The St. Louis Blues entered the National Hockey League for
the 1967-68 season, along with five other teams which doubled the NHL in size.
The Blues immediately made their mark, making it to the Stanley Cup finals in
their first three seasons, something they have not done since.
The team has officially retired the jersey numbers of six
players and unofficially has honoured three others. Test and expand your
knowledge of St. Louis Blues retired number hockey trivia with the following
four questions.
Q. Number 24 is retired by the St. Louis Blues for what player?
A. Bernie Federko
was the seventh overall pick in the 1976 NHL Entry Draft by the Blues. Federko
played with St. Louis from 1976-77 to 1988-89 and was team captain in his final
year with the club. His final year in the National Hockey League was spent with
the Detroit Red Wings. Over the summer of 1989, Bernie, along with Tony
McKegney, was traded to Detroit for Adam
Oates and Paul
MacLean. He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002, way too long
after retiring.
Q. The Blues retired number 2 in honour of what defenseman?
A. Al MacInnis
was the 15th overall pick of the Calgary Flames in the 1981 NHL
Entry Draft. McInnis played for the Blues from 1994-95 to 2003-04. In 1990-91,
while still a member of the Flames, Al totalled 103 points. The point total
makes one of just five defensemen in National Hockey League history to reach
the 100 point plateau. The other four are Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey,
Denis Potvin and Brian Leetch. Al was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in
2007.
Q. Number 3 is retired by the St. Louis Blues in honour of which
player?
A. Bob Gassoff
played just four years with the Blues before his life was cut short due to a
fatal motorcycle accident in the off-season after the 1976-77 season. The third
round pick by St. Louis at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, Gassoff played in 245
regular season NHL games, all with the Blues. He scored just 11 goals and
totalled 58 points but filled a specific role with 866 penalty minutes.
Q. St. Louis retired number 8 to recognize what player?
A. Barclay Plager
was an original St. Louis Blue, getting his start in the NHL with St. Louis
during their inaugural season, 1967-68. He played with the team until the end
of the 1976-77 season and was part of the team’s coaching staff until his death
in 1988 from cancer. From 1972-73 to 1975-76, Plager served as team captain.
After four years of junior hockey in the OHA with the Peterborough
Petes, Barclay’s pro career started in 1961-62. He played several years of
minor pro hockey in the EPHL, AHL, CPHL and WHL before catching on with the
Blues.
