From Bob Blake to Mattea Roach, a brief history of Canadian contestants on Jeopardy!

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As Mattea Roach continues to sweep the Jeopardy! panels and goes for her 13th win on the revered quiz show, she is putting Canadian brainpower on the map – though not the first to do so.

Prior to Roach, a number of Canadians stepped up to the blue question board that was guided and hosted by the late Alex Trebek, setting records in the process. Here are a few memorable Canadian contestants.

Bob Blake, 1989, five-game win streak

A five-time champion during the show’s sixth season, Bob Blake claimed the title of highest-winning Canadian contestant with earnings of US$197,501 (now surpassed by Roach).

In Blake’s fifth game, his five-day winnings of US$82,501 broke the record that was previously held by Chuck Forrest’s US$72,800. Blake’s record only remained in place for a few months until Frank Spangenberg earned a five-day total of US$102,597.

Michael Daunt, 1995, five-game win streak

Oakville’s Michael Daunt appeared on the show in 1995 and was a finalist in the Tournament of Champions in 1996. He earned US$64,198 in total from his time on the show, and in the Tournament of Champions, he earned US$8,200. He finished third in the tournament and was the winner of the 1997 International Tournament, where he earned US$35,000. Daunt’s one-day total of US$27,400 was the highest single-day earning at the time.

Eric Dolansky, 2006, two-time champion

Season 22′s two-time champ with US$42,402, Eric Dolansky was a PhD student in marketing in Toronto and managed to win his first Final Jeopardy! in 2006 by correctly naming John Glenn as the American who won a seat on the senate after departing the Marines.

Doug Hicton, 2007, three-time champion

Toronto-based composer Doug Hicton, originally from Regina, became a big name for the game show when he became a three-time champion and runner-up in the 2007 Tournament of Champions, which earned him US$100,000.

Benn Millman, 2016, single appearance

From Port Moody, B.C., Benn Millman was initially considered to be the last eligible Canadian player for the show after online-privacy laws temporarily prevented Canadians from applying for future seasons. Millman came up US$200 short of outbidding his opponent in Final Jeopardy! and ended up with a single appearance.

Matt Kellison, 2017, single appearance

Matt Kellison, an economist from Toronto, was a contestant on the show in 2017, the year after the temporary banning of Canadian applicants. Kellison appeared on a single episode and competed against Lisa Schlitt, who was on a seven-game winning streak.

Mary Peace, 2019, single appearance

Ottawa high-school teacher Mary Peace competed on the show against James Holzhauer who was on his 25th game and had over $1-million in earnings.

Mattea Roach, 2022, 12-game win streak (continuing)

The 23-year-old Nova Scotian has been dominating Jeopardy! since her debut and to date has earned a total of US$271,282, becoming the highest-winning Canadian contestant on the show. Jeopardy!’s box score stats show that she has answered 83 per cent of questions correctly as of April 11. Because Roach has been able to hit a five-game win streak, she qualifies for the Tournament of Champions where she will compete against Jeopardy! champs such as 38-game winner Matt Amodio and 40-game winner Amy Schneider.

Roach will compete next against Alex Lemberg from San Francisco, Calif. and Meghan Bowman from Mount Prospect, Illi. on April 21.

This is not a comprehensive list of Canadian appearances on Jeopardy!.

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