Ledra, Cristina (July 24, 2021). "Atkinson wears Gritty shirt in media availability after trade to Flyers". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  45. ^ Doyle, Paul (September 14, 2021). "How Cam Atkinson's 'Grandma Marge' became an Internet sensation for Philadelphia Flyers fans". Greenwich Time. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  46. ^ a b "CBJ present Cam Atkinson with 2020–21 Community MVP Award". National Hockey League. May 7, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  47. ^ Vigdor, Neil (August 10, 2012). "Atkinson to team up with NHL comrades for charity". Greenwich Time. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  48. ^ Lomon, Chris (June 20, 2019). "A little rain couldn't dampen Cam's Carnival". National Hockey League Players' Association. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  49. ^ Hedger, Brian (December 24, 2020). "Helping for the holidays: Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno drive Blue Jackets charity efforts". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  50. ^ Svoboda, Jeff (May 7, 2021). "Atkinson a deserving choice for Community MVP". National Hockey League. Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
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