St. Louis Blues (hockey)

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{{NHL Team Infobox |team_name = St. Louis Blues |bg_color = #00519B |text_color = gold |logo = StLouis Blues.gif |alternate_logo = blank.gif |founded = 1967 |home_arena = Savvis Center |hometown = St. Louis, Missouri |team_colors = Dark blue, white, gold |head_coach = Mike Kitchen |captain = Dallas Drake |general_manager = Larry Pleau |owner = Bill Laurie |minor_league = Peoria Rivermen (AHL) }}

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".

Founded: 1967

Arena: Savvis Center (formerly Kiel Center)

Uniform colors: Blue, white, and gold

Logo design: A winged musical note with lines departing to the right

Stanley Cup Finals Appearances: 3

Stanley Cups won: 0

Added in the NHL's 1967 expansion, along with the Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Oakland Seals.

Affiliated teams: Peoria Rivermen (AHL), Alaska Aces (ECHL)

1 Franchise history
2 Notable players
3 See also
4 External links

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Franchise history

The Blues were one of the six teams added to the NHL in the 1967 expansion, 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. Image:SIGordonBerensen.jpg The Blues, originally coached by Lynn Patrick and then Scotty Bowman, proved to be the class of the new Western Division and made the Stanley Cup finals in each of their first three years of existence, although they failed to win a finals game, winning two division titles in that time. While the first Blues' teams included aging and faded retreads 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 featuring players like skilled defensive forward Jim Roberts and hardrock defensemen Bob and Barclay Plager. New York Rangers' castoff Red Berenson became the expansion teams' first major star at center, and Phil Goyette won the Lady Byng for the Blues in 1970.

The 1970s were less kind to the Blues. Older stars such as Hall, Plante and Goyette retired or were traded, as was Berenson for star Detroit Red Wings center Garry Unger. Unger scored thirty or more goals eight straight seasons for the franchise en route to breaking the NHL record for most consecutive games played, but beyond the Plagers on defense talent was thin, and the division was soon dominated by Chicago and Philadelphia. St. Louis missed the playoffs outright for the first time in 1974. Realignment placed the team in the Smythe Division the next season and the team got a few good seasons out of forward Chuck Lefley and the reacquired Berenson, but the division in general was so weak as to become a cliche for mediocrity -- the Blues won the division title in 1977 five games under .500 -- and they missed the playoffs the two seasons following behind disastrous goaltending

In the meantime, the franchise was on the brink of financial collapse. Ralston Purina invested in the team, and by 1981 they were the second-best team in the league in the regular season, with Berenson as coach and fresh new stars, including Wayne Babych scoring 54 goals, future Hall of Famer Bernie Federko (who would lead the team in scoring), inspirational leader Brian Sutter and franchise goaltender Mike Liut. The Blues fell flat in the playoffs that year, losing in six games to the New York Rangers in the second round.

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.

Image:Stlouisblueslogo90s.gif

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.

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.

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. The Blues were the second-best team in the regular season last year, but a second-round defeat to the Minnesota North Stars was indicative of their playoff woes.

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 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.

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.

Defenseman Chris Pronger (acquired from the Hartford Whalers in 1995), Pavol Demitra, Pierre Turgeon, Al MacInnis, and goalie Roman Turek, kept 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.

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

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 only missed the playoffs three times in franchise history and currently enjoys the longest current streak in North American professional sport for consecutive playoff appearances.

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. On November 14, 2005 the Blues announced that Dave Checketts group (Sports Capital Partners) has offically withdrawn from negotiations to buy the team.

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Notable players

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Current Squad

As of December 12, 2005 [1]

Goaltenders
Number		Player	Catches	Acquired	Place of Birth
1	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Curtis Sanford	R	2000	Owen Sound, Ontario
33	Image:Flag of the United States.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Jason Bacashihua	L	2005	Garden City, Michigan

Defensemen
Number		Player	Shoots	Acquired	Place of Birth
3	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Steve Poapst	L	2005	Cornwall, Ontario
4	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Eric Brewer (Injured Reserve)	L	2005	Vernon, British Columbia
5	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Barrett Jackman - A	L	1999	Trail, British Columbia
6	Image:Flag of the United States.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Eric Weinrich	L	2004	Roanoke, Virginia
25	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Dennis Wideman	R	2004	Kitchener, Ontario
27	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Bryce Salvador	L	1996	Brandon, Manitoba
28	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Matt Walker	R	1998	Beaverlodge, Alberta
38	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Kevin Dallman	R	2005	Niagara Falls, Ontario
55	Image:Flag of Sweden.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Christian Backman (Injured Reserve)	L	1998	Alingsås, Sweden

Forwards
Number		Player	Shoots	Positon	Acquired	Place of Birth
7	Image:Flag of the United States.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Keith Tkachuk	L	LW	2001	Melrose, Massachusetts
9	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Jay McClement	L	C	2001	Kingston, Ontario
10	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Dallas Drake - C	R	RW/LW	2000	Trail, British Columbia
12	Image:Flag of the United States.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Lee Stempniak	R	RW	2003	West Seneca, New York
17	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Ryan Johnson	L	C/LW	2003	Thunder Bay, Ontario
18	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Mike Sillinger	R	C/W	2004	Regina, Saskatchewan
20	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Simon Gamache	L	LW	2005	Thetford Mines, Quebec
21	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Jamal Mayers	R	C/RW	1993	Toronto, Ontario
22	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Jeff Hoggan	L	LW/RW	2004	Hope, British Columbia
26	Image:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Petr Cajanek (Injured Reserve)	L	C	2001	Zlín, Czechoslovakia
37	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Dean McAmmond	L	LW	2005	Grand Cache, Alberta
39	Image:Flag of the United States.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Doug Weight - A	R	C	2001	Warren, Michigan
42	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Mark Rycroft	R	RW/LW	2000	Penticton, British Columbia
47	Image:Flag of Canada.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Aaron Downey	R	RW	2005	Shelburne, Ontario
48	Image:Flag of the United States.svg}\|name={{{name\|}}}}}}}}	Scott Young	R	RW	2005	Clinton, Massachusetts

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Retired numbers

2 Al MacInnis, D, 1994-2003 (will be retired, April 9, 2006)
3 Bob Gassoff, D, 1974-77
8 Barclay Plager, D, 1967-77; Head Coach, 1978-79 & 1982-83
11 Brian Sutter, LW, 1976-88; Head Coach, 1988-92 (the only one of the six Sutter brothers in the NHL to have his number retired by any team)
24 Bernie Federko, RW, 1976-89
99 Wayne Gretzky, C, 1996 (retired League-wide)

Note: The number 5 of Bob Plager (D, 1967-78; Head Coach, 1992-93; Barclay's brother) and the number 14 of Doug Wickenheiser (LW, 1984-87) are honored by the club with banners but are not officially retired. After Wickenheiser's death in 1999, the number was unofficially retired: the last player to wear it was Geoff Courtnall.

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