The St. Louis Blues are a professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
team based in
St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
. The Blues compete in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) as a member of the
Central Division in the
Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the six teams from the
1967 NHL expansion
The 1967 National Hockey League (NHL) expansion added six new franchises for the 1967–68 NHL season, 1967–68 season, doubling the size of the league to 12 teams. It was the largest expansion undertaken at one time by an established major spor ...
and is named after the
W. C. Handy
William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. He was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musician ...
song "
Saint Louis Blues". They play their home games at the 18,096-seat
Enterprise Center
The Enterprise Center is an 18,096-seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Its primary tenant is the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, but it is also used for other functions, such as NCAA basketball, N ...
in downtown St. Louis, which has been their arena since moving from
St. Louis Arena
St. Louis Arena (known as the Checkerdome from 1977 to 1983) was an indoor arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The country's second-largest indoor entertainment venue when it opened in 1929, it was home to the St. Louis Blues and other sports franchis ...
in 1994.
The Blues won the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
and have the most
Stanley Cup playoff
The season structure of the National Hockey League (NHL) is divided into the pre-season, regular season, and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the pre-season, which is generally held during the last two weeks of September, each team plays several not-fo ...
appearances outside of the
Original Six
The Original Six () are the teams that composed the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1942 and 1967. The six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. ...
. Although frequent postseason contenders for most of their history, the franchise has usually struggled in the playoffs, including consecutive
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, ) is the annual championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL). The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional spo ...
defeats at the end of their first three seasons. With the Blues' victory in their fourth Stanley Cup Finals, 49 years after their last appearance and in their 52nd year of existence, they became the final active team from the 1967 expansion to win their first Stanley Cup.
The Blues have a
rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
with the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
, with whom they have shared a division since 1970. The
Springfield Thunderbirds
The Springfield Thunderbirds are a professional ice hockey team based in Springfield, Massachusetts. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues. The Thunderbirds play their home games at th ...
of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL) and the
Florida Everblades
The Florida Everblades are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Estero, Florida, in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area. They play in the ECHL and are affiliat ...
of the
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
are the team's
minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...
affiliates.
History
Hockey in St. Louis before 1967
Although the
St. Louis Arena
St. Louis Arena (known as the Checkerdome from 1977 to 1983) was an indoor arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The country's second-largest indoor entertainment venue when it opened in 1929, it was home to the St. Louis Blues and other sports franchis ...
was not originally designed with hockey in mind, it met NHL standards of the era for size and had good sight lines for the game. After an ice plant was installed, the minor league
St. Louis Flyers began play there in 1929. St. Louis soon began to attract the interest as a potential NHL market, eventually leading the owners of the moribund
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
to move there for the
1934–35 season. The move proved both ill-conceived and ill-timed, as the renamed
St. Louis Eagles
The St. Louis Eagles were a professional ice hockey team that played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Based in St. Louis, the Eagles played for only one year, the 1934–35 NHL season.
The team was founded in 1883 as the Ottawa Senators (ori ...
continued to lose money. Their situation was not helped by the decision to keep the Eagles in the
Canadian Division to keep the divisions balanced, which left the team with unaffordable travel expenses to games in Toronto and Montreal in an age where long round-trip train travel was required. The team finished last in the division and disbanded after one season.
Following further contraction, the league stabilized
at six teams after 1942. During this period, the NHL rebuffed attempts at further expansion. Eventually, the St. Louis Arena came under the control of the owners of the
Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. The Black Hawks treated St. Louis as a secondary market, placing minor league affiliates there and even playing a few NHL games in St. Louis during the 1950s while the team still struggled to sell tickets at
Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago from 1929 to 1995. When it was built, it was the largest indoor arena in the world with a maximum seating capacity of 26,000. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and ...
.
1967 expansion
The Blues were one of the six teams added to the NHL in the
1967 expansion, along with the
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
,
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...
,
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
,
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
, and
California Seals
The California Golden Seals were a professional ice hockey club that competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967–68 NHL season, 1967 to 1975–76 NHL season, 1976. Based in Oakland, California, they played their home games at the Oa ...
. St. Louis was the last of the six expansion teams to gain entry into the League; the market was chosen over
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
at the insistence of the Black Hawks owners,
James D. Norris
James Dougan Norris (November 6, 1906 – February 25, 1966) was an American sports businessman, with interests in boxing, ice hockey, and horse racing. He was the son of James E. Norris (whom the James Norris Memorial Trophy is named after) ...
and
Arthur Wirtz
Arthur Michael Wirtz (January 23, 1901 – July 21, 1983) was an American entrepreneur. He was the founder of Wirtz Corporation, a holding company that owned Chicago Stadium, the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago, the Chicago Black Hawks, and the C ...
. Following the Black Hawks'
championship in 1961, the team became much more successful at the box office in Chicago, thus St. Louis was no longer useful as a secondary market. Nevertheless, the Black Hawks owners still owned the St. Louis Arena. They sought to unload what was then a decrepit facility which had not been well-maintained since the 1940s, and thus pressed the NHL to give the franchise to St. Louis, which had not submitted a formal expansion bid. The Black Hawks owners felt they could establish a "lovable loser" and a reliable regional rivalry, akin to that of baseball's
Cardinals and Cubs. Despite this, NHL president
Clarence Campbell
Clarence Sutherland Campbell, (July 9, 1905 – June 24, 1984) was a Canadian ice hockey executive, referee, and soldier. He refereed in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1930s, served in the Canadian Army during World War II, then s ...
said during the 1967 expansion meetings, "We want a team in St. Louis because of the city's geographical location and the fact that it has an adequate building."
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. Former
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
great
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank Musial (; born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial; November 21, 1920 – January 19, 2013), nicknamed "Stan the Man", was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent ...
and Musial's business partner Julius "Biggie" Garagnani were also members of the 16-man investment group that made the initial formal application for the franchise.
Garagnani would never see the Blues franchise take the ice, as he died from a heart attack on June 19, 1967, less than three months before the Blues played their first preseason game. Upon acquiring the franchise in 1966, Salomon then spent several million dollars on extensive renovations for the 38-year-old arena, expanding it from 12,000 seats to 15,000.
Beginnings and Stanley Cup Finals' appearances (1967–1970)
Lynn Patrick
Joseph Lynn Patrick (February 3, 1912 – January 26, 1980) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive. As a player, Patrick played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers. He was twice named to the NHL ...
initially served as general manager and head coach. However, he resigned as head coach in late November after recording a 4–13–2 record. He was replaced by assistant coach
Scotty Bowman
William Scott Bowman (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey head coach. He holds the record for most wins in National Hockey League (NHL) history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup ...
, who thereafter led the team to a winning record for the rest of the season. Like the other five expansion teams, the Blues' roster consisted primarily of castoffs from the
Original Six
The Original Six () are the teams that composed the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1942 and 1967. The six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. ...
and players who had previously never managed to break out of the minor leagues. As part of the expansion, the NHL had agreed to put all of the expansion teams in the new
Western Division, an arrangement which was intended to ensure all of the new teams all had an equal chance of reaching the playoffs.
Under the expansion playoff format, Bowman's leadership was enough as the Blues qualified for the playoffs in their inaugural season. Although they had finished in third place, St. Louis was regarded as fairly evenly matched with the other three Western qualifiers since only four points separated first and fourth place. Ultimately, it was the Blues who prevailed by winning in seven games each over the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
and
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. However, St. Louis was swept in their first Finals appearance by the heavily favored
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
.
Under Bowman, the Blues dominated the West for the next two seasons, becoming the only expansion team to compile a winning record, and they captured division titles by wide margins each year. However, they were swept in the Stanley Cup Finals by the Montreal Canadiens in
1969
1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
and then by the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
.
While the first Blues teams included fading veterans like
Doug Harvey,
Don McKenney
Donald Hamilton McKenney (April 30, 1934 – December 19, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey forward and coach. He played in the National Hockey League between 1954 and 1968 with five teams, mostly with the Boston Bruins. After retiring he worked ...
and
Dickie Moore, the goaltending tandem of veterans
Glenn Hall
Glenn Henry Hall (born October 3, 1931) is a Canadian 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 co ...
and
Jacques Plante
Joseph Jacques Omer Plante (; January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947 to 1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played ...
proved more durable, winning a
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy ( ) is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the thirty-two List of NHL general managers, NHL general managers vote to dete ...
in 1969 behind a sterling defense that featured players like skilled defensive forward
Jim Roberts, team captain
Al Arbour
Alger Joseph Arbour (November 1, 1932 – August 28, 2015) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and executive. He is third to Joel Quenneville for games coached in National Hockey League history and fifth all-time in wins, behind Scotty Bow ...
and hardrock brothers
Bob
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Bob (surname)
* Bob (dog), a dog that received the Dickin Medal for bravery in World War II
* Bob t ...
and
Barclay Plager.
Phil Goyette
Joseph Georges Philippe Goyette (born October 31, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey center who played in the NHL for 16 seasons between 1956 and 1972.
Playing career
Goyette played 941 career NHL games, scoring 207 goals and 467 ...
won the
Lady Byng Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard o ...
for the Blues in 1970 and
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
castoff
Red Berenson
Gordon Arthur "Red" Berenson (born December 8, 1939) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre, world champion, Stanley Cup champion and head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team from 1984 to 2017. Berenson was indu ...
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 NHL as the top players' owner. He gave his players cars, signed them to deferred contracts and treated them to vacations in
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
. 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.
Financial problems, near-move, and playoff streak (1970–1987)
The Blues' successes in the late 1960s, however, did not continue into the 1970s. The
Stanley Cup playoff
The season structure of the National Hockey League (NHL) is divided into the pre-season, regular season, and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the pre-season, which is generally held during the last two weeks of September, each team plays several not-fo ...
format changed in such a way that a Western team was no longer guaranteed a Finals berth, and also the Chicago Black Hawks were moved into the
Western Division following the 1970 expansion. The Blues lost Bowman, who left during the 1970–71 season 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 all lost to retirement or trade. Veteran player
Al Arbour
Alger Joseph Arbour (November 1, 1932 – August 28, 2015) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and executive. He is third to Joel Quenneville for games coached in National Hockey League history and fifth all-time in wins, behind Scotty Bow ...
hastily stepped in to coach the team. Under Arbour, the Blues essentially matched their 1969–70 regular season performance in their fourth season, and were still the best of the expansion teams; however, it was only good enough for second place in the West as St. Louis finished 20 points behind Chicago. The Blues would go on to be upset by the North Stars in six games, thus failing to advance past the first round for the first time in franchise history.
Arbour, who officially retired as a player after the 1970–71 season, would remain behind the Blues' bench for the next two seasons. The Berenson trade did bring then-
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
star center
Garry Unger
Garry Douglas Unger (born December 7, 1947) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1983.
Early life
Unger was born on December 7, 1947, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to ...
, 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
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
overtake the Division. After missing the playoffs for the first time in
1973–74, the Blues ended up in the
Smythe Division
The National Hockey League'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 honour of Conn Smythe, who was a longtime owner, general manager, and he ...
after a League realignment. This division 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
The World Hockey Association () was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (N ...
(WHA), but mostly the result of financial decisions made when the Salomons first acquired the franchise. The 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 Percival Francis (September 13, 1926 – February 19, 2022), nicknamed "The Cat", was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and general manager in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers f ...
, who served as team president, general manager and head coach. In hopes of saving the franchise, Francis persuaded St. Louis-based pet food giant
Ralston Purina
Ralston Purina Company was a St. Louis, Missouri,–based American conglomerate with substantial holdings in animal feed, food, pet food, consumer products, and entertainment. On December 12, 2001, it merged with Swiss food-giant Nestlé's ...
to buy the team, arena, and the $8.8 million debt. The Salomons sold the Blues to Ralston on July 27, 1977. Longtime Ralston Purina chairman R. Hal Dean said that he intended to keep the Blues as a subsidiary only temporarily until a more stable owner could be found, but he would only accept offers from interests who would keep the team in St. Louis. Ralston renamed the arena the "Checkerdome." After two awful years, including what is still a franchise-worst 18–50–12 record with 48 points in
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
, the Blues made the playoffs the following year, the first of 25 consecutive postseason appearances.
After being one of the worst teams a couple of years before, they were one of the best in
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
, as they finished with a then-franchise-best record of 45–18–17 record which translated to 107 points and the second-best record in the league. Ten players reached at least 20 goals, including
Wayne Babych
Wayne Joseph Babych (born June 6, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Quebec Nordiques, and Hartford Whal ...
, future
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
r
Bernie Federko
Bernard Allan Federko (born May 12, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990.
Playing career
Federko began playing hockey at a young age in his ho ...
, and team captain
Brian Sutter
Brian Louis Allen Sutter (born October 7, 1956) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward and former head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). Brian is the second oldest of the famous Sutter brothers and the oldest of the six that played in ...
. They also had strong goaltending led by
Mike Liut
Michael Dennis Liut (born January 7, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
Liut played for the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1977–78 WHA season, 1977 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979 and ...
. They would get rewarded as head coach Red Berenson won the
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." The league's Coach of the Year award has been presented 51 times to 43 coaches. The winner is select ...
, Mike Liut finished a close second to
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
in the
Hart Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is an annual award for the most valuable player to his team in the National Hockey League (NHL), voted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original t ...
voting, and earned the top spot on the
NHL All-Star team
The National Hockey League All-Star teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.
Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the all-st ...
,
Larry Patey
Larry James Patey (born March 19, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Patey played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League between 1973–74 and 1984–85 with the California Golden Seals, St. Louis Blues, and New Yo ...
finished third in the
Frank J. Selke Trophy voting, and
Blake Dunlop
Blake Robert Dunlop (born April 18, 1953) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) forward who played during the 1970s and early 1980s. Prior to turning pro, Dunlop played four seasons with the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey Associat ...
won the
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL ...
. Their regular season success, however, did not transfer into the playoffs, as they were eliminated by the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
in the second round 2–4 after beating the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
in the first round 3–2. The Blues would underachieve greatly the following year as they posted a 32–40–8, but they beat the Winnipeg Jets 3–1 in the Norris Division semifinals before dropping to the Chicago Black Hawks in the Norris Division 2–4.

While the Blues had returned to respectability on the ice, they were struggling off it. Ralston Purina lost an estimated $1.8 million a year during its six-year ownership of the Blues. However, Dean took the losses philosophically, having taken over out of a sense of civic responsibility. In 1981, Dean retired. His successor, William Stiritz, wanted to refocus on the core pet food business, and his personal sporting interests were in horse racing rather than hockey. He saw the Blues as just another money-bleeding division, and put the team on the market. While there were a number of interested parties, none had enough cash to meet Ralston's asking price. On January 12, 1983, Batoni-Hunter Enterprises Ltd., led by WHA and Edmonton Oilers founder
Bill Hunter, tendered an offer to buy the team. Hunter intended to build a $43 million, 18,000-seat arena in his hometown of
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
, to house the team in time for the
1983–84 season. While the fans were stunned, the players were aware of Hunter's bid. When the Blues faced the Oilers on December 7, 1982, brochures were distributed titled "Saskatchewan in the NHL". These distractions would greatly affect their performance as they squeezed into the playoffs with a 25–40–15 record in the
1983 season, good enough for 65 points. This led to a Norris Division semifinals exit against the Chicago Black Hawks. Following their playoff exit, Ralston authorized the deal to Hunter's company, renamed Coliseum Holdings, Ltd., for $12 million on April 21. Emile Francis would call it quits on May 2, leaving to become president and general manager of the
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1 ...
. The Blues then fired 60 percent of their employees. The only remaining staff included the accounting department, scouting staff, and coach Barclay Plager. They waited for an authorization by 75% of the NHL Board of Governors for the sale and transfer of the club. However, the NHL Board of Governors rejected the deal by a 15–3 vote on May 18. The owners did not believe that Saskatoon was big enough to support an NHL team, and were also wary of Hunter's involvement based on his roles in the WHA.
Ralston then filed a $60 million anti-trust lawsuit in U.S. District Court, claiming that the NHL broke federal antitrust laws and breached the duty of good faith and fair dealing by voting to reject the sale and transfer of the Blues to Hunter's group. They also requested that the court allow them to give up the team and bar the NHL from interfering with the sale of the team. On June 3, Ralston announced that it had no interest in running the Blues. Because they were not required to participate in the
1983 NHL entry draft
The 1983 NHL entry draft was the 21st NHL entry draft. It 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 ...
, they did not send a representative, which led the Blues to forfeit their picks. The day after the draft, the NHL filed a $78 million counter-suit against Ralston, accusing Ralston of "damaging the league by willfully, wantonly and maliciously collapsing its St. Louis Blues hockey operation." The NHL also said that Ralston broke a league rule that an owner had to give two years' notice before dissolving a franchise. Ralston called the counter-suit "ridiculous" and gave the NHL an ultimatum: if the NHL did not accept Hunter's offer by June 14, Ralston would dissolve the team and sell its players and assets to other teams. The Board of Governors rejected the offer and "terminated" the team on June 13, one day before Ralston's supposed deadline. It then took control of the franchise and began searching for a new owner. League president
John Ziegler said they would try to keep the team in St. Louis. However, had the league not found a new owner by August 6, it would dissolve the team and hold a dispersal draft for the players. On July 27, 1983, ten days before the deadline, the NHL approved a bid from a group of St. Louis investors led by businessman
Harry Ornest
Harry Ornest (June 30, 1923 – July 21, 1998) was a sports entrepreneur who once owned the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He also played minor league baseba ...
for the team and the arena. Ornest had made plans to buy the team as early as March, but built up his efforts in late June to have enough money. Ornest immediately reverted the name of the team's home venue to the St. Louis Arena. To date, this is the closest that an NHL team has come to folding since the
Cleveland Barons merged with the
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
after the 1977–78 season.
Ornest ran the Blues very cheaply, though the players did not mind. According to Sutter, they 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 Ornest's tenure, the Blues had only 26 players under contract–23 in St. Louis, plus three on their farm team, the
Montana Magic
The Montana Magic were a minor professional ice hockey team that played in Billings, Montana, as a member of the defunct Central Hockey League (CHL) in the 1983–84 season. They filled the void left by the departure of the major junior Billings ...
. Most NHL teams during the mid-1980s had over 60 players under contract.
Despite operating on a shoestring, 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
Douglas Robert Gilmour (born June 25, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for seven different teams. Gilmour was a seventh round selection, 134th overall, of the ...
, drafted by St. Louis in
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
, emerged as a star.
While the Blues remained competitive, they were unable to keep many of their young players. More often than not, several of the Blues' emerging stars ended up as
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
, and the sight of Flames executive
Al MacNeil
Allister Wences MacNeil (September 27, 1935 – January 5, 2025) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach and executive. MacNeil played 524 games in the National Hockey League and was a four-time Stanley Cup winner. He was the first ...
was always greeted with dread. In fact, several of the Blues' young stars, such as
Rob Ramage
George Robert Ramage (born January 11, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minneso ...
,
Joe Mullen
Joseph Patrick Mullen (born February 26, 1957) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins betwe ...
and Gilmour, were main cogs in the Flames'
1989 Stanley Cup win. Sutter and Federko were the only untouchables on the Blues during that era. By
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
** Spain and Portugal en ...
, the team reached the
Campbell Conference
Campbell may refer to:
People Surname
* Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell
Given name
* Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer
* Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television n ...
finals against the Flames.
Doug Wickenheiser
Douglas Peter Wickenheiser (March 30, 1961 – January 12, 1999) was a Canadian ice hockey player, who was drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.
Career
Wickenheiser was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. A su ...
'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. Years later, Sutter argued that had the Blues made it to the
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, ) is the annual championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL). The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional spo ...
, they would have likely beaten the Canadiens, having won two out of three games against the Habs in the regular season.
After that season, Ornest sold the team to a group led by St. Louis businessman Michael Shanahan.
Brett Hull era (1988–1998)

St. Louis kept chugging along through the late 1980s and early 1990s. General manager
Ron Caron
Ronald Caron (December 19, 1929 – January 9, 2012) was a Canadian executive in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues.
Early life
Caron was born in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau, Quebec), on December 19, ...
made astute moves, landing forwards
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964) is a Canadians, Canadian–Americans, American former ice hockey player and general manager, and currently an executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played f ...
,
Adam Oates
Adam Robert Oates (born August 27, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former co-head coach for the New Jersey Devils and former head coach for the Washington Capitals. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (N ...
and
Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Frederick Shanahan (born January 23, 1969) is a Canadian American professional ice hockey executive and former player who was the outgoing president and alternate governor for the Toronto Maple Leafs, having previously served as the dire ...
, defenseman
Al MacInnis
Allan MacInnis (born July 11, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames (1981–1994) and St. Louis Blues (1994–2004). A first round selection ...
and goaltender
Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph (né Munro; born April 29, 1967) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. Nicknamed "Cujo", Joseph was immediately recognizable on the ice for his masks featuring a snarling dog, drawing inspiration from ...
, among others. While the Blues contended during this time period, they never passed the second round of the playoffs. Nonetheless, 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
Enterprise Center
The Enterprise Center is an 18,096-seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Its primary tenant is the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, but it is also used for other functions, such as NCAA basketball, N ...
), which opened in 1994.
Hull, nicknamed the "Golden Brett" (a reference to his father, NHL legend
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin Hull (January 3, 1939 – January 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot t ...
, who was nicknamed the "Golden Jet"), became one of the League's top stars 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). Only
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
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
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
, a defeat that was symbolic of St. Louis' playoff struggles.
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan (born October 21, 1949) is a Canadian-American former professional hockey coach. Previously, he served as head coach and/or general manager with several NHL teams between 1984 and 2009. He currently ranks fifth in playoff win ...
was hired as both general manager and coach before the abbreviated
1994–95 season, with the hope that he could end the postseason turmoil that 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 Wayne Gretzky and goaltender
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr (born September 28, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League (NHL) and former goaltending coach for the Arizona Coyotes, who played for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s during wh ...
, both from the declining
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...
. During the season, he publicly criticized Gretzky, who entered free agency after the season, declined an offer from the Blues, and took a less lucrative contract with the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
. Ultimately, 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 the season, and general manager Larry Pleau was hired on June 9, 1997. Hull, who had a lengthy feud with Keenan, left for the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
in 1998. He went on to win the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
with the Stars
the next year, scoring a controversial goal on the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
'
Dominik Hasek
Dominic, Dominik or Dominick is a male given name common among Roman Catholics and other Latin-Romans. Originally from the late Roman-Italic name "Dominicus", its translation means "Lordly", "Belonging to God" or "of the Master".
The most promi ...
to clinch the Cup for Dallas. The Blues ended the 1990s as the only NHL team to make the playoffs for the entire decade, although a Stanley Cup title still eluded the franchise.
End of the playoff streak, lockout, and rebuild (1998–2011)
Defenseman
Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger ( or ; born October 10, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player for the 1999–2000 season and was inducted to the Hockey Hall o ...
(acquired from the
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1 ...
in 1995 for
Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Frederick Shanahan (born January 23, 1969) is a Canadian American professional ice hockey executive and former player who was the outgoing president and alternate governor for the Toronto Maple Leafs, having previously served as the dire ...
),
Keith Tkachuk
Keith Matthew Tkachuk (; born March 28, 1972) is an Americans, American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in an 18-year career with the Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996), Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes ...
,
Pavol Demitra
Pavol Demitra (; 29 November 1974 – 7 September 2011) was a Slovakia, Slovak professional ice hockey player. He played nineteen seasons of professional hockey, for teams in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League (CSL), National Hockey League ...
,
Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Julien Turgeon (''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, TUHR-zhawn'', ; born August 28, 1969) is a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Selected List of first overall NHL draft picks, first overall by the Buffa ...
,
Al MacInnis
Allan MacInnis (born July 11, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames (1981–1994) and St. Louis Blues (1994–2004). A first round selection ...
and goaltender
Roman Turek
Roman Turek (born May 21, 1970) is a Czech former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames in a nine-year National Hockey League (NHL) career. He last played in the Czech Extraliga for ...
kept the Blues a contender in the NHL. In
1999–2000, the team notched a franchise-record 114 points during the regular season, earning the
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy () is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team that finishes with the most points (i.e., best overall record) during the regular season. If two teams are tied for the most points, then the Trophy ...
for the League's best record. However, they were stunned by the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
in the first round of the
2000 playoffs in seven games. In
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, the Blues advanced to the conference finals before bowing out in five games to the eventual champions, the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
. Nonetheless, the team remained competitive for the next three years, despite never advancing beyond 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
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
– the third-longest streak in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
n professional sports history (all three of which being held by NHL teams). However, they never made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. In fact, they made it to the conference finals only two times in their streak (1986 and 2001).
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. Moreover, for the first time in club history, the normally excellent support seen by St. Louisans began to decrease, with crowds normally numbering around 12,000, notably less than the team's normal high (about 18,000 in a 19,500-seat arena).
Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
heir
Nancy Walton Laurie
Nancy Walton Laurie (born May 15, 1951) is an American billionaire, as an heir to the Walmart fortune.
Early life
Walton was born on May 15, 1951. She is the younger daughter of Bud Walton, the brother and business partner of Walmart founder Sam ...
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 University
The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students.
The university maintains the Herff Col ...
, had long desired to buy and move a
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) team to St. Louis (coming close to achieving this in 1999, with an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the then-Memphis Grizzlies, Vancouver Grizzlies), 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.

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. Under new management, the Blues promptly installed John Davidson (ice hockey), John Davidson as president of hockey operations, moving Pleau to a mostly advisory role. The former New York Rangers goaltender promptly made multiple blockbuster deals, picking up Jay McKee, Bill Guerin and Manny Legace from free agency, and bringing Doug Weight back to St. Louis after a brief (2006 Stanley Cup playoffs, and productive) stopover in Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina. Weight was again traded in December 2007 to the Anaheim Ducks, along with a minor league player, in exchange for Andy McDonald (ice hockey), Andy McDonald. At the beginning of the 2006–07 NHL season, 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 bona fide scorer 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 head coach Mike Kitchen and replaced him with former Los Angeles Kings head coach Andy Murray (ice hockey), Andy Murray. Davidson also installed a strong development program under head scout Jarmo Kekäläinen, Jarmo Kekalainen, using the team's raft of high draft picks in 2006 NHL entry draft, 2006 and 2007 NHL entry draft, 2007 to select highly touted prospects such as T. J. Oshie, Erik Johnson and David Perron. On January 4, 2007, the Blues had a record of 6–1–3 in their previous ten 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.
Just before the 2007 NHL trade deadline, the Blues traded several key players, including Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk and Dennis Wideman, in exchange for draft picks, though they re-signed Tkachuk after the season ended. Brad Boyes, picked up from the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
in exchange for Wideman, became the fastest Blues player to reach 40 goals since Brett Hull, doing so during the 2007–08 NHL season, 2007–08 season. During the 2007 off-season, the Blues signed free agent Paul Kariya to a three-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
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
, and traded prospect Carl Söderberg, Carl Soderberg to the 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, Steve Wagner (ice hockey), Steven Wagner and Erik Johnson. On October 10, the Blues introduced a new mascot, Louie the Bear, Louie. Two months later, they traded Doug Weight, a 38-year-old four-time National Hockey League All-Star Game, 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 (ice hockey), Eric Brewer was chosen as the team's 19th captain. The team later traded veteran defenseman Bryce Salvador to the New Jersey Devils for Enforcer (ice hockey), enforcer, and St. Louis native, Cam Janssen. He made his debut two days later, wearing number 55 against the Arizona Coyotes, Phoenix Coyotes.
After spending the first half of the 2008–09 NHL season, 2008–09 season at or near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Blues began to turn things around behind the solid goaltending of Chris Mason (ice hockey), Chris Mason. After a strong second-half run, the Blues made the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, 2009 playoffs on April 10, 2009, after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3–1. On April 12, the Blues clinched the sixth seed in the West with a 1–0 win against the Colorado Avalanche. For the first time in five years (that is, since the 2004–05 NHL lockout, lockout), the Blues were in the playoffs. They faced the third-seeded Vancouver Canucks in the first round, but despite the team's tremendous run to end the season, the Blues would ultimately lose the series in a quick four-game sweep.
The Blues fired head 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) posted in the entire NHL. After his duties as interim coach for the rest of the 2009–10 NHL season, 2009–10 season, Davis Payne was named the 23rd head coach in the Blues' history on April 14. Payne was previously the head coach of the Blues top minor league affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen (AHL), Peoria Rivermen of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL).
Return to contention, first Stanley Cup championship (2011–present)
On March 17, 2011, it was announced that the St. Louis Blues were for sale. During the 2011 off-season, the team signed many key free agents, including Brian Elliott, Scott Nichol (ice hockey), Scott Nichol, Kent Huskins, Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner. They fired their head coach, Davis Payne, and named Ken Hitchcock as his replacement on November 6, 2011. David Backes was also announced as the new team captain.

On March 17, 2012, the Blues became the first team to reach 100 points and clinch a 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, playoff berth in the 2011–12 NHL season, 2011–12 season under Hitchcock, qualifying for their first playoffs since 2008–09. They would finish second in the Western Conference, behind the Vancouver Canucks. During the 2012 playoffs, they won their first playoff series since 2002, eliminating the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
in five games. The Blues were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...
, in the following round.
In 2012–13 NHL season, 2012–13, the Blues completed the 2012–13 NHL lockout, lockout-shortened season in fourth place in the Western Conference. They were again eliminated by Los Angeles, however, this time in six games in the first round of the playoffs, despite taking an initial 2–0 series lead.
The following season, 2013–14 NHL season, 2013–14, the team hit the 100-point mark for the sixth time in franchise history, and gained a franchise record of 52 wins. Their chance of winning the Central Division title, the top seed in the West, and the Presidents' Trophy would all evaporate, after they lost their final six games and wound up in second place in the Division, this time to the Colorado Avalanche. The slump haunted them, as they blew a 2–0 series lead to the defending champion
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
, losing the first-round series in six games. This marked the second-straight year the Blues lost in the first round of the playoffs to the reigning champions in six games after leading the series 2–0.
In 2014–15 NHL season, 2014–15, the Blues won their second Central Division championship in four years and faced the Minnesota Wild in round one of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, 2015 playoffs. However, for the third straight year, they lost in the first round and in six games. During the off-season, forward T. J. Oshie was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Troy Brouwer.
In 2015–16 NHL season, 2015–16, the Blues finished in second place in the Central Division to the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
. The Blues took on the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first-round series. The Blues jumped to a 3–1 series lead, but struggled in games 5 and 6. However, St. Louis ended their first-round losing streak by beating Chicago 3–2 in game 7 of the series. They moved on to the next round, where they defeated the Dallas Stars in another seven-game series to advance to their first conference finals since 2001. The Blues' season would come to an end at the hands of the San Jose Sharks, who eliminated them in six games.
On June 13, 2016, it was announced that Mike Yeo would replace Hitchcock as head coach of the Blues following the 2016–17 NHL season, 2016–17 season. The 2016 off-season saw big changes for the Blues, as team captain David Backes left the team to sign with the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
, and goaltender Brian Elliott was traded to the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
, while veteran forward Troy Brouwer also signed with Calgary as a free agent. Steve Ott also left the team, signing a free agent deal with the Red Wings. Jake Allen (ice hockey), Jake Allen was now the starting goaltender for the Blues, while the team also signed former Nashville Predators backup Carter Hutton. Former Blues forward David Perron was brought back on a free agent deal, while defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was named team captain.
The team started the season by posting a record of 10–1–2 in their first 13 home games. However, they only won three games on the road during the first two months of the season. Despite defeating the Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Winter Classic, 2017 Winter Classic by the score of 4–1, the Blues fired Hitchcock and promoted Yeo to head coach on February 1, 2017. Despite an impressive run into the end of the season, when they gained most points in the league from February 1, when Hitchcock was fired, to the end of the season, the Blues were eliminated in the second round by the Nashville Predators in six games.
In the off-season for the 2017–18 NHL season, 2017–18 season, the Blues would lose David Perron to the Vegas Golden Knights via an 2017 NHL expansion draft, expansion draft. They would also pick up Brayden Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers by giving away Jori Lehtera. Before the season began, the Blues were hit hard with injuries as they lost Robby Fabbri before the season began. Other players like Patrik Berglund, and Alex Steen did not return in time for the season. Despite these losses, the Blues raced out to a 21–8–2 start in their first 31 games. The Blues lost more players as Jay Bouwmeester suffered a season-ending injury, and Jaden Schwartz missed a large portion of the season. The Blues also dealt away Paul Stastny to the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline for their first-round pick as they won only 23 games of their remaining 51, but they still had a chance to get into the playoffs on the last day of their season against the Colorado Avalanche. After losing Vladimir Tarasenko to injury during the game, the Blues lost to the Avalanche 5–2 as they missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
During the 2018 off-season, the Blues acquired forward Ryan O'Reilly from the Buffalo Sabres via trade and re-signed Perron to a third stint with the team in free agency, while also signing forwards Tyler Bozak, St. Louis native Patrick Maroon, Pat Maroon, and goaltender Chad Johnson (ice hockey), Chad Johnson. On November 19, 2018, the Blues fired head coach Mike Yeo after starting the season with a 7–9–3 record and replaced him with Craig Berube on an interim basis. On March 29, 2019, the Blues became the seventh team in NHL since the 1967–68 season to qualify for the playoffs after being placed last after January 1. This resurgence included an eleven-game winning streak between February and March, in large part thanks to the emergence of the eventual Calder Trophy nominee, rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington.

On May 21, the Blues advanced to the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, 1970, defeating the San Jose Sharks in a six-game conference finals series. On May 29, the Blues won a Stanley Cup Finals series game for the first time in franchise history after getting swept in three previous series (1968–1970), when they defeated the Boston Bruins 3–2 in overtime. On June 12, 2019, the Blues defeated the Bruins 4–1 in game 7 to win their first Stanley Cup. Ryan O'Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Up until that point, the Blues were the oldest franchise to never win the Stanley Cup; they were also the last of the five surviving 1967 expansion teams to win the Cup for the first time. This all but assured that Berube would have the "interim" tag removed from his title, which occurred two weeks after their Cup victory. Shortly after the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, Karla May of the Missouri Senate introduced a bill which would officially designate several items as List of Missouri state symbols, state symbols of Missouri; including the Blues being as the state's official hockey team. The bill was signed into law by Mike Parson, the Governor of Missouri, with the revised statute becoming effective August 29, 2019.
In the 2019–20 NHL season, 2019–20 season, the Blues suffered an early blow as forward Vladimir Tarasenko suffered a season-ending injury on October 24. However, they would continue their strong play even despite being plagued with various other injuries, consistently remaining at or near the top of the Western Conference. On February 12, 2020, the Blues suffered another loss as defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suddenly collapsed on the bench in a game against the Anaheim Ducks, and would not come back to play again in the season. The game against Anaheim was suspended during the first period and postponed to March 11. This ended up being the Blues' last game in the regular season, as the season would be cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, COVID-19 pandemic shortly afterwards. The Blues had remained in strong form throughout the season, finishing first in the Western Conference and second in the NHL. However, as the season was put on pause due to the pandemic, no team would play the full 82 games. Instead, a round-robin tournament for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs was organized, starting in August 2020. In the round-robin tournament for the four top-seeded teams of the conference, the Blues failed to get a win, and thus despite having the best regular season record in the conference, they ended up being the fourth seed in the Western Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced the Vancouver Canucks, to whom they lost in six games. In the hiatus preceding the NHL's Return to Play, several Blues players contracted COVID-19, which was cited by the coaching staff as one of the reasons why their play faltered in the playoffs. On September 2, 2020, the Blues traded goaltender Jake Allen, who had spent 10 years in the Blues organization, to the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
.
Team information
Arena
The Blues play in the 19,150 (not counting standing room) capacity
Enterprise Center
The Enterprise Center is an 18,096-seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Its primary tenant is the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, but it is also used for other functions, such as NCAA basketball, N ...
, where they have played since 1994. The arena was previously known as Scottrade Center, the Savvis Center, and before that as the Kiel Center. From 1967 until 1994, the team played in the
St. Louis Arena
St. Louis Arena (known as the Checkerdome from 1977 to 1983) was an indoor arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The country's second-largest indoor entertainment venue when it opened in 1929, it was home to the St. Louis Blues and other sports franchis ...
(known as The Checkerdome from 1977–78 NHL season, 1977 until 1982–83 NHL season, 1983), where the old
St. Louis Eagles
The St. Louis Eagles were a professional ice hockey team that played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Based in St. Louis, the Eagles played for only one year, the 1934–35 NHL season.
The team was founded in 1883 as the Ottawa Senators (ori ...
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 2004–05 NHL lockout, 2004–05 lockout, the Blues' attendance suffered, but has since improved every year since its all-time low in 2006–07 NHL season, 2006–07. In 2009–10 NHL season, 2009–10, despite not having a playoff year, the Blues had an average attendance of 18,883 (98.6% total capacity), selling out 34 of its 40 home games, which placed them seventh in the NHL in attendance. In 2010–11, the team sold out every home game.
Jerseys

The Blues have worn blue and white jerseys with the famous "Blue Note" crest and gold accents since their inception in 1967. From 1967 to 1984, the Blues jerseys featured a lighter shade of blue along with contrasting shoulder yoke and stripes. The blue jerseys lacked the contrasting yoke until 1979.
In 1984, the Blues drastically redesigned their look, adding red and darkening the shade of blue. Initially, the front of the jersey featured the team name above the crest logo, but was removed in 1987. In addition, the contrasting shoulder yoke was removed.
For the 1994–95 season, the Blues introduced a more radical jersey set, featuring red in a more prominent role. The jersey introduced the short-lived trumpet logo on the shoulders and featured thin diagonal stripes on the tail and sleeves. The bottom of the numbers taper off to give way to the aforementioned stripes. An updated version of the blue sweater, produced by Adidas, was brought back in 2019 as their "90s Vintage Jersey."
Before the 1997–98 season, the Blues introduced a new alternate white jersey. The jersey brought back the contrasting shoulder yoke and returned to the lighter blue of previous eras. It also replaced red with navy blue as an accent color. A corresponding blue jersey was introduced the following season, thus retiring the previous set.
Like all NHL teams, the Blues updated their jerseys for the 2007–08 season with new Rbk Edge jerseys. The Blues simplified their design, with only the blue note logo on the front; there were no third jerseys for the season. The Blues announced plans for a navy third jersey featuring a new logo, with the Gateway Arch with the Blue Note superimposed over it inside a circle with the words "St. Louis" above and "Blues" below. This third jersey was unveiled on September 21, 2008, and debuted during a Blues' home game against the Anaheim Ducks on November 21, 2008.
For the 2014–15 NHL season, 2014–15 season, the Blues made a few tweaks to their jerseys. While they kept the Reebok Edge-era template, they brought back the 1998–2007 look. The navy blue third jersey was kept without any alterations, before it was retired prior the 2016–17 season.
When Adidas became the uniform provider before the 2017–18 season, the Blues kept most of the same template, with the exception of the home jersey numbers changing from gold to white. For the 2018–19 season, the Blues added a third jersey based on the one worn during the 2017 NHL Winter Classic, 2017 Winter Classic, to be worn on Saturday home games. A corresponding vintage white version was unveiled for the 2022 NHL Winter Classic, 2022 Winter Classic.
Prior to the 2020–21 season, the Blues unveiled a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform based on the design worn from 1995 to 1998, but with a red base. A second "Reverse Retro" uniform was released in the 2022–23 season, this time based on the prototype uniforms the team first leaked in 1966 before eventually releasing the more longlasting "blue note" uniforms. The uniforms, which had the team name written around the primitive "blue note" logo along with contrasting stripes, had a gold base.
During the Blues' 2025 NHL Winter Classic, 2025 Winter Classic appearance, the team wore vintage white uniforms with light blue and gold chest and sleeve stripes. The "ST. LOUIS" wordmark in gold, based on the prototype uniform from 1966, was placed along the blue chest stripe, and a vintage-style Blues logo was added on the left shoulder.
Mascot
Louie the Bear, Louie is the 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 bear 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-TV 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 was replaced by another famed announcer in Dan Kelly (sportscaster), Dan Kelly. This setup—Kelly as commentator, with either Kyle, Bob Plager, or Noel Picard (whose heavy French-Canadian accent became famous, such as pronouncing 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 to 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 KSDK, 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 NHL playoffs and 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 returned to KPLR in 1986–87 NHL season, 1986–87.
In 1985, Ornest, wanting more broadcast revenue, put the radio rights up for bid. A new company who had purchased KXOK (AM), 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 could not 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 2 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 he was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 1988 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 before John Kelly (sportscaster), John Kelly took that position. Furthermore, Ken Wilson (sportscaster), Ken Wilson became St. Louis Blues' lead television play-by-play announcer alongside former Blues' players Joe Micheletti, Bruce Affleck, and
Bernie Federko
Bernard Allan Federko (born May 12, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990.
Playing career
Federko began playing hockey at a young age in his ho ...
. During this time, from 1989 to 2000, more games began to be aired on Prime Sports Midwest, the forerunner to today's Bally Sports Midwest.
The long-term partnership between KMOX and the Blues had its problems, however, namely during spring when the ever-popular
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
began their season. 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 (AM), KTRS in 2000. However, in an ironic twist the Cards purchased a controlling interest in KTRS in 2005, and once again preferred to air preseason baseball over regular season ice 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. The Cardinals moved back to KMOX in the 2011 season, with conflicting games moved to KYKY, an FM station owned by the same group as KMOX.
Since the 2019–20 preseason, WXOS (101 ESPN) has been the flagship radio station for the Blues. Chris Kerber and Joe Vitale (ice hockey), Joe Vitale are the current radio broadcast team. John Kelly (son of Dan) and Jamie Rivers are the current team for television coverage, while Scott Warmann, Alexa Datt, and Bernie Federko present the pre-game and post-game shows.
Traditions
The Blues have a tradition of live organ music. Jeremy Boyer, the Blues organist, plays a Glenn Miller arrangement of
W. C. Handy
William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. He was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musician ...
's "St. Louis Blues (song), St. Louis Blues" in its entirety before games and a short version at the end of every period, followed by "When the Saints Go Marching In." Boyer also plays the latter song on the organ after Blues goals, with fans replacing the word "Saints" with "Blues." On October 1, 2018, it was reported that, for the 2018–19 NHL season, upcoming season, a new goal song recorded by St. Louis-based band The Urge, "The Blues Have The Urge," would be played after Blues goals, immediately following the traditional organ music.
At the end of the national anthem before every home game, the words "the home of the brave" are drowned out by fans with "the home of the Blues."
Starting in 2014, the team introduced a win song in the form of Pitbull (rapper), Pitbull's "Don't Stop the Party (Pitbull song), Don't Stop the Party", but from 2016 to 2018, the win song was "Song 2" by Blur (band), Blur after public backlash against using a Pitbull song. Beginning in 2018, the win song has been the aforementioned song recorded by The Urge.
However, during the 2019 playoffs, Laura Branigan's "Gloria (Umberto Tozzi song)#Laura Branigan version, Gloria" was played first before The Urge song.
The Blues were one of the last teams to add a goal horn, doing so during the 1992–93 season at the St. Louis Arena. All of these traditions carried over to the Kiel Center (now known as Enterprise Center) in 1994. After each goal, a bell is rung and each of the goals are counted by the crowd. Since 1990, Ron Baechle, also known as the "Towel Man" or "Towel Guy," has celebrated each goal by counting with the bell and throwing a towel into the crowd from section 314.
The team also has a long tradition of Fanzine, fan-produced programs, sold outside the arena and providing an often biting, sarcastic, humor-filled alternative to team- and 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
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
' ''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 2005–06 season). After hockey resumed in 2005, a few months after ''GNRs final issue, a new publication, ''St. Louis Game Time'', was formed by several former ''GNR'' staffers.
Starting after a couple of players heard "Gloria" by Laura Branigan, after their win in Philadelphia on January 3, 2019, the team started to use the song after every home win, and lasted all the way up to their
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
win. The song has since been retired; the last time they played it was during the raising of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup championship banner ceremony on October 2, 2019.
On February 9, 2019, another tradition was born. During the third period, the Blues were winning by a large margin against the visiting Nashville Predators. The
Enterprise Center
The Enterprise Center is an 18,096-seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Its primary tenant is the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, but it is also used for other functions, such as NCAA basketball, N ...
was electric and buzzing with excitement with anticipation of the win. Blues director of entertainment, Jason Pippi, commented that playing "Country Roads" by John Denver "was a bit of an mistake... because people love to sing along to that song". The mistake was that play resumed before the chorus was over and the music had to stop. However, despite the music stopping, the loyal Blues fans in attendance continued to sing loudly. It was loud enough, TV cameras picked up the song loud and clear. Fox Sports Midwest color commentator, Darren Pang, exclaimed he "just loved the crowd, they're singing!". "Country Roads" has been played during every home game since then, at approximately the 15:00 minute mark of the third period, regardless of the current score. Jason Pippi stated "its just a testament to the passion Blues fans bring each and every night... to the Cup (Stanley Cup) maybe?" The Blues won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history later that season.
After each home win, the entire Blues team skates to center ice and in unison, raise their sticks and clap, while the goal horn blares, to thank the Blues fans in attendance and watching on TV. It has been called the "Fan Salute" by some.
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 seasons''
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''
Players and personnel
Current roster
Team captains
Hall of Fame
The St. Louis Blues acknowledge an affiliation with a number of inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame, including 26 former players and seven builders of the sport.
The seven individuals recognized as builders by the Hall of Fame include former Blues executives, general managers, head coaches, and owners. In addition to players and builders, the team recognizes an affiliation with two broadcasters who were awarded the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame.
[ Dan Kelly (sportscaster), Dan Kelly, the Blues' radio Sports commentator, play-by-play announcer, was awarded the first Blues broadcaster to receive the award in 1989. John Davidson (ice hockey), John Davidson, received the award in 2009 for his contributions in television broadcasting.
Players
Builders
]
St. Louis Blues Hall of Fame
Beginning in 2023, the Blues established their own team Hall of Fame.
2023 inductees
2024 inductees
* Pavol Demitra
Pavol Demitra (; 29 November 1974 – 7 September 2011) was a Slovakia, Slovak professional ice hockey player. He played nineteen seasons of professional hockey, for teams in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League (CSL), National Hockey League ...
* Mike Liut
Michael Dennis Liut (born January 7, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
Liut played for the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1977–78 WHA season, 1977 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979 and ...
* Keith Tkachuk
Keith Matthew Tkachuk (; born March 28, 1972) is an Americans, American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in an 18-year career with the Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996), Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes ...
Retired numbers
The following numbers have been retired from use within the St. Louis Blues:
In addition to the aforementioned numbers, the NHL also retired Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
's number 99 from use for all of its members teams, including the Blues, at the 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game, 2000 NHL All-Star Game. Gretzky had previously played for the Blues in 1996, although the Blues did not retire his number prior to its league-wide retirement.
Numbers honored
* 7 – Garry Unger
Garry Douglas Unger (born December 7, 1947) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1983.
Early life
Unger was born on December 7, 1947, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to ...
, Red Berenson
Gordon Arthur "Red" Berenson (born December 8, 1939) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre, world champion, Stanley Cup champion and head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team from 1984 to 2017. Berenson was indu ...
, Joe Mullen
Joseph Patrick Mullen (born February 26, 1957) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins betwe ...
and Keith Tkachuk
Keith Matthew Tkachuk (; born March 28, 1972) is an Americans, American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in an 18-year career with the Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996), Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes ...
, recognized with a mural of the four players in the lower seating bowl. Honored on March 7, 2011.
* 14 – Doug Wickenheiser
Douglas Peter Wickenheiser (March 30, 1961 – January 12, 1999) was a Canadian ice hockey player, who was drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.
Career
Wickenheiser was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. A su ...
, LW, 1984–1987, number honored and no longer issued. Recognized with a banner in the Enterprise Center rafters. Honored on January 21, 1999.
* Dan Kelly (sportscaster), Dan Kelly, broadcaster, 1968–1989, recognized with an honorary shamrock that hangs from the rafters at Enterprise Center.
First-round draft picks
* 1967 NHL amateur draft, 1967: None (passed on their opportunity to make a selection)
* 1968 NHL amateur draft, 1968: Gary Edwards (ice hockey), Gary Edwards (6th overall)
* 1971 NHL amateur draft, 1971: Gene Carr (ice hockey), Gene Carr (4th overall)
* 1972 NHL amateur draft, 1972: Wayne Merrick (9th overall)
* 1973 NHL amateur draft, 1973: John Davidson (ice hockey), John Davidson (5th overall)
* 1976 NHL amateur draft, 1976: Bernie Federko
Bernard Allan Federko (born May 12, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990.
Playing career
Federko began playing hockey at a young age in his ho ...
(7th overall)
* 1977 NHL amateur draft, 1977: Scott Campbell (ice hockey, born 1957), Scott Campbell (9th overall)
* 1978 NHL amateur draft, 1978: Wayne Babych
Wayne Joseph Babych (born June 6, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Quebec Nordiques, and Hartford Whal ...
(3rd overall)
* 1979 NHL entry draft, 1979: Perry Turnbull (2nd overall)
* 1980 NHL entry draft, 1980: Rik Wilson (12th overall)
* 1981 NHL entry draft, 1981: Marty Ruff (20th overall)
* 1983 NHL entry draft, 1983: None (did not participate)
* 1986 NHL entry draft, 1986: Jocelyn Lemieux (10th overall)
* 1987 NHL entry draft, 1987: Keith Osborne (12th overall)
* 1988 NHL entry draft, 1988: Rod Brind'Amour (9th overall)
* 1989 NHL entry draft, 1989: Jason Marshall (ice hockey), Jason Marshall (9th overall)
* 1996 NHL entry draft, 1996: Marty Reasoner (14th overall)
* 1998 NHL entry draft, 1998: Christian Bäckman, Christian Backman (24th overall)
* 1999 NHL entry draft, 1999: Barret Jackman (17th overall)
* 2000 NHL entry draft, 2000: Jeff Taffe (30th overall)
* 2003 NHL entry draft, 2003: Shawn Belle (30th overall)
* 2004 NHL entry draft, 2004: Marek Schwarz (17th overall)
* 2005 NHL entry draft, 2005: T. J. Oshie (24th overall)
* 2006 NHL entry draft, 2006: Erik Johnson (1st overall) and Patrik Berglund (25th overall)
* 2007 NHL entry draft, 2007: Lars Eller (13th overall), Ian Cole (18th overall), and David Perron (26th overall)
* 2008 NHL entry draft, 2008: Alex Pietrangelo (4th overall)
* 2009 NHL entry draft, 2009: David Rundblad (17th overall)
* 2010 NHL entry draft, 2010: Jaden Schwartz (14th overall) and Vladimir Tarasenko (16th overall)
* 2012 NHL entry draft, 2012: Jordan Schmaltz (25th overall)
* 2014 NHL entry draft, 2014: Robby Fabbri (21st overall)
* 2016 NHL entry draft, 2016: Tage Thompson (26th overall)
* 2017 NHL entry draft, 2017: Robert Thomas (ice hockey), Robert Thomas (20th overall) and Klim Kostin (31st overall)
* 2018 NHL entry draft, 2018: Dominik Bokk (25th overall)
* 2020 NHL entry draft, 2020: Jake Neighbours (26th overall)
* 2021 NHL entry draft, 2021: Zachary Bolduc (17th overall)
* 2022 NHL entry draft, 2022: Jimmy Snuggerud (23rd overall)
* 2023 NHL entry draft, 2023: Dalibor Dvorský (10th overall), Otto Stenberg (25th overall), and Theo Lindstein (29th overall)
* 2024 NHL entry draft, 2024: Adam Jiříček, Adam Jiricek (16th overall)
Awards and trophies
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
* 2018–19 NHL season, 2018–19
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy () is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team that finishes with the most points (i.e., best overall record) during the regular season. If two teams are tied for the most points, then the Trophy ...
* 1999–2000
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
* 1968–69 NHL season, 1968–69, 1969–70 NHL season, 1969–70, 2018–19 NHL season, 2018–19
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL ...
* Blake Dunlop
Blake Robert Dunlop (born April 18, 1953) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) forward who played during the 1970s and early 1980s. Prior to turning pro, Dunlop played four seasons with the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey Associat ...
: 1980–81 NHL season, 1980–81
* Jamie McLennan: 1997–98 NHL season, 1997–98
Calder Memorial Trophy
* Barret Jackman: 2002–03 NHL season, 2002–03
Conn Smythe Trophy
* Glenn Hall
Glenn Henry Hall (born October 3, 1931) is a Canadian 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 co ...
: 1967–68 NHL season, 1967–68
* Ryan O'Reilly: 2018–19 NHL season, 2018–19
Frank J. Selke Trophy
* Rick Meagher: 1989–90 NHL season, 1989–90
* Ryan O'Reilly: 2018–19 NHL season, 2018–19
Hart Memorial Trophy
* Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964) is a Canadians, Canadian–Americans, American former ice hockey player and general manager, and currently an executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played f ...
: 1990–91
* Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger ( or ; born October 10, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player for the 1999–2000 season and was inducted to the Hockey Hall o ...
: 1999–2000
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." The league's Coach of the Year award has been presented 51 times to 43 coaches. The winner is select ...
* Red Berenson, Gordon "Red" Berenson: 1980–81 NHL season, 1980–81
* Brian Sutter
Brian Louis Allen Sutter (born October 7, 1956) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward and former head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). Brian is the second oldest of the famous Sutter brothers and the oldest of the six that played in ...
: 1990–91
* Joel Quenneville: 1999–2000
* Ken Hitchcock: 2011–12 NHL season, 2011–12
James Norris Memorial Trophy
* Al MacInnis
Allan MacInnis (born July 11, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames (1981–1994) and St. Louis Blues (1994–2004). A first round selection ...
: 1998–99 NHL season, 1998–99
* Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger ( or ; born October 10, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player for the 1999–2000 season and was inducted to the Hockey Hall o ...
: 1999–2000
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
* Kelly Chase: 1997–98 NHL season, 1997–98
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
* Phil Goyette
Joseph Georges Philippe Goyette (born October 31, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey center who played in the NHL for 16 seasons between 1956 and 1972.
Playing career
Goyette played 941 career NHL games, scoring 207 goals and 467 ...
: 1969–70 NHL season, 1969–70
* Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964) is a Canadians, Canadian–Americans, American former ice hockey player and general manager, and currently an executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played f ...
: 1989–90 NHL season, 1989–90
* Pavol Demitra
Pavol Demitra (; 29 November 1974 – 7 September 2011) was a Slovakia, Slovak professional ice hockey player. He played nineteen seasons of professional hockey, for teams in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League (CSL), National Hockey League ...
: 1999–2000
Lester B. Pearson Award
* Mike Liut
Michael Dennis Liut (born January 7, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
Liut played for the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1977–78 WHA season, 1977 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979 and ...
: 1980–81 NHL season, 1980–81
* Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964) is a Canadians, Canadian–Americans, American former ice hockey player and general manager, and currently an executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played f ...
: 1990–91
Lester Patrick Trophy
* Larry Pleau: 2001–02 NHL season, 2001–02
NHL General Manager of the Year Award
* Doug Armstrong: 2011–12 NHL season, 2011–12
NHL Plus/Minus Award
* Paul Cavallini: 1989–90 NHL season, 1989–90
* Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger ( or ; born October 10, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player for the 1999–2000 season and was inducted to the Hockey Hall o ...
: 1997–98 NHL season, 1997–98, 1999–2000
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy ( ) is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the thirty-two List of NHL general managers, NHL general managers vote to dete ...
* Glenn Hall
Glenn Henry Hall (born October 3, 1931) is a Canadian 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 co ...
and Jacques Plante
Joseph Jacques Omer Plante (; January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947 to 1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played ...
: 1968–69 NHL season, 1968–69
William M. Jennings Trophy
* Roman Turek
Roman Turek (born May 21, 1970) is a Czech former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames in a nine-year National Hockey League (NHL) career. He last played in the Czech Extraliga for ...
: 1999–2000
* Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halák, Jaroslav Halak: 2011–12 NHL season, 2011–12
Franchise records
Regular season scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise regular season history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
* – current Blues player
''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game''
Playoff scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise playoff history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL season.
* – current Blues player
''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game''
Individual records
* Most goals in a season: Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964) is a Canadians, Canadian–Americans, American former ice hockey player and general manager, and currently an executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played f ...
, 86 (1990–91)
* Most assists in a season: Adam Oates
Adam Robert Oates (born August 27, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former co-head coach for the New Jersey Devils and former head coach for the Washington Capitals. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (N ...
, 90 (1990–91)
* Most points in a season: Brett Hull, 131 (1990–91)
* Most penalty minutes in a season: Bob Gassoff, 306 (1975–76)
* Most points in a season, defenseman: Jeff Brown (ice hockey, born 1966), Jeff Brown, 78 (1992–93)
* Most points in a season, rookie: Jörgen Pettersson (ice hockey), Jorgen Pettersson, 73 (1980–81)
* Most wins in a season: Roman Turek
Roman Turek (born May 21, 1970) is a Czech former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames in a nine-year National Hockey League (NHL) career. He last played in the Czech Extraliga for ...
, 42 (1999–2000)
* Most shutouts in a season: Brian Elliott, 9 (2011–12)
* Lowest GAA in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, 1.56 (2011–12)
* Best SV% in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, .940 (2011–12)
See also
* List of St. Louis Blues general managers
* List of St. Louis Blues head coaches
* Sports in St. Louis
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues,
National Hockey League teams
Professional ice hockey teams in Missouri
1967 establishments in Missouri
Ice hockey clubs established in 1967
Central Division (NHL)
Private equity portfolio companies
Sports in Greater St. Louis