Top 50 St. Louis Blues of All-Time - PHOTOS

10:40 AM, Apr 29, 2013   |    comments
  • 50. Ernie Wakely. Wakley joined the Blues in the 1969-70 season and took over for Glenn Hall. He appeared in 30 games and notched a league leading 2.11 Goals Against Average. Ernie Wakely helped guide the Blues to the Stanley Cup Finals that year, only to be swept by the Boston Bruins. Three years later, Wakley left the Blues and joined the World Hockey Association.
  • 18. Mike Liut. He became the first goalie to win the NHLPA's Most Outstanding Player Award in 1981. That same season, he finished as runner-up to Wayne Gretzky for the Hart Trophy. Liut finished his five and a half year career in St. Louis with 151 wins in 337 games played. Liut holds five Blues franchise records, including most career games, career minutes played, and most wins in a career.
  • 17. Barclay Plager. He spent his entire 10-year career with the St. Louis Blues - 614 games. He was captain of the team from 1972 to 1976 and appeared in the All-Star Game in 1970, 1971, 1973 and 1974. At the time of his retirement in '77, he was the franchise leader in games played and penalty minutes. "Barc the Spark" had his No. 8 retired on March 24, 1981.
  • 19. Jacques Plante. Management lured Plante out of retirement. In two years with St. Louis, Plante appeared in two All-Star Games (1969 and 1970) and guided the team to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. Plante split time in the crease with Glenn Hall, and the two shared the Vezina Trophy for the 1968-69 season. That award gave Plante the record for most Vezina Trophies in a career (7). He was elected to the Pro Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
  • 16. Pierre Turgeon. He found himself in St. Louis following a trade with Montreal at the start of the 1996-97 season. Turgeon spent the next five seasons with the Blues, playing alongside Brett Hull, Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis and Grant Fuhr. He scored 134 goals with 221 assists over 327 games played. Turgeon played in 50 playoff games, recording 45 points.
  • 15. Glenn Hall. "Mr. Goalie" came to St. Louis in 1967 at age 36 and spent the last four years of his remarkable career with the Blues. He appeared in two All-Star Games with the club ('68 and '69). Hall split playing time with Jacques Plante, and the two were rewarded with the Vezina Trophy in 1969, Hall's third. He won a Conn Smythe Trophy with St. Louis. He holds two team records: most shutouts in a career (16) and most shutouts in a single season (8).
  • 24. Wayne Babych. During his six-year stint in St. Louis, Wayne Babych was an offensive dynamo for the Blues, scoring 155 goals with 190 assists. Babych had a career year during the 1980-81 season. He scored 54 goals, 42 assists, and went to the All-Star Game. He was the first Blues player to record 50 goals in a season. He and Bernie Federko guided the Blues to a 45-18-17 record and first place in the Smythe Division that year.
  • 23. Doug Weight. He spent five and a half seasons with the Blues. He scored 75 goals with 220 assists and qualified for the 2003 All-Star Game.
  • 22. Bob Plager. In 615 games with the St. Louis Blues, Plager notched 20 goals and 146 points in an era when defensemen were not expected to score or generate offense. He was known for his open-ice hip checks, and his sharp sense of humor. After playing three years with the New York Rangers, Plager came to the Blues for their inaugural 1967-68 season. He anchored the defense as the Blues went to the Stanley Cup Finals three consecutive seasons (1968-1970).
  • 21. Jorgen Pettersson. "The Handsome Swede" joined the Blues in 1980, making for a formidable frontline with Bernie Federko and Brian Sutter. He spent five years with the club, racking up 161 goals and 171 assists. He set a franchise record for most points in a rookie season with 73. The Blues made the postseason in all five of Pettersson's seasons, and he scored 14 goals with 10 assists in 36 postseason games.
  • 20. Pavol Demitra. He scored 204 goals with 289 assists over 484 games with the Blues. He appeared in three NHL All-Star Games (1999, 2000 and 2002). Demitra scored 10 game-winning goals in the 1999 and 2002 seasons. He was awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanlike play in following the 1999-2000 season. That same year, he led the Blues to the President's Trophy, awarded to the team with the best regular season record.
  • 14. Doug Gilmour. "Killer" spent the first five years of his NHL career with the Blues as a defensive specialist. He scored 149 goals with 205 assists in 384 regular season games with the team, averaging 50 points in his first three seasons with the club. Gilmour was allowed to showcase his offensive skills in the 1986-1987 season and recorded 105 points, his best year with the St. Louis Blues. In 49 postseason games, Gilmour scored 56 points (17 goals, 38 assists).
  • 25. Geoff Courtnall. He first came to St. Louis in 1990 via trade, but the Blues shipped him to Vancouver. Courtnall came back to the Blues for the start of the 1995-96 season. He scored 79 goals in five seasons, but only played 30 games in the final two years due to concussion problems. In his last full season, he scored 31 goals with 31 assists. He helped the Blues reach the playoffs in four consecutive seasons (1996-1999).
  • 13. Adam Oates. He came to the Blues ahead of the 1989-90 season via trade with the Detroit Red Wings. He teamed with Brett Hull to form the "Hull and Oates" duo. Oates appeared in two NHL All-Star Games (1991 and 1992) while with the Blues and finished third in the league in total points (115) in the 1992 season. He scored 286 points in less than three years with the club before being traded to the Boston Bruins.
  • 5. Al MacInnis. He scored 127 goals and 452 points in 613 games for the Blues, appearing in 82 playoff games, scoring 14 goals and 58 points. He was named team captain in '03 and went to six All-Star Games as a member of the Blues (1996-2000, '03). The team retired his jersey in April '06 and honored him with a bronze statue outside Scottrade Center in '09. MacInnis was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in '07 and the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame's Class of '10.
  • 4. Garry Unger. Like any athlete blessed with the nickname "Iron Man," Garry Unger earned the moniker thanks to his durability and determination, playing a then-record 914 consecutive regular season games between February 24, 1968 and December 21, 1979. He spent most of those years with the St. Louis Blues, scoring 292 goals and 575 points in 662 games. Unger appeared in seven NHL All-Star Games (1972-1978).
  • 6. Chris Pronger. He came to the Blues via trade in July 1995 and was named team captain in 1997. Pronger picked up the Hart Memorial (Most Valuable Player) and James Norris Memorial (Top Defenseman) trophies following the 1999-2000 season. The Blues achieved their best record in franchise history that year. He played in four All-Star Games (1999, 2000, 2002 and 2004) and was voted into a fifth in 2001. He scored 84 goals and 356 points with the Blues.
  • 3. Brian Sutter. He spent his entire 12-year playing career in St. Louis, racking up 303 goals and 636 points in 779 games played, as well as 1,786 penalty minutes. He holds a team record for most assists by a left wing in a single season (51, 1983-84), and three team records for penalties (most majors in a season, most penalty minutes in a career, and most penalty minutes in a single season by a left wing). His No. 11 jersey was retired by the organization on 12-20-88.
  • 2. Bernie Federko. The Blues retired his No. 24 jersey on March 16, 1991, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 2002. He holds eight team records, including: career games played (927), career points (1,073), career assists (721), and tied for most 100-point seasons (4). Bernie Federko joined the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame's Class in 2009. A statue in his honor stands outside the Scottrade Center, alongside statues of Al MacInnis and Brett Hull.
  • 12. Grant Fuhr. He came to the Blues in 1995, when many thought he was past his prime. He proved his critics wrong, boasting a .903 save percentage (the highest of his career) over 79 games played, 76 of them consecutively. Both still stand as team records. He finished with a record of 108-87-41 in four seasons with the Blues. Fuhr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.
  • 11. Keith Tkachuk. "Big Walt" had an equally big impact after being traded to the Blues in 2001, scoring eight points in the final 12 games of the regular season. The Blues would reach the Western Conference Finals that year, losing in five games to the Colorado Avalanche. He played 543 games with the Blues, scoring 219 points. He played in two All-Star Games with the Blues (2004 and 2009). Tkachuk is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals.
  • 10. Brendan Shanahan. He signed with the Blues as a restricted free agent in 1991. Shanahan's best statistical years came while wearing the blue and gold. In 1992-93, he scored 51 goals and was third on the team in total points (94). The following year, Shanahan recorded career bests of 52 goals, 50 assists and 102 points. In 26 career playoff games with the Blues, Shanahan had 28 points. He played just one All-Star Game as a member of the Blues (1994).
  • 9. Curtis Joseph. The highest rated goalie on our list, "Cujo" spent the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Blues, his longest stint with any franchise. He led the NHL in saves in three consecutive seasons (1992-1994) and led the league in save percentage in 1993 (.911). Joseph appeared in the '94 All-Star Game for the Blues. He had a 137-96-34 record with the Blues. He has the most career wins of any goaltender to never play on a Stanley Cup-winning team.
  • 8. Joe Mullen. He scored 151 goals and 335 points in 378 regular season games, and 9 goals and 20 points in 20 postseason games. He has the distinction of being the first American-born player to score 500 goals. Mullen scored 40-plus goals in consecutive years (41 - 1984, 40 - 1985). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.
  • 7. Red Berenson. "The Red Baron" had two stints in St. Louis. He scored a career-high 82 points in the 1968-69 season. He went on to score a career-high that season. Berenson was named team captain in 1970, but was traded to Detroit midway through the season. He came back to St. Louis during the 1974-75 season. The team made it back to the postseason three more times. Berenson retired in 1978. In 519 games with the Blues, he recorded 172 goals and 412 points.
  • 45. Rick Wamsley. Split playing time in the crease with Greg Millen during the 1985-86 season, which ended with a spectacular run to the Campbell Conference Finals. In 1988, he was shipped to the Calgary Flames in the famed 'Brett Hull trade.'
  • 43. Gino Cavallini. The Blues made the playoffs six straight seasons (1986-1991) with Cavallini on the roster. He scored 20 goals in the 1988-89 season. Over a four year period (1987-1990) Gino Cavallini recorded 68 goals and 72 assists. He played several seasons with the St. Louis Blues alongside his younger brother, Paul "Wally" Cavallini.
  • 42. Rick Meagher. At age 36, Meagher won the Frank J. Selke Trophy following the 1989-90 season as the NHL's top defensive forward. He scored 73 goals and notched 88 assists over his six year stint with the Blues (1986-1991).
  • 44. Kelly Chase. He scored only 14 goals in eight seasons with the Blues to go with 26 assists. Kelly Chase averaged about four minutes, 20 seconds in the penalty box in 345 games with the Blues.
  • 41. Scott Mellanby. Mellanby was traded to the Blues during the 2000-01 season while in the midst of a slump with the Florida Panthers. The move helped revitalize his career. He netted three goals and three assists in the postseason that year. When the Blues went back to the playoffs the next year, Mellanby was a factor yet again, scoring seven goals with 3 assists in just 10 games. He recorded 57 points in the 2002-03 regular season, his highest point total since the 1995-1996 season.
  • 40. Greg Paslawski. He was an offensive force in the 1985-86 playoffs, scoring 10 goals with seven assists in 17 games. A career-high 64 points in the 1986-87 season (29 goals, 35 assists). He recorded 20 or more goals in four of his six seasons with the Blues (1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989). And he scored two goals, including the one that forced overtime, in the memorable "Monday Night Miracle" game of May 12, 1986.
  • 49. Jack Brownschidle. Jack Brownschidle spent seven seasons with the Blues as a defenseman, helping the team to four straight postseason berths between 1980 and 1983.
  • 48. Steve Durbano. In his 220 game NHL career, Steve "Mental Case" Durbano sat out 1,127 penalty minutes. In just three years with the Blues, Durbano racked up 480 PIM in 98 games, averaging nearly five minutes per game. He finished his career in St. Louis, playing just 13 games in the 1978-79 season.
  • 47. Doug Wickenheiser. He's the man behind the "Monday Night Miracle." That's enough to put him on this list. Though his number is not officially retired, it's one of only two numbers to be honored by the franchise. The Blues' charitable foundation, The 14 Fund, was established in Wickenheiser's memory, who lost his fight to cancer.
  • 46. Tony Twist. In five-plus season with the St. Louis Blues, Twist imposed his will on opposing enforcers, and notched 688 penalty minutes in 294 games.
  • 39. Bruce Affleck. This durable defenseman led the NHL in games played in consecutive seasons (80 games in 1976 and 1977). Over those two years, Affleck notched 26 and 20 assists, respectively.
  • 38. Gary Sabourin. Sabourin made the NHL All-Star Game in 1970 and 1971. He had a plus-minus differential of 23 during the 1968-69 season. He scored 136 goals with 131 assists over his seven years with the Blues (1968-1974).
  • 26. Jeff Brown. The Quebec Nordiques traded Brown to the Blues in 1989. Over the next five years, Brown would score 80 goals with 214 assists before being traded away to the Vancouver Canucks. Jeff Brown holds the franchise record for most points in a season by a defenseman with 78 (1992-93).
  • 37. Paul Cavallini. "Wally" was a dynamo during the 1989-90 season, getting to the 1990 NHL All-Star Game, leading the league in games played (80) and plus-minus differential (+38). He recorded a pair of goals and three assists in the postseason. Hei missed 13 games the following year after losing the tip of his left index finger in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on 12-22-90. He went to block a Doug Wilson slapshot and the force of the puck severed his digit.
  • 30. Scott Young. Signed with the Blues as a free agent in 1998 and spent four years with the club. He scored 40 goals and 73 points in the 2000-01 season, both career highs. Young also netted six goals and recorded seven assists during the playoffs. Young spent a few years away from St. Louis, but returned in 2005-06, posting 18 goals and 31 assists in the final year of his career. All told, Young scored 125 goals with 128 assists in five seasons with the Blues.
  • 29. Rob Ramage. Ramage played in four NHL All-Star Games representing the Blues (1981, 1984, 1986 and 1988). He went to the Calgary Flames in 1988 as part of the Brett Hull trade.
  • 31. Jimmy Roberts. After achieving great success with the Montreal Canadiens, Roberts was St. Louis' first pick in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. He played in two All-Star Games as a member of the Blues. Roberts was named team captain ahead of the 1971-72 season. He went back to Montreal that season, but spent the final year of his career in St. Louis in 1978. As a right wing/defenseman hybrid, he scored 63 goals with 108 assists in five-plus seasons with the Blues.
  • 28. Craig Janney. He came to the Blues in the Adam Oates trade. In four seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Janney recorded 48 goals and 185 assists. He recorded career highs in points (106) and assists (82) during the 1992-1993 season.
  • 27. Blake Dunlop. Dunlop played in 324 games for the Blues over five seasons, netting 86 goals and 201 assists. In 1981, the Professional Hockey Writers' Association honored Dunlop by awarding him the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game of hockey.
  • 36. Frank St. Marseille. He played the first half of his 10-year career with the St. Louis Blues (1968-1973), scoring 86 goals with 181 assists. St. Marseille went to the 1970 NHL All-Star Game.
  • 35. Manny Legace. Following the Red Wings' elimination in the 2006 NHL playoffs, Manny Legace became a free agent and signed with the Blues. He went 23-15-5 in 43 games in the 2007 season, and posted a .907 save percentage. Legace's second season with the Blues was highlighted by an appearance in the 2008 NHL All-Star Game. He went 27-25-8 with a .911 save percentage. Legace played only 29 games in the 2009 season before being placed on waivers.
  • 34. Roman Turek. He came to the Blues in the 1999 off-season with high expectations after winning the William M. Jennings Trophy (awarded to the goalie with the fewest goals against) with the Dallas Stars. He excelled with the Blues, posting a league-best 42 wins and .912 save percentage, good enough to win another Jennings Trophy. Turek went to the 2000 NHL All-Star Game as well. The St. Louis Blues made the postseason both years he was between the pipes.
  • 33. Larry Patey. He set a franchise record with 8 short-handed goals in the 1980-81 season, also good enough to lead the NHL in that category. Patey scored 20-plus goals in two seasons with St. Louis (1977 and 1981). Patey played in over 600 games for the Blues.
  • 32. Bob Gassoff. The Blues made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons with Gassoff on defense (1975, 1976 and 1977). His life and career were cut short in a fatal motorcycle accident in May 1977. The St. Louis Blues retired Gassoff's No. 3 less than five months after his death, making him the first player in franchise history to have his number retired. The Blues also chose to honor Gassoff by dedicating their 1977-78 season to him.
  • 1. Brett Hull. "The Golden Brett" owns more than 20 franchise records, including most goals (527 goals), single-season goals (86 goals), most points in a season (131 points) and most consecutive 100-point seasons (4). Hull led the NHL in goal scoring for three consecutive years (1990-1992) and played in the All-Star Game eight times (1989-1990, 1992-1994, 1996-1997 and 2001). Jersey retired 12-6-06. Statue dedicated on 10-9-10.
    
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Kevin Held

For more than 40 years, St. Louisans have dutifully supported their hockey team. The franchise, named for the W.C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues" was founded in 1967 as one of the NHL's original expansion teams. The Blues have seen dozens of great players take the ice in "the Old Barn" and Scottrade Center. NewsChannel 5 staffers Andy Mohler, Jordan Palmer, Brian Spencer and Kevin Held have compiled this list of the 50 best players to ever suit up for "The Note." (Photos courtesy of Getty Image Sports, 'GOAL' magazine, the St. Louis Blues and the NHL)

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