St. Louis Blues
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey
team based in St. Louis, Missouri
. They are members of the Central Division
of the Western Conference
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy
song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade Center
in downtown St. Louis. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the expansion teams during the league's original expansion
from six to twelve teams.
, along with the Minnesota North Stars
, Los Angeles Kings
, Philadelphia Flyers
, Pittsburgh Penguins
and California Seals.
St. Louis was the last of the expansion teams to officially gain entry into the league, chosen over Baltimore
at the insistence of the Chicago Black Hawks. At the time, the Black Hawks were (and still are) owned by the influential Wirtz family of Chicago
, which also owned the then-decrepit St. Louis Arena
. The Wirtzes sought to unload the Arena, which had not been well-maintained since the 1940s, and thus pressed the NHL to give St. Louis (which had never even submitted a formal expansion bid) a franchise over Baltimore. The team's first owners were insurance tycoon Sid Salomon Jr., his son, Sid Salomon III, and Robert L. Wolfson, who were granted the franchise in 1966. Sid Salomon III convinced his initially wary father to make a bid for the team. Salomon then spent several million dollars on massive renovations for the 38-year-old Arena, which increased the number of seats from 12,000 to 15,000.
The Blues were originally coached by Lynn Patrick
who, after a quick resignation, was replaced by Scotty Bowman
. Although the league's rules effectively kept star players with the Original Six
teams, the Blues managed to stand out in the inferior Western Division. Capitalizing on a playoff format that required an expansion team to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Blues reached the final round each of their first three seasons, though they were swept first by the Montreal Canadiens
in 1968 and 1969 and then by the Boston Bruins
in 1970.
While the first Blues teams included aging and faded veterans like Doug Harvey, Don McKenney
and Dickie Moore, the veteran goaltending tandem of Glenn Hall
and Jacques Plante
proved more durable, winning a Vezina Trophy
in 1969 behind a sterling defense that featured players like skilled defensive forward Jim Roberts
, team captain Al Arbour
and hardrock brothers Bob
and Barclay Plager
. Phil Goyette
won the Lady Byng Trophy for the Blues in 1970 and New York Rangers
castoff Red Berenson
became the expansion team's first major star at center. The Arena quickly became one of the loudest buildings in the NHL, a reputation it maintained throughout its tenure as the Blues' home.
During that time, Salomon gained a reputation throughout the league as the ultimate players' owner. He gave his players cars, signed them to deferred contracts, and treated them to vacations in Florida
. The players, used to being treated like mere commodities, felt the only way they could pay him back was to give their best on the ice every night.
following a power-sharing dispute with Sid Salomon III (who was taking an increasing role in team affairs), as well as Hall, Plante, Goyette, and ultimately Berenson, who were lost to retirement or trade. The Berenson trade, however, did bring then-Red Wings
star center Garry Unger
, who ultimately scored 30 goals in eight consecutive seasons while breaking the NHL's consecutive games played record
.
Defensively, however, the Blues were less than stellar and saw Chicago and the Philadelphia Flyers
overtake the division. After missing the playoffs for the first time in 1973–74, the Blues ended up in the Smythe Division
after a realignment. This division, too, was particularly weak, and in 1976–77 the Blues won it while finishing five games below .500, though this would be their last playoff appearance in the decade.
In the meantime, the franchise was on the brink of financial collapse. This was partly due to the pressures of the World Hockey Association
, but mostly the result of financial decisions made when the Salomons first acquired the franchise. Deferred contracts came due just as the Blues' performance began to slip. At one point, the Salomons cut the team's staff down to three employees. One of them was Emile Francis
, who served as team president, general manager and coach.
(54 goals), future Hall of Famer
Bernie Federko
(104 points), Brian Sutter
(35 goals), and goaltender Mike Liut
(second to Wayne Gretzky
for the Hart Trophy), finished with 45 wins and 107 points, the second-best record in the league. Their regular-season success, however, did not transfer into the playoffs, as they were eliminated by the New York Rangers
in the second round. The Blues followed their generally successful 1980–81 campaign with two consecutive sub-.500 seasons, though they still managed to make the playoffs each year.
Purina lost an estimated $1.8 million a year during its six-year ownership of the Blues, but took the losses philosophically, having taken over out of a sense of civic responsibility. In 1983, Purina's longtime chairman, R. Hal Dean, retired. His successor wanted to refocus on the core pet food business, and had no interest in hockey. He saw the Blues as just another money-bleeding division, and put the team on the market. The Blues did not pick anyone in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft
because Purina did not send a representative; the company basically abandoned the team. It finally found a buyer in a group of investors led by WHA
and Edmonton Oilers
founder Bill Hunter, who then made plans to move the team to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. However, the NHL was unwilling to lose a market as large as St. Louis and vetoed the deal. Purina then padlocked the Checkerdome and turned the team over to the league. The team appeared destined for contraction when, on July 27, 1983, Harry Ornest, a Los Angeles
-based businessman, came in at the 11th hour to save the franchise. Ornest immediately reverted the name of the team's home to the St. Louis Arena.
Ornest ran the Blues on a shoestring budget. However, the players did not mind. According to Sutter, they badly wanted to stay in St. Louis because it reminded them of the rural Canadian towns where many of them grew up. For instance, Ornest asked many players to defer their salaries to help meet operating costs, but the players always got paid in the end. During most of his tenure, the Blues had only 26 players under contract – 23 in St. Louis, plus three on their farm team in Montana
. Most NHL teams during the mid-1980s had over 60 players under contract.
Despite being run on the cheap, the Blues remained competitive even though they never finished more than six games over .500 in Ornest's three years as owner. During this time, Doug Gilmour
, drafted by St. Louis in 1982
, emerged as a star.
However, while the Blues remained competitive, they were unable to keep many of their young players. More often than not, several of the Blues' young guns ended up as Calgary Flames
, and the sight of Flames executive Al MacNeil
was always greeted with dread. In fact, several of the Blues' young stars, such as Rob Ramage
, Joe Mullen
, and Gilmour, were main cogs in the Flames' 1989 Stanley Cup win. Sutter and Federko were probably the only untouchables.
By 1986, the team reached the Campbell Conference Finals against the Flames. Doug Wickenheiser
's overtime goal in Game 6 to cap a furious comeback remains one of the greatest moments in team history (known locally as the "Monday Night Miracle
"), but the Blues lost Game 7, 2–1. After that season, Ornest sold the team to a group led by St. Louis businessman Michael Shanahan.
St. Louis kept chugging along through the late 1980s and early 1990s. General manager Ron Caron
made astute moves, landing forwards Brett Hull
, Adam Oates
and Brendan Shanahan
, defenseman Al MacInnis
, and goaltender Grant Fuhr
, among others. While the Blues contended during this time period, they never passed the second round of the playoffs. Still, their on-ice success was enough for a consortium of 19 companies to buy the team. They also provided the capital to build the Kiel Center (now the Scottrade Center
), which opened in 1994.
Hull, nicknamed the "Golden Brett" (a reference to his father, NHL legend Bobby Hull
, who was nicknamed the "Golden Jet"), became one of the league's top superstars and a scoring sensation, netting 86 goals in 1990–91 en route to earning the Hart Memorial Trophy
as the league's most valuable player. Hull's 86 goals set the record for most goals in a single season by a right-winger (and the third-most overall at the time). Mario Lemieux
previously held that distinction, having notched 85 goals in 76 games during the 1988–89 season. Also, only Wayne Gretzky
found the net more than Hull during any given three-year period. Despite posting the second-best regular-season record in the entire league in 1990–91, the Blues were upset in the second round of the playoffs to the Minnesota North Stars
, a defeat that was symbolic of St. Louis' playoff struggles.
was hired as both general manager and coach prior to the abbreviated 1995 season, with the hope that he could cure the post-season turmoil Blues fans had endured for years. Keenan instituted major changes, including trades that sent away fan favorites Brendan Shanahan
and Curtis Joseph
, as well as the acquisition of the legendary but aging Gretzky and goalie Grant Fuhr
, both from the declining Los Angeles Kings
(Gretzky left for the New York Rangers
as an unrestricted free agent
following the season). In spite of all he was prophesied to accomplish, Keenan's playoff resume with St. Louis included a first-round exit in 1995 and a second-round exit in 1996, and he was fired on December 19, 1996. Caron was reinstated as interim general manager for the rest of season, and GM Larry Pleau was hired on June 9, 1997. But that did not stop Hull, who had a lengthy feud with Keenan, from leaving for the Dallas Stars
in 1998. He went on to win the Stanley Cup
with the Stars the next year, scoring a controversial goal on Buffalo
's Dominik Hasek
to clinch the Cup for Dallas.
Defensemen Chris Pronger
(acquired from the Hartford Whalers
in 1995 for Shanahan), Pavol Demitra
, Pierre Turgeon
, Al MacInnis
, and goalie Roman Turek
kept the Blues a contender. In 1999–2000, they notched a franchise-record 114 points during the regular season, earning the Presidents' Trophy
for the league's best record. However, they were stunned by the San Jose Sharks
in the first round in seven games. In 2001, the Blues advanced to the Western Conference Finals before bowing out in five games to eventual Champions Colorado Avalanche
. They remained competitive for the next three years, but never got past the second round.
Despite years of mediocrity and the stigma of never being able to "take the next step", the Blues were a playoff presence every year from 1980 to 2004 — the third longest streak in North America
n professional sports history. Amid several questionable personnel moves and an unstable ownership situation, the Blues finished the 2005–06 season with their worst record in 27 years. They missed the playoffs for only the fourth time in franchise history. Also, for the first time in club history, the normally excellent support seen by St. Louisans began to fade away, with crowds normally numbering around 12,000, a far cry from the team's normal high (about 18,000 in a 19,500 seat arena).
Wal-Mart
heir Nancy Walton Laurie
and her husband Bill purchased the Blues in 1999. On June 17, 2005, the Lauries announced that they would sell the team. Bill Laurie, a former point guard at Memphis State, had long desired to buy an NBA
team, and it was thought that this desire caused him to neglect the Blues. On September 29, 2005, it was announced that the Lauries had signed an agreement to sell the Blues to SCP Worldwide, a consulting and investment group headed by former Madison Square Garden
president Dave Checketts
. On November 14, 2005, the Blues announced that SCP Worldwide had officially withdrawn from negotiations to buy the team. On December 27, 2005, it was announced that the Blues had signed a letter of intent to exclusively negotiate with General Sports and Entertainment, LLC. However, after the period of exclusivity, SCP entered the picture again. On March 24, 2006, the Lauries completed the sale of the Blues and the lease to the Savvis Center to SCP and TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P., a private equity firm. The Blues are currently the only team in the four major North American sports (ice hockey, basketball, baseball, and American football) to be owned by a private equity firm.
Under new management, the Blues promptly installed John Davidson as president of hockey operations, moving Pleau to a mostly advisory role. The former Rangers goalie promptly made some big deals, picking up Jay McKee
, Bill Guerin
and Manny Legace
from free agency, and bringing Doug Weight
back to St. Louis after a brief (and productive
) stopover in Carolina
. Weight was again traded in December 2007 to the Anaheim Ducks
along with a minor league player in exchange for Andy McDonald
. Davidson also installed a strong development program under head scout Jarmo Kekalainen
, using the team's raft of high draft picks in 2006 and 2007 to select highly-touted prospects such as T. J. Oshie
, Erik Johnson
and David Perron
.
Following the disappointing 2005–06 season, which saw the Blues with the worst record in the NHL, the new management focused on rebuilding the franchise. At the beginning of the 2006–07 season, the Blues looked to be competitive in the Central Division. However, injuries plagued the team all season, and the lack of a sniper hampered them as well. Fan support was sluggish during the first half of the campaign, and the end of the calendar year was capped by an 11-game losing streak. On December 11, 2006, the Blues fired coach Mike Kitchen
and replaced him with former Los Angeles Kings
coach Andy Murray. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=188117&hubname=. On January 4, 2007, the Blues had a record of 6–1–3 in their previous 10 games, which was the best in the NHL during that stretch. Despite a healthy 24-point jump from the previous season, the strain of playing in a conference where seven teams finished with more than 100 points kept them out of the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Immediately prior to the 2007 trade deadline, the Blues traded several key players, such as Bill Guerin
, Keith Tkachuk
and Dennis Wideman
, to gain draft picks. (They later re-signed Tkachuk during the offseason.) Brad Boyes
, picked up from the Bruins in exchange for Wideman, became the fastest Blues player to reach 40 goals since Brett Hull
, doing so during the 2007–08 season.
During the 2007 offseason, the Blues signed free agent Paul Kariya
to a 3-year contract worth $18 million, re-signed defenseman Barret Jackman
to a one-year contract, lost their captain Dallas Drake
to the Detroit Red Wings
, and traded prospect Carl Soderberg
to the Boston Bruins
in exchange for yet more depth in the goal crease, Hannu Toivonen
.
On October 2, 2007, the Blues finalized the season starting roster, which included rookies David Perron
, Steven Wagner
and Erik Johnson
. On October 10, 2007, the Blues introduced a new mascot: Louie.
On December 14, 2007, the Blues traded Doug Weight
, a 38 year old four-time All Star
center, to the Anaheim Ducks
as part of a package to acquire 30-year old center Andy McDonald
..
On February 8, 2008, it was announced that, after going much of the season without a captain, defenseman Eric Brewer was chosen as the team's 19th captain.http://blues.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=352757&page=NewsPage&service=page
On February 26, 2008, the Blues traded veteran
defenseman
Bryce Salvador
to the New Jersey Devils
for enforcer, and St. Louis native, Cam Janssen
. He made his debut two days later, wearing #55 against the Phoenix Coyotes
.
After spending the first half of the 2008–09 season at or near the bottom of the Western Conference, the Blues began to turn things around behind the solid goaltending of Chris Mason. After a strong second half run, the Blues made the playoffs on April 10, 2009 by defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1. On April 12, the Blues clinched the 6th seed in the Western conference with a 1-0 win against Colorado.
For the first time in five years (that is, since the lockout), the Blues were in the playoffs. They faced the #3 seeded Vancouver Canucks
in the 1st round. Despite the team's tremendous run to end the season, the Blues would ultimately lose the series in a quick 4-game sweep.
The Blues fired coach Andy Murray on January 2, 2010 after a disappointing record (17-17-6, 40 points), sitting in 12th place in the Conference. Especially galling were the frequent blown leads after two periods, and with the worst home record (6-13-3) in the entire NHL. After his duties as interim coach for the rest of the 2009-2010 season, Davis Payne
, was named the 23rd head coach in the Blues' history on April 14. Payne was the head coach of the Blues main farm team, the Peoria (IL) Rivermen
of the American Hockey League
.
On March 17, 2011 it was announced that the St. Louis Blues were for sale.
In the 2011 NHL off-season the Blues have signed many key free agents including Brian Elliott
, Scott Nichol
, Kent Huskins
, Jason Arnott
, and Jamie Langenbrunner
.
David Backes was announced as the new team captain.
On November 6, 2011 the Blues fired coach Davis Payne, and named Ken Hitchcock as his replacement.
, where they have played since 1994. The arena was previously known as the Savvis Center and before that the arena was named the Kiel Center. Previously the team played in the St. Louis Arena
(known as The Checkerdome from 1977
until 1983
), where the old St. Louis Eagles
played, and which the original owners had to buy as a condition of the 1967 NHL expansion.
with the Blue Note superimposed over it inside a circle with the words "St. Louis" above and "Blues" below. The third jersey was unveiled on September 21, 2008, and debuted during a Blues' home game against the Anaheim Ducks on November 21, 2008.
and wears a Blues jersey with his name on the back, and the numbers "00".
and KMOX radio, with team patron Gus Kyle
calling games alongside St Louis broadcasting legend Jack Buck
. Buck elected to leave the booth after one season, though, and he was replaced by another famed announcer in Dan Kelly
. This setup—Kelly as commentator, with either Kyle, Bob Plager
or Noel Picard
(whose heavy French-Canadian accent became famous, such as calling owner Sid Salomon III "Sid the Turd" instead of "Third") joining as an analyst, simulcast on KMOX and KPLR—continued through the 1975-76 season, then simulcast on KMOX and KDNL-TV
for the next three seasons. KMOX is a 50,000-watt clear-channel station that reaches almost all of North America at night, allowing Kelly to become a celebrity in both the United States and Canada. Indeed, many of the Blues' players liked the fact that their families could hear the games on KMOX.
From 1979-1981, the radio and television broadcasts were separated for the first time since the inaugural season, with Kelly doing the radio broadcasts and Eli Gold
hired to do the television. Following the 1980-81 season, the television broadcasts moved from KDNL to NBC
affiliate KSD-TV
for the 1981-82 season, produced by Sports Network Incorporated (SNI), owned and operated by Greg Maracek who did the broadcasts with Channel 5 sportscaster Ron Jacober. The broadcasts failed to produce a profit and then returned to KPLR for the 1982-83 season before returning to KDNL (currently St. Louis' ABC affiliate) for the 1983-84 season, the first under the ownership of Harry Ornest. The Blues skated back to KPLR three years later.
In 1985, Ornest, wanting more broadcast revenue, put the radio rights up for bid. A new company who had purchased KXOK
won the bid for a three year contract and Kelly moved over from KMOX to do the games on KXOK. However, the station was never financially competitive in the market. Additionally, fans complained they couldn't hear the station at night (it had to readjust its coverage due to a glut of clear-channels on adjacent frequencies). KXOK backed out of the contract after just two years, and the Blues immediately went back to KMOX, who held the rights until 2000. Dan Kelly continued to broadcast the games on radio but was diagnosed in the summer of 1988 with lung cancer and died on February 10, 1989. After his death, Ron Jacober (who had left Channel 5 to be KXOK's sports director in 1985 then left for KMOX in 1987) finished the season as the radio play-by-play announcer and was succeeded in that position by John Kelly. Ken Wilson continued the television broadcasts after Kelly's death with former Blues' players Joe Micheletti and Bruce Affleck
. During this time from 1989–2000, more games began to be aired on Prime Sports Midwest, the forerunner to today's Fox Sports Midwest (Branded FSBLUES in games).
The long-term partnership between KMOX and the Blues had its problems, however, namely during spring when the ever-popular St. Louis Cardinals
began their seasons. Blues games, many of which were crucial to playoff berths, would often be pre-empted for spring training
coverage. Angry at having to play "second fiddle", the Blues elected to leave for KTRS
in 2000. However, in an ironic twist the Cards purchased a controlling interest in KTRS in 2005, and once again preferred to air pre-season baseball over regular-season hockey. In response, the Blues moved back to KMOX starting in the 2006–07 season. The season of 2008-09 saw the Blues play their last game on KPLR, which had the rights since the 1986-87 season (except for the 1996-97 season on CBS affiliate KMOV
), electing to move all their games to FS Midwest, starting with the 2009-10 season.
Currently, Chris Kerber and Kelly Chase
are the radio broadcast team. John Kelly (son of Dan) and Darren Pang handle television coverage, along with Bernie Federko
(on-ice analyst) and Tony Twist
and Pat Parris (pre-game and post-game shows).
" before every game, although most long time fans replace the word 'Saints' with 'Blues', after a goal and at the end of the period. The Blues were one of the last teams to add a goal horn, during the 1992-93 season at the St. Louis Arena. All of these traditions carried over to the Kiel Center (currently known as Scottrade Center
) in 1994.
The team also has a long tradition of fan-produced
programs, sold outside the arena and providing an often biting, sarcastic, humor filled alternative to team/league produced periodicals. The longest-running fan publication, Game Night Revue, was created by a group of fans in the mold of the Chicago Blackhawks
' Blue Line Magazine. It operated for over 10 years, from 1994 to 2005, when its owner decided not to resume the magazine after the 2004–05 NHL lockout (one final oversized "goodbye" issue was distributed the first two home games of the 2005-2006 season). After hockey resumed in 2005, a few months after GNR's final issue, a new publication, St. Louis Game Time, was formed by several former GNR staffers.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Broadcasters
The Blues also recognize the NHL's retirement of 99 in honor of Wayne Gretzky
.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Blues player
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 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...
. They are members of the Central Division
Central Division (NHL)
The NHL's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Norris Division.The Central Division consists of the Western Conference's easternmost teams.-Current lineup:...
of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
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). The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy
W. C. Handy
William Christopher Handy was a blues composer and musician. He was widely known as the "Father of the Blues"....
song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade Center
Scottrade Center
Scottrade Center is a 19,150 seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, opened in 1994. It is the home of the St...
in downtown St. Louis. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the expansion teams during the league's original 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...
from six to twelve teams.
Early history (1967–70)
The Blues were one of the six teams added to the NHL in the 1967 expansion1967 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...
, along with 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...
, 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...
, 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...
and California Seals.
St. Louis was the last of the expansion teams to officially gain entry into the league, chosen over Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
at the insistence of the Chicago Black Hawks. At the time, the Black Hawks were (and still are) owned by the influential Wirtz family of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, which also owned the then-decrepit 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 Wirtzes sought to unload the Arena, which had not been well-maintained since the 1940s, and thus pressed the NHL to give St. Louis (which had never even submitted a formal expansion bid) a franchise over Baltimore. The team's first owners were insurance tycoon Sid Salomon Jr., his son, Sid Salomon III, and Robert L. Wolfson, who were granted the franchise in 1966. Sid Salomon III convinced his initially wary father to make a bid for the team. Salomon then spent several million dollars on massive renovations for the 38-year-old Arena, which increased the number of seats from 12,000 to 15,000.
The Blues were originally coached by Lynn Patrick
Lynn Patrick
Joseph Lynn Patrick was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive. As a player, Patrick played for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League. Lynn was an important member of one Stanley Cup title the Rangers won in 1940. After his playing career, he went on to be the general...
who, after a quick resignation, was replaced by Scotty Bowman
Scotty Bowman
William Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
. Although the league's rules effectively kept star players with 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...
teams, the Blues managed to stand out in the inferior Western Division. Capitalizing on a playoff format that required an expansion team to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Blues reached the final round each of their first three seasons, though they were swept first by the 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 ...
in 1968 and 1969 and then by 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...
in 1970.
While the first Blues teams included aging and faded veterans like Doug Harvey, Don McKenney
Don McKenney
Donald Hamilton McKenney is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward...
and Dickie Moore, the veteran goaltending tandem of Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall
Glenn Henry "Mr. Goalie" Hall is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues, Hall seldom missed a game and was a consistent performer, winning the Vezina Trophy three times, and the...
and Jacques Plante
Jacques Plante
Joseph Jacques Omer Plante was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey...
proved more durable, winning a Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
in 1969 behind a sterling defense that featured players like skilled defensive forward Jim Roberts
Jim Roberts (ice hockey b. 1940)
James Wilfred Roberts is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman and forward. He went by both nicknames of Jimmy and Jim....
, team captain Al Arbour
Al Arbour
Alger Joseph "Radar" Arbour is a retired Canadian ice hockey player and a coach and executive in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and hardrock brothers Bob
Bob Plager
Robert Bryant Plager is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for fourteen seasons from 1964–65 until 1977–78. He had two brothers, Bill and Barclay, who also played in the NHL....
and Barclay Plager
Barclay Plager
Barclay Graham Plager , was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach for the St. Louis Blues.-Playing career:...
. Phil Goyette
Phil Goyette
Philippe Joseph Georges Goyette is a retired professional ice hockey centreman who played in the NHL for 16 seasons between 1956 and 1972.-Playing career:...
won the Lady Byng Trophy for the Blues in 1970 and 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...
castoff Red Berenson
Gordon Berenson
Gordon Arthur "Red, The Red Baron" Berenson is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre and is currently in his 27th year as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team.-Playing career:...
became the expansion team's first major star at center. The Arena quickly became one of the loudest buildings in the NHL, a reputation it maintained throughout its tenure as the Blues' home.
During that time, Salomon gained a reputation throughout the league as the ultimate players' owner. He gave his players cars, signed them to deferred contracts, and treated them to vacations in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The players, used to being treated like mere commodities, felt the only way they could pay him back was to give their best on the ice every night.
The Blues' struggles (1970–77)
The Blues' successes in the late 1960s, however, did not continue into the 1970s as the playoff format changed and the Chicago Black Hawks were moved into the Western Division. The Blues lost Bowman, who went to MontrealMontreal 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 ...
following a power-sharing dispute with Sid Salomon III (who was taking an increasing role in team affairs), as well as Hall, Plante, Goyette, and ultimately Berenson, who were lost to retirement or trade. The Berenson trade, however, did bring then-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...
star center Garry Unger
Garry Unger
Garry Douglas "Iron Man" Unger is a former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1983.- Playing career :...
, who ultimately scored 30 goals in eight consecutive seasons while breaking the NHL's consecutive games played record
NHL records
The following articles contain the following lists of National Hockey League records:*List of NHL records *List of NHL records *List of NHL statistical leaders*List of NHL statistical leaders by country...
.
Defensively, however, the Blues were less than stellar and saw Chicago and the 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...
overtake the division. After missing the playoffs for the first time in 1973–74, the Blues ended up in the Smythe Division
Smythe Division
The NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Conn Smythe. It is the fore-runner of the NHL's Northwest Division and NHL's Pacific Division....
after a realignment. This division, too, was particularly weak, and in 1976–77 the Blues won it while finishing five games below .500, though this would be their last playoff appearance in the decade.
In the meantime, the franchise was on the brink of financial collapse. This was partly due to the pressures of the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
, but mostly the result of financial decisions made when the Salomons first acquired the franchise. Deferred contracts came due just as the Blues' performance began to slip. At one point, the Salomons cut the team's staff down to three employees. One of them was Emile Francis
Emile Francis
Emile "The Cat" Francis is a former player, coach, and general manager in the National Hockey League, most notably with the New York Rangers....
, who served as team president, general manager and coach.
Purina era (1977–83)
The Salomons finally found a buyer in St. Louis-based pet food giant Ralston Purina in 1977, who renamed the Arena "the Checkerdome." Francis and minority owner Wolfson helped put together the deal with Ralston Purina, which ensured that the Blues would stay in St. Louis. Only a year after finishing with only 18 wins (still the worst season in franchise history), the Blues made the playoffs in 1980, the first of 25 consecutive post-season appearances. The team's improvement continued into 1981, when the Berenson-coached team, led by Wayne BabychWayne Babych
Wayne Joseph Babych is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Quebec Nordiques, and Hartford Whalers. He is the brother of retired NHL player Dave Babych....
(54 goals), future Hall of Famer
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...
Bernie Federko
Bernie Federko
Bernard Allan Federko is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990.-Playing career:...
(104 points), Brian Sutter
Brian Sutter
Brian Louis Allen Sutter is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward and former head coach in the National Hockey League . Brian is the second oldest of the famous Sutter brothers, six of whom have played in the NHL, and is the only one to have his number retired by an NHL team.-Player: Sutter was...
(35 goals), and goaltender Mike Liut
Mike Liut
Michael Dennis Liut is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Liut played for the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association from 1977 to 1979 and for the St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1992. He won...
(second to Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
for the Hart Trophy), finished with 45 wins and 107 points, the second-best record in the league. Their regular-season success, however, did not transfer into the playoffs, as they were eliminated by the 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...
in the second round. The Blues followed their generally successful 1980–81 campaign with two consecutive sub-.500 seasons, though they still managed to make the playoffs each year.
Purina lost an estimated $1.8 million a year during its six-year ownership of the Blues, but took the losses philosophically, having taken over out of a sense of civic responsibility. In 1983, Purina's longtime chairman, R. Hal Dean, retired. His successor wanted to refocus on the core pet food business, and had no interest in hockey. He saw the Blues as just another money-bleeding division, and put the team on the market. The Blues did not pick anyone in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft
1983 NHL Entry Draft
The 1983 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1983. The NHL Entry Draft is the primary means by which players arrive in the National Hockey League. The St. Louis Blues did not participate in this draft, shortly after the league blocked the franchise's...
because Purina did not send a representative; the company basically abandoned the team. It finally found a buyer in a group of investors led by WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
and Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
founder Bill Hunter, who then made plans to move the team to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. However, the NHL was unwilling to lose a market as large as St. Louis and vetoed the deal. Purina then padlocked the Checkerdome and turned the team over to the league. The team appeared destined for contraction when, on July 27, 1983, Harry Ornest, a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based businessman, came in at the 11th hour to save the franchise. Ornest immediately reverted the name of the team's home to the St. Louis Arena.
Road to a new arena (1983–96)
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Most NHL teams during the mid-1980s had over 60 players under contract.
Despite being run on the cheap, the Blues remained competitive even though they never finished more than six games over .500 in Ornest's three years as owner. During this time, Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour
Douglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
, drafted by St. Louis in 1982
1982 NHL Entry Draft
The 1982 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1981–82 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
, emerged as a star.
However, while the Blues remained competitive, they were unable to keep many of their young players. More often than not, several of the Blues' young guns ended up as Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, and the sight of Flames executive Al MacNeil
Al MacNeil
Allister Wences MacNeil is a former National Hockey League player and coach. He was the first person from the Maritime region of Canada to be a head coach in the NHL....
was always greeted with dread. In fact, several of the Blues' young stars, such as Rob Ramage
Rob Ramage
George Robert Ramage is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota North Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers...
, Joe Mullen
Joe Mullen
Joseph Patrick Mullen is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins from 1980–1997. He won three Stanley Cups in 1989 with Calgary, and in 1991 and 1992 with...
, and Gilmour, were main cogs in the Flames' 1989 Stanley Cup win. Sutter and Federko were probably the only untouchables.
By 1986, the team reached the Campbell Conference Finals against the Flames. Doug Wickenheiser
Doug Wickenheiser
Douglas Peter Wickenheiser was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.-Career:Wickenheiser was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada...
's overtime goal in Game 6 to cap a furious comeback remains one of the greatest moments in team history (known locally as the "Monday Night Miracle
The Monday Night Miracle (ice hockey)
Unfortunately for the Blues, the clock dipped under two minutes remaining in the game as they still searched for the game-tying goal. With only 1:17 remaining in the game, the Blues shot the puck behind Calgary's net from the neutral zone. As Calgary defenseman Jamie Macoun brought the puck from...
"), but the Blues lost Game 7, 2–1. After that season, Ornest sold the team to a group led by St. Louis businessman Michael Shanahan.
St. Louis kept chugging along through the late 1980s and early 1990s. General manager Ron Caron
Ron Caron
Ronald "Ron" Caron is a Canadian former executive in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues.-Hockey career:...
made astute moves, landing forwards Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
and Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry...
, defenseman Al MacInnis
Al MacInnis
Allan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star...
, and goaltender Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
, among others. While the Blues contended during this time period, they never passed the second round of the playoffs. Still, their on-ice success was enough for a consortium of 19 companies to buy the team. They also provided the capital to build the Kiel Center (now the Scottrade Center
Scottrade Center
Scottrade Center is a 19,150 seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, opened in 1994. It is the home of the St...
), which opened in 1994.
Hull, nicknamed the "Golden Brett" (a reference to his father, NHL legend Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, who was nicknamed the "Golden Jet"), became one of the league's top superstars and a scoring sensation, netting 86 goals in 1990–91 en route to earning the Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as the league's most valuable player. Hull's 86 goals set the record for most goals in a single season by a right-winger (and the third-most overall at the time). Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
previously held that distinction, having notched 85 goals in 76 games during the 1988–89 season. Also, only Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
found the net more than Hull during any given three-year period. Despite posting the second-best regular-season record in the entire league in 1990–91, the Blues were upset in the second round of the playoffs to 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...
, a defeat that was symbolic of St. Louis' playoff struggles.
From President's Trophy to struggling times (1997–2006)
Mike KeenanMike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
was hired as both general manager and coach prior to the abbreviated 1995 season, with the hope that he could cure the post-season turmoil Blues fans had endured for years. Keenan instituted major changes, including trades that sent away fan favorites Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry...
and Curtis Joseph
Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....
, as well as the acquisition of the legendary but aging Gretzky and goalie Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
, both from the declining 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...
(Gretzky left for the 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...
as an unrestricted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
following the season). In spite of all he was prophesied to accomplish, Keenan's playoff resume with St. Louis included a first-round exit in 1995 and a second-round exit in 1996, and he was fired on December 19, 1996. Caron was reinstated as interim general manager for the rest of season, and GM Larry Pleau was hired on June 9, 1997. But that did not stop Hull, who had a lengthy feud with Keenan, from leaving for the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
in 1998. He went on to win 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...
with the Stars the next year, scoring a controversial goal on Buffalo
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
's Dominik Hasek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
to clinch the Cup for Dallas.
Defensemen Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Originally selected 2nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St...
(acquired from the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
in 1995 for Shanahan), Pavol Demitra
Pavol Demitra
Pavol Demitra was a Slovak professional ice hockey player. He played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League , two in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League /Slovak Extraliga and one in the Kontinental Hockey League . Known as an offensive player, Demitra was a first- or second-line...
, Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche...
, Al MacInnis
Al MacInnis
Allan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star...
, and goalie Roman Turek
Roman Turek
Roman Turek is a retired Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames in a 9-year National Hockey League career...
kept the Blues a contender. In 1999–2000, they notched a franchise-record 114 points during the regular season, earning the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
for the league's best record. However, they were stunned by the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the first round in seven games. In 2001, the Blues advanced to the Western Conference Finals before bowing out in five games to eventual Champions Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
. They remained competitive for the next three years, but never got past the second round.
Despite years of mediocrity and the stigma of never being able to "take the next step", the Blues were a playoff presence every year from 1980 to 2004 — the third longest streak in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n professional sports history. Amid several questionable personnel moves and an unstable ownership situation, the Blues finished the 2005–06 season with their worst record in 27 years. They missed the playoffs for only the fourth time in franchise history. Also, for the first time in club history, the normally excellent support seen by St. Louisans began to fade away, with crowds normally numbering around 12,000, a far cry from the team's normal high (about 18,000 in a 19,500 seat arena).
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
heir Nancy Walton Laurie
Nancy Walton Laurie
Nancy Walton Laurie is the daughter of the late Bud Walton, the brother and business partner of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. At Bud's death, she and her sister Ann Walton Kroenke inherited a stake in Wal-Mart now worth over USD$6 billion....
and her husband Bill purchased the Blues in 1999. On June 17, 2005, the Lauries announced that they would sell the team. Bill Laurie, a former point guard at Memphis State, had long desired to buy an NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
team, and it was thought that this desire caused him to neglect the Blues. On September 29, 2005, it was announced that the Lauries had signed an agreement to sell the Blues to SCP Worldwide, a consulting and investment group headed by former Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
president Dave Checketts
Dave Checketts
David W. Checketts is an American businessman, founder and chairman SCP Worldwide, sits on the board of JetBlue Airways, and is the owner of the soccer club Real Salt Lake.- Career :...
. On November 14, 2005, the Blues announced that SCP Worldwide had officially withdrawn from negotiations to buy the team. On December 27, 2005, it was announced that the Blues had signed a letter of intent to exclusively negotiate with General Sports and Entertainment, LLC. However, after the period of exclusivity, SCP entered the picture again. On March 24, 2006, the Lauries completed the sale of the Blues and the lease to the Savvis Center to SCP and TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P., a private equity firm. The Blues are currently the only team in the four major North American sports (ice hockey, basketball, baseball, and American football) to be owned by a private equity firm.
Under new management, the Blues promptly installed John Davidson as president of hockey operations, moving Pleau to a mostly advisory role. The former Rangers goalie promptly made some big deals, picking up Jay McKee
Jay McKee
Jay McKee is an ice hockey defenceman who is currently serving as an assistant coach for the Rochester Americans. He last played for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League, and was previously with the Buffalo Sabres and the St. Louis Blues...
, Bill Guerin
Bill Guerin
William Robert Guerin is an American former professional ice hockey player and current player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guerin played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins teams...
and Manny Legace
Manny Legacé
Emmanuel Legace, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. He most recently played in the National Hockey League for the Carolina Hurricanes. He has also played in the National Hockey League for the Los...
from free agency, and bringing Doug Weight
Doug Weight
Douglas Daniel Weight is a retired American professional ice hockey player who is currently an Assistant Coach and Special Assistant to the General Manager for the New York Islanders. During his 19-year National Hockey League career, he played for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina...
back to St. Louis after a brief (and productive
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...
) stopover in Carolina
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
. Weight was again traded in December 2007 to the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
along with a minor league player in exchange for Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and winger, an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. Davidson also installed a strong development program under head scout Jarmo Kekalainen
Jarmo Kekäläinen
Jarmo Kekäläinen is a Finnish retired professional ice hockey player who briefly played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators. Kekälainen is general manager of Helsinki team Jokerit....
, using the team's raft of high draft picks in 2006 and 2007 to select highly-touted prospects such as T. J. Oshie
T. J. Oshie
Timothy "T. J." Oshie is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by St...
, Erik Johnson
Erik Johnson
Erik Robert Johnson is an American ice hockey defenseman playing for the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey League . He was formerly with the St Louis Blues. Johnson, the number one overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, was drafted by the Blues from the U.S...
and David Perron
David Perron
David Perron is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:He was selected in the first round, 26th pick by the St...
.
The rebuilding (2006–present)
Mike Kitchen
Michael Elwin Kitchen is a Canadian former defenceman and former head coach in the National Hockey League. He was selected in the third round of the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft, 38th overall, by the Kansas City Scouts...
and replaced him with former 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...
coach Andy Murray. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=188117&hubname=. On January 4, 2007, the Blues had a record of 6–1–3 in their previous 10 games, which was the best in the NHL during that stretch. Despite a healthy 24-point jump from the previous season, the strain of playing in a conference where seven teams finished with more than 100 points kept them out of the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Immediately prior to the 2007 trade deadline, the Blues traded several key players, such as Bill Guerin
Bill Guerin
William Robert Guerin is an American former professional ice hockey player and current player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guerin played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins teams...
, Keith Tkachuk
Keith Tkachuk
Keith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began...
and Dennis Wideman
Dennis Wideman
Dennis Earl Wideman is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
, to gain draft picks. (They later re-signed Tkachuk during the offseason.) Brad Boyes
Brad Boyes
Bradley Keith Boyes is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League ....
, picked up from the Bruins in exchange for Wideman, became the fastest Blues player to reach 40 goals since Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, doing so during the 2007–08 season.
During the 2007 offseason, the Blues signed free agent Paul Kariya
Paul Kariya
Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League . Known as a skilled and fast-skating offensive player, he played in the NHL for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and St...
to a 3-year contract worth $18 million, re-signed defenseman Barret Jackman
Barret Jackman
Barret Jackman is a Canadian ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Jackman was selected by the St...
to a one-year contract, lost their captain Dallas Drake
Dallas Drake
Dallas James Drake is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger in the National Hockey League who last played for the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, Drake played for the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes, and St. Louis Blues...
to the 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...
, and traded prospect Carl Soderberg
Carl Söderberg
Carl Söderberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for Linköpings HC in the Swedish Elitserien. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 2nd round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft....
to 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...
in exchange for yet more depth in the goal crease, Hannu Toivonen
Hannu Toivonen
Hannu Pekka Toivonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Malmö Redhawks in the HockeyAllsvenskan.-Professional:Toivonen started his pro career with HPK in the Finnish SM-liiga...
.
On October 2, 2007, the Blues finalized the season starting roster, which included rookies David Perron
David Perron
David Perron is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:He was selected in the first round, 26th pick by the St...
, Steven Wagner
Steven Wagner
Steven Lee Wagner is an American professional ice hockey defenceman, who currently plays for Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .-Playing career:...
and Erik Johnson
Erik Johnson
Erik Robert Johnson is an American ice hockey defenseman playing for the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey League . He was formerly with the St Louis Blues. Johnson, the number one overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, was drafted by the Blues from the U.S...
. On October 10, 2007, the Blues introduced a new mascot: Louie.
On December 14, 2007, the Blues traded Doug Weight
Doug Weight
Douglas Daniel Weight is a retired American professional ice hockey player who is currently an Assistant Coach and Special Assistant to the General Manager for the New York Islanders. During his 19-year National Hockey League career, he played for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina...
, a 38 year old four-time All Star
National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
center, to the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
as part of a package to acquire 30-year old center Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and winger, an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
..
On February 8, 2008, it was announced that, after going much of the season without a captain, defenseman Eric Brewer was chosen as the team's 19th captain.http://blues.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=352757&page=NewsPage&service=page
On February 26, 2008, the Blues traded veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
defenseman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
Bryce Salvador
Bryce Salvador
Bryce Chad Salvador is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. Salvador was drafted in the sixth round, 138th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Salvador was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Devils for Cam...
to the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for enforcer, and St. Louis native, Cam Janssen
Cam Janssen
Cam Janssen is a professional ice hockey player who plays for the New Jersey Devils. The Devils drafted him 117th overall in the fourth round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Janssen is also known as an enforcer and 'tough guy' for his physical play and frequent fights.-Playing career:Janssen grew...
. He made his debut two days later, wearing #55 against the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
.
After spending the first half of the 2008–09 season at or near the bottom of the Western Conference, the Blues began to turn things around behind the solid goaltending of Chris Mason. After a strong second half run, the Blues made the playoffs on April 10, 2009 by defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1. On April 12, the Blues clinched the 6th seed in the Western conference with a 1-0 win against Colorado.
For the first time in five years (that is, since the lockout), the Blues were in the playoffs. They faced the #3 seeded Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in the 1st round. Despite the team's tremendous run to end the season, the Blues would ultimately lose the series in a quick 4-game sweep.
The Blues fired coach Andy Murray on January 2, 2010 after a disappointing record (17-17-6, 40 points), sitting in 12th place in the Conference. Especially galling were the frequent blown leads after two periods, and with the worst home record (6-13-3) in the entire NHL. After his duties as interim coach for the rest of the 2009-2010 season, Davis Payne
Davis Payne
Davis Payne is a retired Canadian ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and is the former head coach of the St. Louis Blues.-Playing career:...
, was named the 23rd head coach in the Blues' history on April 14. Payne was the head coach of the Blues main farm team, the Peoria (IL) Rivermen
Peoria Rivermen
The Peoria Rivermen are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena.-History:...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
.
On March 17, 2011 it was announced that the St. Louis Blues were for sale.
In the 2011 NHL off-season the Blues have signed many key free agents including Brian Elliott
Brian Elliott
Brian Elliott is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, 291st overall...
, Scott Nichol
Scott Nichol
Scott B. Nichol is a professional ice hockey player for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:Nichol was drafted in the 11th round, 272nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft....
, Kent Huskins
Kent Huskins
Kent Huskins is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:Before making his NHL debut with the Ducks in 2006, he played five seasons in the AHL...
, Jason Arnott
Jason Arnott
Jason William Arnott is a professional ice hockey centre for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He began his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993–94 after being selected seventh overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team...
, and Jamie Langenbrunner
Jamie Langenbrunner
James Craig Langenbrunner is an American professional ice hockey player. He's an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . He was the captain of the 2010 United States Olympic Team...
.
David Backes was announced as the new team captain.
On November 6, 2011 the Blues fired coach Davis Payne, and named Ken Hitchcock as his replacement.
Arena
The Blues play in the 19,150 (not counting standing room) capacity Scottrade CenterScottrade Center
Scottrade Center is a 19,150 seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, opened in 1994. It is the home of the St...
, where they have played since 1994. The arena was previously known as the Savvis Center and before that the arena was named the Kiel Center. Previously the team played 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...
(known as The Checkerdome from 1977
1977-78 NHL season
Game 5 was Fred Shero's last game as head coach of the Flyers and Gerry Cheevers left the ice without shaking hands with any of the Flyers. -Finals:Boston Bruins vs...
until 1983
1982-83 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:Source: NHL.-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = PointsSource: NHL.-Leading goaltenders:...
), where the old St. Louis Eagles
St. Louis Eagles
The St. Louis Eagles were a professional ice hockey team and a former member of the National Hockey League based in St. Louis, Missouri. The Eagles existed for only one year, playing in the 1934–35 NHL season....
played, and which the original owners had to buy as a condition of the 1967 NHL expansion.
Attendance
The St. Louis Blues are one of the more successful NHL teams in terms of attendance. After the 2005 lockout the Blues attendance suffered; however it has improved every year since its low in 2006-2007. In 2009-2010, despite not having a playoff year, the Blues had an average attendance of 18,883 (98.6% of possible), selling out 34 of its 40 home games, which placed them 7th in the league in total attendance. In 2010-2011, the team sold out every home game.Jerseys
Like all NHL teams, the Blues updated their jerseys for the 2007–08 season with new Rbk Edge jerseys. The Blues simplified their design compared to previous jerseys, with only the blue note logo on the front. There were no third jerseys for the 2007–08 season, however, the Blues announced plans for a navy third jersey featuring a new logo. The new logo includes the Gateway ArchGateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States...
with the Blue Note superimposed over it inside a circle with the words "St. Louis" above and "Blues" below. The third jersey was unveiled on September 21, 2008, and debuted during a Blues' home game against the Anaheim Ducks on November 21, 2008.
Mascot
Louie is the current mascot of the St. Louis Blues. He was introduced on October 10, 2007. On November 3, 2007, the fans voted on his name on the Blues web site. Louie is a Blue Polar BearPolar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
and wears a Blues jersey with his name on the back, and the numbers "00".
Radio and television
Originally, the Blues aired their games on KPLR-TVKPLR-TV
KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KPLR is owned by the Tribune Company, and is an affiliate of The CW Television Network. The station's studios are located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, in Northwest St. Louis County KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station...
and KMOX radio, with team patron Gus Kyle
Gus Kyle
Walter Lawrence "Gus" Kyle was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 203 games in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins....
calling games alongside St Louis broadcasting legend Jack Buck
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
. Buck elected to leave the booth after one season, though, and he was replaced by another famed announcer in Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly (sportscaster)
Patrick Daniel "Dan" Kelly was a Canadian-born sportscaster best known for his radio play-by-play coverage of the St...
. This setup—Kelly as commentator, with either Kyle, Bob Plager
Bob Plager
Robert Bryant Plager is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for fourteen seasons from 1964–65 until 1977–78. He had two brothers, Bill and Barclay, who also played in the NHL....
or Noel Picard
Noel Picard
Jean Noel Picard is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Picard started his National Hockey League career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1965. He would also play for the St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Flames. He would retire after the 1973 season. He would win one Stanley Cup with Montreal in...
(whose heavy French-Canadian accent became famous, such as calling owner Sid Salomon III "Sid the Turd" instead of "Third") joining as an analyst, simulcast on KMOX and KPLR—continued through the 1975-76 season, then simulcast on KMOX and KDNL-TV
KDNL-TV
KDNL-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for St. Louis, Missouri. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 31 from a transmitter in Shrewsbury. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 12 and in high definition on digital channel 780. Owned by the Sinclair...
for the next three seasons. KMOX is a 50,000-watt clear-channel station that reaches almost all of North America at night, allowing Kelly to become a celebrity in both the United States and Canada. Indeed, many of the Blues' players liked the fact that their families could hear the games on KMOX.
From 1979-1981, the radio and television broadcasts were separated for the first time since the inaugural season, with Kelly doing the radio broadcasts and Eli Gold
Eli Gold
Eli Gold is an American sportscaster. Gold is best known as the radio voice for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, along with Tom Roberts, as part of the Crimson Tide Sports Network since 1988. He has also been the host of NASCAR Live on the Motor Racing Network since 1982...
hired to do the television. Following the 1980-81 season, the television broadcasts moved from KDNL to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate KSD-TV
KSDK
KSDK, Channel 5, is the NBC-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KSDK is owned and operated by Gannett Company, and the station's transmitter is located in Marlborough, Missouri. The station broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 35, using its former analog channel assignment...
for the 1981-82 season, produced by Sports Network Incorporated (SNI), owned and operated by Greg Maracek who did the broadcasts with Channel 5 sportscaster Ron Jacober. The broadcasts failed to produce a profit and then returned to KPLR for the 1982-83 season before returning to KDNL (currently St. Louis' ABC affiliate) for the 1983-84 season, the first under the ownership of Harry Ornest. The Blues skated back to KPLR three years later.
In 1985, Ornest, wanting more broadcast revenue, put the radio rights up for bid. A new company who had purchased KXOK
KXOK (AM)
KXOK was a radio station in St. Louis, Missouri, which helped pioneer the Top 40 radio format in the early-1960s.KXOK broadcast on the 630 kHz frequency with 5,000 watts of power and reached a substantial portion of eastern Missouri and southern Illinois during daytime hours...
won the bid for a three year contract and Kelly moved over from KMOX to do the games on KXOK. However, the station was never financially competitive in the market. Additionally, fans complained they couldn't hear the station at night (it had to readjust its coverage due to a glut of clear-channels on adjacent frequencies). KXOK backed out of the contract after just two years, and the Blues immediately went back to KMOX, who held the rights until 2000. Dan Kelly continued to broadcast the games on radio but was diagnosed in the summer of 1988 with lung cancer and died on February 10, 1989. After his death, Ron Jacober (who had left Channel 5 to be KXOK's sports director in 1985 then left for KMOX in 1987) finished the season as the radio play-by-play announcer and was succeeded in that position by John Kelly. Ken Wilson continued the television broadcasts after Kelly's death with former Blues' players Joe Micheletti and Bruce Affleck
Bruce Affleck
Robert Bruce Affleck is a Canadian retired former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League in the 1970s. Currently he serves as an executive for the St...
. During this time from 1989–2000, more games began to be aired on Prime Sports Midwest, the forerunner to today's Fox Sports Midwest (Branded FSBLUES in games).
The long-term partnership between KMOX and the Blues had its problems, however, namely during spring when the ever-popular St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
began their seasons. Blues games, many of which were crucial to playoff berths, would often be pre-empted for spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
coverage. Angry at having to play "second fiddle", the Blues elected to leave for KTRS
KTRS (AM)
KTRS, located at 550 kHz, is an AM radio station in Maryland Heights, Missouri that carries a News/Talk format and is owned by the St. Louis Cardinals and CH Radio Holdings. It broadcasts with 5,000 watts of power during the day and 5,000 watts at night. The call letters KTRS stand for K Talk...
in 2000. However, in an ironic twist the Cards purchased a controlling interest in KTRS in 2005, and once again preferred to air pre-season baseball over regular-season hockey. In response, the Blues moved back to KMOX starting in the 2006–07 season. The season of 2008-09 saw the Blues play their last game on KPLR, which had the rights since the 1986-87 season (except for the 1996-97 season on CBS affiliate KMOV
KMOV
KMOV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KMOV is owned by the Dallas-based Belo Corporation, with its studio and office facilities in St...
), electing to move all their games to FS Midwest, starting with the 2009-10 season.
Currently, Chris Kerber and Kelly Chase
Kelly Chase
Kelly Wayne Chase is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current radio sportscaster.-Playing career:...
are the radio broadcast team. John Kelly (son of Dan) and Darren Pang handle television coverage, along with Bernie Federko
Bernie Federko
Bernard Allan Federko is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990.-Playing career:...
(on-ice analyst) and Tony Twist
Tony Twist
Anthony Rory Twist is a former professional ice hockey player. He played left wing in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues and Quebec Nordiques, but was also a feared enforcer. He now is a co-host in post-game shows after Blues games on Fox Sports Midwest...
and Pat Parris (pre-game and post-game shows).
Traditions
The Blues have a tradition of playing an organ rendition of W. C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues" at the start of every period and singing "When the Saints Go Marching InWhen the Saints Go Marching In
"When the Saints Go Marching In", often referred to as "The Saints", is an American gospel hymn that has taken on certain aspects of folk music. The precise origins of the song are not known. Though it originated as a spiritual, today people are more likely to hear it played by a jazz band...
" before every game, although most long time fans replace the word 'Saints' with 'Blues', after a goal and at the end of the period. The Blues were one of the last teams to add a goal horn, during the 1992-93 season at the St. Louis Arena. All of these traditions carried over to the Kiel Center (currently known as Scottrade Center
Scottrade Center
Scottrade Center is a 19,150 seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, opened in 1994. It is the home of the St...
) in 1994.
The team also has a long tradition of fan-produced
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
programs, sold outside the arena and providing an often biting, sarcastic, humor filled alternative to team/league produced periodicals. The longest-running fan publication, Game Night Revue, was created by a group of fans in the mold of the Chicago Blackhawks
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...
' Blue Line Magazine. It operated for over 10 years, from 1994 to 2005, when its owner decided not to resume the magazine after the 2004–05 NHL lockout (one final oversized "goodbye" issue was distributed the first two home games of the 2005-2006 season). After hockey resumed in 2005, a few months after GNR's final issue, a new publication, St. Louis Game Time, was formed by several former GNR staffers.
Season-by-season record
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Blues. For the full season-by-season history, see List of St. Louis Blues seasonsNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 82 | 34 | 35 | 13 | 81 | 215 | 254 | 3rd, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 33 | 36 | 13 | 79 | 205 | 237 | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | 233 | 233 | 3rd, Central | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... ) |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 40 | 32 | 10 | 90 | 225 | 223 | 4th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2010-11 | 82 | 38 | 33 | 11 | 87 | 240 | 234 | 4th, Central | Did not qualify |
Hall of Famers
Players- Bernie FederkoBernie FederkoBernard Allan Federko is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990.-Playing career:...
, C, 1976–89, inducted 2002 - Grant FuhrGrant FuhrGrant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
, G, 1995–99, inducted 2003 - Doug GilmourDoug GilmourDouglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
, C, 1983–88, inducted 2011 - Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, C, 1996, inducted 1999 - Glenn HallGlenn HallGlenn Henry "Mr. Goalie" Hall is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues, Hall seldom missed a game and was a consistent performer, winning the Vezina Trophy three times, and the...
, G, 1967–71, inducted 1975 - Doug Harvey, D, 1967–69, inducted 1973
- Dale HawerchukDale HawerchukDale Hawerchuk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons. He won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility in 2001...
, C, 1995–96, inducted 2001 - Brett HullBrett HullBrett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, F, 1988–98, inducted 2009 - Guy LapointeGuy LapointeGuy Gerard "Pointu" Lapointe is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League...
, D, 1981–84, inducted 1993 - Al MacInnisAl MacInnisAllan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star...
, D, 1994–2004, inducted 2007 - Dickie Moore, LW, 1967–68, inducted 1974
- Joe MullenJoe MullenJoseph Patrick Mullen is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins from 1980–1997. He won three Stanley Cups in 1989 with Calgary, and in 1991 and 1992 with...
, F, 1979–86, inducted 2000 - Jacques PlanteJacques PlanteJoseph Jacques Omer Plante was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey...
, G, 1968–70, inducted 1978 - Peter StastnyPeter StastnyPeter Šťastný , also known colloquially as "Peter the Great" and "Stosh", is a retired Slovak professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1995. During his time with the Quebec Nordiques, Stastny became a Canadian citizen. Since 2004, he has also served as a...
, C, 1993–95, inducted 1998 - Scott StevensScott StevensRonald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
, D, 1990–91, inducted 2007
Broadcasters
- Dan KellyDan Kelly (sportscaster)Patrick Daniel "Dan" Kelly was a Canadian-born sportscaster best known for his radio play-by-play coverage of the St...
, play-by-play broadcaster, 1968–1989, inducted 1989
Officially retired
- 2 Al MacInnisAl MacInnisAllan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star...
, D, 1994–2004, number retired April 9, 2006. - 3 Bob GassoffBob GassoffRobert Allen Gassoff was a professional ice hockey player. He played four seasons in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues...
, D, 1974–77, number retired October 1, 1977. - 8 Barclay PlagerBarclay PlagerBarclay Graham Plager , was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach for the St. Louis Blues.-Playing career:...
, D, 1967–77, number retired March 24, 1981. http://www.stlouisblues.com/news/0607/061204.html - 11 Brian SutterBrian SutterBrian Louis Allen Sutter is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward and former head coach in the National Hockey League . Brian is the second oldest of the famous Sutter brothers, six of whom have played in the NHL, and is the only one to have his number retired by an NHL team.-Player: Sutter was...
, LW, 1976–88, number retired December 30, 1988. - 16 Brett HullBrett HullBrett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, RW, 1987–98, number retired December 5, 2006. - 24 Bernie FederkoBernie FederkoBernard Allan Federko is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990.-Playing career:...
, RW, 1976–89, number retired March 16, 1991.
The Blues also recognize the NHL's retirement of 99 in honor of Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
.
Honored numbers
- 5 Bob PlagerBob PlagerRobert Bryant Plager is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for fourteen seasons from 1964–65 until 1977–78. He had two brothers, Bill and Barclay, who also played in the NHL....
, D, 1967–78, number honored but remains in circulation. - 7 Garry UngerGarry UngerGarry Douglas "Iron Man" Unger is a former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1983.- Playing career :...
, Red Berenson, Joe MullenJoe MullenJoseph Patrick Mullen is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins from 1980–1997. He won three Stanley Cups in 1989 with Calgary, and in 1991 and 1992 with...
, and Keith TkachukKeith TkachukKeith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began...
, recognized with a mural of the four players in the lower seating bowl. (number honored and unofficially retired) - 14 Doug WickenheiserDoug WickenheiserDouglas Peter Wickenheiser was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.-Career:Wickenheiser was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada...
, LW, 1984–87, number honored and unofficially retired. - No number Dan KellyDan Kelly (sportscaster)Patrick Daniel "Dan" Kelly was a Canadian-born sportscaster best known for his radio play-by-play coverage of the St...
, Broadcaster, 1968–89, recognized with an honorary shamrock that hangs from the rafters at Scottrade CenterScottrade CenterScottrade Center is a 19,150 seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, opened in 1994. It is the home of the St...
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Blues player
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
| Bernie Federko Bernie Federko Bernard Allan Federko is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990.-Playing career:... |
C | 927 | 352 | 721 | 1,073 | 1.16 |
| Brett Hull Brett Hull Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The... |
RW | 744 | 527 | 409 | 936 | 1.26 |
| Brian Sutter Brian Sutter Brian Louis Allen Sutter is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward and former head coach in the National Hockey League . Brian is the second oldest of the famous Sutter brothers, six of whom have played in the NHL, and is the only one to have his number retired by an NHL team.-Player: Sutter was... |
LW | 779 | 303 | 333 | 636 | .82 |
| Garry Unger Garry Unger Garry Douglas "Iron Man" Unger is a former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1983.- Playing career :... |
C | 662 | 292 | 283 | 575 | .87 |
| Pavol Demitra Pavol Demitra Pavol Demitra was a Slovak professional ice hockey player. He played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League , two in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League /Slovak Extraliga and one in the Kontinental Hockey League . Known as an offensive player, Demitra was a first- or second-line... |
LW/C | 494 | 204 | 289 | 493 | 1.00 |
| Al MacInnis Al MacInnis Allan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star... |
D | 613 | 127 | 325 | 452 | .74 |
| Red Berenson | LW | 519 | 172 | 240 | 412 | .79 |
| Keith Tkachuk Keith Tkachuk Keith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began... |
LW | 476 | 195 | 200 | 395 | .82 |
| Chris Pronger Chris Pronger Christopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Originally selected 2nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St... |
D | 598 | 84 | 272 | 356 | .60 |
| Pierre Turgeon Pierre Turgeon Pierre Turgeon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche... |
C | 327 | 134 | 221 | 355 | 1.09 |
Franchise individual records
- Most goals in a season: Brett HullBrett HullBrett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, 86 (1990–91) - Most assists in a season: Adam OatesAdam OatesAdam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
, 90 (1990–91) - Most points in a season: Brett HullBrett HullBrett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, 131 (1990–91) - Most penalty minutes in a season: Bob GassoffBob GassoffRobert Allen Gassoff was a professional ice hockey player. He played four seasons in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues...
, 306 (1975–76) - Most points in a season, defenseman: Jeff Brown, 78 (1992–93)
- Most points in a season, rookie: Jorgen Pettersson, 73 (1980–81)
- Most wins in a season: Roman TurekRoman TurekRoman Turek is a retired Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames in a 9-year National Hockey League career...
, 42 (1999–2000) - Most shutouts in a season: Glenn HallGlenn HallGlenn Henry "Mr. Goalie" Hall is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues, Hall seldom missed a game and was a consistent performer, winning the Vezina Trophy three times, and the...
, 8 (1968–69) - Lowest GAA in a season (min 30 GP): Roman TurekRoman TurekRoman Turek is a retired Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames in a 9-year National Hockey League career...
, 1.95 (1999–2000) - Best SV% in a season (min 30 GP): Chris Mason, .916 (2008–09) http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=28818