St. Louis Blues (hockey)

The St. Louis Blues are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Saint Louis, Missouri. They are named after the famous W. C. Handy tune "St. Louis Blues".

Franchise history

The Blues were one of the six teams added to the NHL in the 1967, along with the Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Oakland Seals, when the league doubled in size. The newcomers were, however, hampered by restrictive rules that kept virtually all the top players with the existing teams.

Related Topics:
1967 - Minnesota North Stars - Los Angeles Kings - Philadelphia Flyers - Pittsburgh Penguins - Oakland Seals

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Although the Blues, originally coached by Lynn Patrick, and then Scotty Bowman, made the Stanley Cup finals in each of their first three years of existence, they failed to win a game. It should be noted that the revised playoff format placed all six expansion teams in the same division, forcing one of the new teams to face an Original Six team in the finals. In those three series, the Blues lost twice to the Montreal Canadiens and once to the Boston Bruins. The first Blues teams included aging retreads like Doug Harvey, Jacques Plante, and Dickie Moore, in addition to younger talent like Red Berenson and Bob and Barclay Plager. St. Louis has not been back to the finals since, only twice going as far as the Conference Finals.

Related Topics:
Lynn Patrick - Scotty Bowman - Original Six - Montreal Canadiens - Boston Bruins - Doug Harvey - Jacques Plante - Dickie Moore - Red Berenson - Bob - Barclay Plager

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Through the 1970s, the Blues, playing mostly sub-.500 hockey, were on the brink of financial collapse. Ralston Purina invested in the team, and by 1980 they were the second-best team in the league in the regular season, with Berenson as coach, Wayne Babych scoring 54 goals, and Bernie Federko leading the team in scoring. The Blues fell flat in the playoffs that year, losing in six games to the New York Rangers in the second round.

Related Topics:
1970s - Ralston Purina - 1980 - Wayne Babych - Bernie Federko - New York Rangers

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The Blues quietly slid back below .500, but they still made the playoffs in 1982 (and have done so every year since 1980). The team was still faltering off the ice. Purina got out of its investment with the team and padlocked the arena. The team looked destined for a move to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1983 before the league blocked the sale to a group of investors led by Bill Hunter, and ended up having to take over the team itself.

Related Topics:
1982 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Bill Hunter

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After Harry Ornest ended up purchasing the team, it became competitive both on and off the ice. Doug Gilmour, drafted by St. Louis in 1982, emerged as a superstar. By 1986, they reached the league semi-finals against the Calgary Flames. Doug Wickenheiser's overtime goal in game six to cap a furious comeback remains one of the greatest moments in team history, but they lost game seven 2-1.

Related Topics:
Harry Ornest - Doug Gilmour - 1982 - 1986 - Calgary Flames - Doug Wickenheiser

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The Blues kept chugging along through the late 1980s and early 1990s. General Manager Ron Caron was one of the more astute in the league, landing Brett Hull, Adam Oates, Curtis Joseph, Brendan Shanahan, and Al MacInnis, among others. Always a contender during this time period, they never passed the second round of the playoffs.

Related Topics:
1980s - 1990s - Ron Caron - Brett Hull - Adam Oates - Curtis Joseph - Brendan Shanahan - Al MacInnis

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Hull remained one of the league's top superstars, scoring 86 goals in 1990-91 - second only to Wayne Gretzky (who himself played in St. Louis briefly in 1995-96) in goals scored in a season in NHL history. Gretzky hold the top two spots at 92 and 87. The Blues were the second-best team in the regular season last year, but a second-round defeat to the Minnesota North Stars was exemplary of their playoff woes.

Related Topics:
1990-91 - Wayne Gretzky - 1995-96 - Minnesota North Stars

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Mike Keenan was hired as both general manager and coach prior to the 1994-95 NHL season, lauded as the "playoff coach" that could cure the postseason turmoil Blues fans had endured for years. He quickly instituted major changes, among them trades that sent away fan favorites Brendan Shanahan and Curtis Joseph, as well as the acquisition of the legendary but aging Wayne Gretzky (who left for the New York Rangers as an unrestricted free agent following the season). In spite of all he was prophesized to accomplish, his playoff resume with St. Louis included a first round exit in 1995 and a second round exit in 1996. Neither the fans nor the team ownership was fond of what he did, and he was fired on December 19, 1996.

Related Topics:
Mike Keenan - 1994-95 NHL season - New York Rangers - Free agent

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Caron was reinstated as general manager, but even he could not stop the tide of free agency. Hull left for the Dallas Stars in 1998 and won the Stanley Cup in his first year in the Lone Star State.

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Defenseman Chris Pronger (acquired from the Hartford Whalers in 1995), Pavol Demitra, Pierre Turgeon, Al MacInnis, and goalie Roman Turek, continued to make the Blues a contender. In 1999-2000, they had the best record in the NHL during the regular season, earning the Presidents' Trophy, but were stunned by the San Jose Sharks in the first round in seven games.

Related Topics:
Chris Pronger - Hartford Whalers - Pavol Demitra - Pierre Turgeon - Al MacInnis - Roman Turek - 1999-2000 - Presidents' Trophy - San Jose Sharks

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In 2001 the Blues advanced to the Western Conference Finals before bowing out in five games to the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche.

Related Topics:
2001 - Colorado Avalanche

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Despite years of mediocrity and the stigma of never being able to "take the next step", the Blues have been a playoff presence every year since the 1979-80 NHL season. In fact, the team had only missed the playoffs three times in franchise history and currently hold the active record for most consecutive playoff appearances by any NHL, MLB, NFL, or NBA team.

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Walmart heir Bill Laurie purchased the Blues in 1998, but on June 17, 2005 announced that he would sell the team. On September 29, 2005 it was announced that that the Lauries has signed an agreement to sell the St. Louis Blues to Dave Checketts.

Related Topics:
Walmart - 1998 - June 17 - 2005 - Dave Checketts

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