St. Louis Eagles
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis Eagles were a professional ice hockey
team and a former member of the National Hockey League
(NHL) based in St. Louis, Missouri
. The Eagles existed for only one year, playing in the 1934–35 NHL season.
The team was originally founded in 1883 as the Ottawa Senators
, a successful independent team that joined the NHL as a charter member in 1917. From the mid-1920s onward, they endured financial strain caused in part by being in the NHL's smallest market. The financial problems forced the Senators to suspend operations for the 1931–32 season. Upon their return to play, the Senators finished in last place for two straight seasons and continued to lose money. Following the second last place finish, the team decided it could not survive in Ottawa and hoped to move to a bigger market.
In an attempt to recoup losses and pay debts, the Senators moved the NHL franchise to St. Louis, where it was nicknamed the Eagles. However, the team continued to bleed money due to travel expenses, and it was forced to make ends meet by selling players to other teams. After the season, the owners asked the NHL for a second time for permission to suspend operations. This time, the NHL refused the request. Instead, the league bought back the franchise, halted its operations and dispersed its players among the remaining teams.
The Ottawa Senators
were founded in 1883 as an amateur club. They began paying their players "under the table" in 1903 and turned openly professional in 1907. They were a charter member of the National Hockey League
(NHL) in 1917, and won the Stanley Cup
four times in the NHL's first decade (and seven times prior to the league's formation - including their time as the Silver Seven).
However, for the better part of their tenure in Ottawa, the Senators played in the smallest market in the NHL. The 1931 census listed only 110,000 people in the city of Ottawa—roughly one-fifth the size of Toronto
, which was the league's second-smallest market. The team started having attendance problems when the NHL expanded to the United States in 1924; games against the new American teams did not draw well. Despite winning what would be its last Stanley Cup in 1927, the team lost $50,000 for the season. The Senators asked the NHL for permission to suspend operations for the 1931–32 season in order to help eliminate debt. The league granted the request and during their suspended season Ottawa received $25,000 for the use of its players, while the NHL co-signed a Bank of Montreal
loan of $28,000 for the franchise. The Senators returned for the 1932–33 season and finished in last place. They finished last again in 1933–34 season. After the season, the Ottawa Auditorium, owners of the Senators, announced that the team would be moving elsewhere for the next season due to losses of $60,000 over the previous two seasons. Auditorium officials said they needed to move the Senators to a larger city in order to protect the shareholders and pay off their debts.
The Senators' owners ultimately decided to move the franchise to St. Louis, Missouri
and the transfer was approved by the league on May 14, 1934. Thomas Franklin Ahearn
resigned as president of the Ottawa Auditorium and Redmond Quain became president. Quain transferred the players' contracts and franchise operations to a new company called the Hockey Association of St. Louis, Inc. Eddie Gerard
was hired to coach the new team. The club was renamed the Eagles, inspired by the logo of the Anheuser-Busch
brewing company, which was founded in St. Louis. The Senators name and logo remained in Ottawa and would be used by a senior amateur team
until 1954. At the time, St. Louis was the seventh largest city in the United States, with over 800,000 inhabitants-- over seven times larger than Ottawa. Despite this, St. Louis had been denied an NHL franchise in 1932 because travel to the Midwest was considered too expensive during the Great Depression
.
Even before the official debut of the Eagles, a problem had arisen for the new NHL club. There was already a professional hockey team in the city, the St. Louis Flyers
, playing in the American Hockey Association
(AHA). The owners of the Flyers claimed they had an agreement with the NHL which prevented it from settling west of the Mississippi. They threatened to sue for $200,000 in compensation as soon as the Eagles played their first game. Following a visit from the AHA President, the Flyers were asked not to go forward with the lawsuit. The Flyers did not pursue further legal action and eventually changed home venues.
At the time there were nine teams in the NHL, divided into two divisions, the Canadian and American. However, in defiance of all geographic reality, the Eagles retained the Senators' place in the Canadian Division alongside Toronto Maple Leafs
, Montreal Canadiens
, Montreal Maroons
, and New York Americans
. This left the American division with the remaining four franchises - the Boston Bruins
, Chicago Black Hawks
, New York Rangers
and Detroit Red Wings
. The core of the Senators' players returned and the team played their games in the St. Louis Arena
. The arena was built in 1929 to host the National Dairy Show, but had suffered financially. In 1931, an ice hockey rink was set up to attract new business. Once the Eagles began play the St. Louis Arena gained the distinction of being the only NHL stadium with racially segregated
seating.
In their first game the Eagles succumbed to a late rally by the defending Stanley Cup champion Black Hawks, losing 3–1. They registered their first win in the next game winning 4–2 over the Rangers. Following the win the Eagles went on an eight-game losing streak. After the first 13 games the Eagles posted a 2–11–0 record placing them last in their division. Gerard resigned as head coach and was replaced by George "Buck" Boucher, the coach that Gerard himself had replaced after the franchises last season in Ottawa.
Under Boucher's coaching the team showed improvement, posting a 3–3–3 record in the first nine games. However, the early losing streak had already damaged the fan base. Their inaugural game drew 12,622 fans, but attendance quickly diminished. In early January of 1935 the team cut ticket prices to the lowest in the league in an attempt to bring out fans. By February the financial state of the team forced the Eagles to essentially sell leading goal scorer Syd Howe
to the Detroit Red Wings. Officially, the trade broke down as such - Detroit received Howe and Ralph Bowman
in exchange for Teddy Graham and $50,000. At the time it was considered a large sum of money. Likewise Frank Finnigan
was sold to the Maple Leafs. The Eagles were unable to maintain the early success under Boucher, and finished last in the Canadian division with a record of 11–31–6. With only 84 goals scored, they were the lowest scoring team in the league. Only the Montreal Canadiens
allowed more goals during the season, surrendering 145 to the Eagles' 144.
By season's end the Eagles ownership had lost $70,000, due primarily to the cost of train travel. In those days, NHL teams traveled primarily by train. Due to being in the Canadian Division, the Eagles had to make a large number of trips to Montreal and Toronto. An attempt to stabilize the franchise by selling off its players netted $58,000. The owners had hoped to move once more to save the franchise. There was interest from Cleveland and also in a return to Ottawa, but neither came to fruition.
As a result, the ownership again petitioned the NHL to allow them to suspend operations for a year. This time the NHL refused and the Eagles were put up for sale. After no credible offers surfaced, the NHL bought the franchise and player contracts for $40,000, and opted to play as an eight-team league. If the NHL ever resold the franchise, proceeds were to go to the Ottawa Hockey Association.
The NHL distributed the players under contract with St. Louis through a dispersal draft. Teams selected players in an order based on the previous season's standings. Teams with the lowest point totals selected first. The Chicago Black Hawks did not participate in the draft. Eighteen of the twenty-three players under contract were selected with the remaining players being placed in the minor leagues. The players were distributed as follows:
In 1938, the Montreal Maroons attempted to move to St. Louis. They were denied by the NHL due to the high travel costs that plagued the Eagles. The NHL eventually returned to St. Louis in 1967, when the league doubled in size from the Original Six
. The new team was named the Blues and they joined the Minnesota North Stars
, Los Angeles Kings
, Oakland Seals, Philadelphia Flyers
, and Pittsburgh Penguins
as part of the new expansion
.
, who retired in 1947 after his final season with the Boston Bruins. He was also the only player in franchise history to start his career with the Eagles and be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
. Syd Howe was the only captain
of the team during its existence and the two players were the only Eagles players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Carl Voss
led the team with 18 assists and 31 points Howe led them in goalscoring registering 14, despite being traded midway through the season. The totals were much lower than the NHL leaders as Charlie Conacher
of Toronto led the league with 36 goals and 57 points, while Art Chapman
of the Americans led for assists notching 34. Bill Beveridge
was the only goaltender the team used during the season. Out of his 11 wins three were shutouts.
The list of players in the history of the team is presented below.
Goaltending
All player stats taken from Hockey-Reference.com
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team and a former member of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) based in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The Eagles existed for only one year, playing in the 1934–35 NHL season.
The team was originally founded in 1883 as the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
, a successful independent team that joined the NHL as a charter member in 1917. From the mid-1920s onward, they endured financial strain caused in part by being in the NHL's smallest market. The financial problems forced the Senators to suspend operations for the 1931–32 season. Upon their return to play, the Senators finished in last place for two straight seasons and continued to lose money. Following the second last place finish, the team decided it could not survive in Ottawa and hoped to move to a bigger market.
In an attempt to recoup losses and pay debts, the Senators moved the NHL franchise to St. Louis, where it was nicknamed the Eagles. However, the team continued to bleed money due to travel expenses, and it was forced to make ends meet by selling players to other teams. After the season, the owners asked the NHL for a second time for permission to suspend operations. This time, the NHL refused the request. Instead, the league bought back the franchise, halted its operations and dispersed its players among the remaining teams.
The move from Ottawa
Ottawa Senators (original)
The Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
were founded in 1883 as an amateur club. They began paying their players "under the table" in 1903 and turned openly professional in 1907. They were a charter member of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) in 1917, and won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
four times in the NHL's first decade (and seven times prior to the league's formation - including their time as the Silver Seven).
However, for the better part of their tenure in Ottawa, the Senators played in the smallest market in the NHL. The 1931 census listed only 110,000 people in the city of Ottawa—roughly one-fifth the size of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, which was the league's second-smallest market. The team started having attendance problems when the NHL expanded to the United States in 1924; games against the new American teams did not draw well. Despite winning what would be its last Stanley Cup in 1927, the team lost $50,000 for the season. The Senators asked the NHL for permission to suspend operations for the 1931–32 season in order to help eliminate debt. The league granted the request and during their suspended season Ottawa received $25,000 for the use of its players, while the NHL co-signed a Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
loan of $28,000 for the franchise. The Senators returned for the 1932–33 season and finished in last place. They finished last again in 1933–34 season. After the season, the Ottawa Auditorium, owners of the Senators, announced that the team would be moving elsewhere for the next season due to losses of $60,000 over the previous two seasons. Auditorium officials said they needed to move the Senators to a larger city in order to protect the shareholders and pay off their debts.
The Senators' owners ultimately decided to move the franchise to St. Louis, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and the transfer was approved by the league on May 14, 1934. Thomas Franklin Ahearn
T. Franklin Ahearn
Thomas Franklin Ahearn or Frank Ahearn was a NHL hockey club owner and a Canadian Member of Parliament. He was survived by his wife Norah, who lived until January 20, 1966.Mr...
resigned as president of the Ottawa Auditorium and Redmond Quain became president. Quain transferred the players' contracts and franchise operations to a new company called the Hockey Association of St. Louis, Inc. Eddie Gerard
Eddie Gerard
Edward George Gerard was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada he played professionally for 10 seasons for the hometown Ottawa Senators and was member of several Stanley Cup-winning teams before retiring as a player in 1923...
was hired to coach the new team. The club was renamed the Eagles, inspired by the logo of the Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
brewing company, which was founded in St. Louis. The Senators name and logo remained in Ottawa and would be used by a senior amateur team
Ottawa Senators (senior hockey)
The Ottawa Senators, also known as the Ottawa Commandos and Senior Senators, was an amateur, later semi-professional, senior-level men's ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada...
until 1954. At the time, St. Louis was the seventh largest city in the United States, with over 800,000 inhabitants-- over seven times larger than Ottawa. Despite this, St. Louis had been denied an NHL franchise in 1932 because travel to the Midwest was considered too expensive during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Even before the official debut of the Eagles, a problem had arisen for the new NHL club. There was already a professional hockey team in the city, the St. Louis Flyers
St. Louis Flyers
The St. Louis Flyers were a minor league ice hockey team, based in St. Louis, Missouri, playing home games at the St. Louis Arena in the city's Central West End, across from Forest Park....
, playing in the American Hockey Association
American Hockey Association (1926–1942)
The American Hockey Association was a minor professional hockey league that operated between 1926 and 1942. It had previously operated as the Central Hockey League , and before that as part of the United States Amateur Hockey Association. The founding president was Alvin Warren, who also owned the St...
(AHA). The owners of the Flyers claimed they had an agreement with the NHL which prevented it from settling west of the Mississippi. They threatened to sue for $200,000 in compensation as soon as the Eagles played their first game. Following a visit from the AHA President, the Flyers were asked not to go forward with the lawsuit. The Flyers did not pursue further legal action and eventually changed home venues.
1934–35 season
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, Montreal Maroons
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...
, and New York Americans
New York Americans
The New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals...
. This left the American division with the remaining four franchises - the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. The core of the Senators' players returned and the team played their games in the St. Louis Arena
St. Louis Arena
The St. Louis Arena was an indoor arena located in St. Louis, Missouri, that stood from 1929 to 1999...
. The arena was built in 1929 to host the National Dairy Show, but had suffered financially. In 1931, an ice hockey rink was set up to attract new business. Once the Eagles began play the St. Louis Arena gained the distinction of being the only NHL stadium with racially segregated
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
seating.
In their first game the Eagles succumbed to a late rally by the defending Stanley Cup champion Black Hawks, losing 3–1. They registered their first win in the next game winning 4–2 over the Rangers. Following the win the Eagles went on an eight-game losing streak. After the first 13 games the Eagles posted a 2–11–0 record placing them last in their division. Gerard resigned as head coach and was replaced by George "Buck" Boucher, the coach that Gerard himself had replaced after the franchises last season in Ottawa.
Under Boucher's coaching the team showed improvement, posting a 3–3–3 record in the first nine games. However, the early losing streak had already damaged the fan base. Their inaugural game drew 12,622 fans, but attendance quickly diminished. In early January of 1935 the team cut ticket prices to the lowest in the league in an attempt to bring out fans. By February the financial state of the team forced the Eagles to essentially sell leading goal scorer Syd Howe
Syd Howe
Sydney Harris Howe was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Quakers, Toronto Maple Leafs, St...
to the Detroit Red Wings. Officially, the trade broke down as such - Detroit received Howe and Ralph Bowman
Ralph Bowman
Ralph "Scotty" Bowman was a professional ice hockey defenceman who played 7 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Eagles and Detroit Red Wings....
in exchange for Teddy Graham and $50,000. At the time it was considered a large sum of money. Likewise Frank Finnigan
Frank Finnigan
Francis Arthur Clarence "The Shawville Express" Finnigan was a Canadian ice hockey professional forward who played in the National Hockey League from 1923 to 1937. During this time, he played for the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St...
was sold to the Maple Leafs. The Eagles were unable to maintain the early success under Boucher, and finished last in the Canadian division with a record of 11–31–6. With only 84 goals scored, they were the lowest scoring team in the league. Only the Montreal Canadiens
1934–35 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1934–35 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 26th season of play. The Canadiens again qualified for the playoffs, finishing third in their division. The club met and lost to the New York Rangers in the playoffs.-Regular season:...
allowed more goals during the season, surrendering 145 to the Eagles' 144.
The end of the Eagles
As a result, the ownership again petitioned the NHL to allow them to suspend operations for a year. This time the NHL refused and the Eagles were put up for sale. After no credible offers surfaced, the NHL bought the franchise and player contracts for $40,000, and opted to play as an eight-team league. If the NHL ever resold the franchise, proceeds were to go to the Ottawa Hockey Association.
The NHL distributed the players under contract with St. Louis through a dispersal draft. Teams selected players in an order based on the previous season's standings. Teams with the lowest point totals selected first. The Chicago Black Hawks did not participate in the draft. Eighteen of the twenty-three players under contract were selected with the remaining players being placed in the minor leagues. The players were distributed as follows:
- New York AmericansNew York AmericansThe New York Americans were a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League and the second to play in the United States. The team never won the Stanley Cup, but reached the semifinals...
: Forwards: Pete KellyPete KellyPeter Cameron Kelly was a professional ice hockey right winger who played 7 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Eagles, Detroit Red Wings, New York Americans and Brooklyn Americans...
, Eddie FinniganEddie FinniganEdward David Finnigan - was a Professional ice hockey Left Winger who played two seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Eagles and Boston Bruins. He had a distinguished amateur career, playing in one Memorial Cup final and four Allan Cup finals.Finnigan was born in Shawville, Quebec... - Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
: Goaltender: Bill BeveridgeBill BeveridgeWilliam Stanley Beveridge was a professional ice hockey goaltender who played 9 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Cougars, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Eagles, Montreal Maroons and New York Rangers....
, Defenseman: Irv FrewIrv FrewIrvine Bell Frew was a professional ice hockey defenceman who played 3 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Maroons, St. Louis Eagles and Montreal Canadiens. He was born in Kilsyth, Scotland....
, Forwards: Paul Drouin, Henri Lauzon - Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
: Forward: Carl VossCarl VossCarl Potter Voss was an American ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Goaltender: William Peterkin - New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
: Forward: Glen BrydsonGlen BrydsonGlen "Swampy" Brydson was a professional hockey right winger who played 8 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Maroons, St. Louis Eagles, New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks...
, Defenseman: Vernon AyresVernon AyresThomas Vernon "Vern" Ayres was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played six seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Americans, Montreal Maroons, St. Louis Eagles and New York Rangers.-External links:... - Montreal MaroonsMontreal MaroonsThe Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...
: Forward: Joe LambJoe LambJoseph Gordon Lamb was a professional ice hockey forward who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Maroons, Ottawa Senators, New York Americans, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Eagles and Detroit Red Wings...
, Goaltender: Bill TaugherBill TaugherWilliam J. Taugher was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played from 1925 until 1936, including stops with the St. Louis Eagles of the National Hockey League , and Buffalo Bisons, Cleveland Falcons and Rochester Cardinals of the International Hockey League .-External links:... - Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
: Forward: Bill CowleyBill CowleyWilliam Mailes "Cowboy" Cowley was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Eagles and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
, Defenseman: Teddy Graham - Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
: Forwards: Gerry ShannonGerry ShannonGerald Edmund "River" Shannon was a Canadian professional ice hockey Left Winger who played five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Eagles, Boston Bruins and Montreal Maroons. He was born in Campbellford, Ontario and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario.- External...
, Cliff Purpur, Jim Dewey, Defenseman: Mickey BlakeMickey BlakeFrancis "Mickey" Blake - was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 3 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Maroons, St. Louis Eagles and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was born in Barriefield, Ontario.-Career statistics:-External links:...
In 1938, the Montreal Maroons attempted to move to St. Louis. They were denied by the NHL due to the high travel costs that plagued the Eagles. The NHL eventually returned to St. Louis in 1967, when the league doubled in size from the Original Six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
. The new team was named the Blues and they joined the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
, Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Oakland Seals, Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
as part of the new expansion
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
.
Final standings
Players
Twenty-nine players in all represented the Eagles during their lone season of existence. The last active player who played with the Eagles was Bill CowleyBill Cowley
William Mailes "Cowboy" Cowley was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Eagles and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
, who retired in 1947 after his final season with the Boston Bruins. He was also the only player in franchise history to start his career with the Eagles and be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
. Syd Howe was the only captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
of the team during its existence and the two players were the only Eagles players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Carl Voss
Carl Voss
Carl Potter Voss was an American ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
led the team with 18 assists and 31 points Howe led them in goalscoring registering 14, despite being traded midway through the season. The totals were much lower than the NHL leaders as Charlie Conacher
Charlie Conacher
Charles William "The Big Bomber" Conacher, Sr. was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and New York Americans in the National Hockey League. An early power forward, Conacher was nicknamed "The Big Bomber," for his size, powerful...
of Toronto led the league with 36 goals and 57 points, while Art Chapman
Art Chapman
John Arthur Chapman was a Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.Chapman started his National Hockey League career with the Boston Bruins in 1930. He would also play for the New York Americans and retire after the 1940 season...
of the Americans led for assists notching 34. Bill Beveridge
Bill Beveridge
William Stanley Beveridge was a professional ice hockey goaltender who played 9 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Cougars, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Eagles, Montreal Maroons and New York Rangers....
was the only goaltender the team used during the season. Out of his 11 wins three were shutouts.
The list of players in the history of the team is presented below.
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 11 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 | |
| D | 47 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 60 | |
| LW/D | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| D | 31 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 51 | |
| RW | 48 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 45 | |
| C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 41 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 10 | |
| LW | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| RW | 34 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | |
| D | 48 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 89 | |
| D | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| C/LW | 36 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 23 | |
| LW/D | 16 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 14 | |
| D | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| C | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 25 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 14 | |
| RW | 31 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 19 | |
| W | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| RW | 25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |
| LW | 31 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | |
| LW | 19 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | |
| RW | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 25 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | |
| C | 48 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 14 | |
| RW | 13 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| RW/D | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2990 | 48 | 11 | 31 | 6 | 144 | 2.89 | 3 | |
| Team: | 2990 | 48 | 11 | 31 | 6 | 144 | 2.89 | 3 |
All player stats taken from Hockey-Reference.com