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 the third-longest streak in North American professional sports history (all three of which being held by NHL teams). League president John Ziegler said they would try to keep the team in St. Louis. However, despite the music stopping, the loyal Blues fans in attendance continued to sing loudly. Jeremy Boyer, the Blues organist, plays a Glenn Miller arrangement of W. C. Handy's "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." [a] The Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League (AHL) is the team's minor league affiliate. The NHL also said that Ralston broke a league rule that an owner had to give two years' notice before dissolving a franchise. 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. List of St. Louis Blues broadcasters | NHL Wiki | Fandom More often than not, several of the Blues' emerging stars ended up as Calgary Flames, and the sight of Flames executive Al MacNeil was always greeted with dread. Ralston renamed the arena the "Checkerdome." St. Louis has embraced team's victory anthem", "The history behind the NHL's ubiquitous sound for scoring: the goal horn", "A Look at Five St. Louis Blues' Superfans", "Celebrate 20 years of fan-run papers on Friday", "How did 'Country Roads' become a Blues home-game staple? Tom Stillman takes over as new, local Blues owner - St. Louis Business Contact Information: print. Buck elected to leave the booth after one season, though, and was replaced by another famed announcer in Dan Kelly. 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. For the 199495 season, the Blues introduced a more radical jersey set, featuring red in a more prominent role. They would also pick up Brayden Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers by giving away Jori Lehtera. Here is a list of the team's owners since its inception: -Sidney Salomon Jr. -Ralph Sauer -Harry Ornest -Michael Shanahan -Dave Checketts -Tom Stillman. SLB Acquisition Holdings LLC - Wikipedia [36] A second "Reverse Retro" uniform was released in the 202223 season, this time based on the prototype uniforms the team first leaked in 1966 before eventually releasing the more iconic "blue note" uniforms. During this period, the NHL rebuffed attempts at further expansion. Steve Ott also left the team, signing a free-agent deal with the Red Wings. Attendance had gone from a peak of 18,601 a game in 1972-73 to 10,130. In 1985, Ornest, wanting more broadcast revenue, put the radio rights up for bid. Ten days before the deadline NHL President John Ziegler set for dissolving the franchise, Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Harry Ornest stepped up with the only formal bid. The Salomons sold the Blues to Ralston on July 27, 1977. This ended up being the Blues' last game in the regular season, as the season would be cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic shortly afterwards. 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. St. Louis Blues tends to be a variation on jump blues or piano blues, featuring solo singers or a pianist performing with small combos or large bands. I really respect the fact that he puts the needs of the many ahead of the needs of the few. ST. LOUIS (AP) Mike Shanahan, who owned the St. Louis Blues from 1986-91 and oversaw the acquisition of Hall of Famer Brett Hull, has died. Under the expansion playoff format, Bowman's leadership was enough as the Blues qualified for the playoffs in their inaugural season. The Blues fired head coach Andy Murray on January 2, 2010, after a disappointing record (17176, 40 points), sitting in 12th place in the Conference. [35], Prior to the 202021 season, the Blues unveiled a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform based on the design worn from 1995 to 1998, but with a red base. With Dorothy Lamour, Lloyd Nolan, Tito Guzar, Jerome Cowan. St. Louis CITY SC owner Carolyn Kindle says bumpy road helped in prep Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. Nonetheless, their on-ice success was enough for a consortium of 19 companies to buy the team. The Blues jumped to a 31 series lead, but struggled in games 5 and 6. During the 2018 NHL offseason, 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 Pat Maroon, and goaltender Chad Johnson. 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 win. This was partly due to the pressures of the World Hockey Association (WHA), but mostly the result of financial decisions made when the Salomons first acquired the franchise. The cash-poor Ornest then ran the franchise on a skeletal budget. 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. The long-term partnership between KMOX and the Blues had its problems, however, namely during spring when the ever-popular St. Louis Cardinals began their season. After Dan Kelly's death, Ken Wilson became St. Louis Blues' lead television play-by-play announcer alongside former Blues' players Joe Micheletti and Bruce Affleck. NHL president Clarence Campbell 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."[4]. [34] A corresponding vintage white version was unveiled for the 2022 NHL Winter Classic. 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. The group spent $2 million to buy the franchise, $4 million to purchase the 38-year-old Arena on Oakland Avenue from Chicago's Bill Wirtz and $2.5 million more to renovate the building. The emotional win two days earlier notwitstanding, the Blues lost Game 7 of the playoffs in Calgary, falling short of the Cup finals. The Blues play in the 19,150 (not counting standing room) capacity Enterprise Center, where they have played since 1994. Ultimately, it was the Blues who prevailed by winning in seven games each over the Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars to reach the 1968 Stanley Cup Finals. [7] Emile Francis would call it quits on May 2, leaving for the Hartford Whalers to become president and general manager. The Salomons might have been the most generous employers in sports history. 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 20. Goaltending anchors Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante retired, Berenson was traded and "Sid III" began changing coaches and general managers like it was a court order. St. Louis Blues owner Tom Stillman is a former lawyer who worked with the U.S. Department of Commerce where he was Chief Counsel for Export Administration. On October 10, the Blues introduced a new mascot, Louie. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . On March 17, 2011, it was announced that the St. Louis Blues were for sale. [23] On June 12, 2019, the Blues defeated the Bruins 41 in Game 7 to win their first Stanley Cup. While they kept the Reebok Edge-era template, they brought back the 19982007 look. However, they only won three games on the road during the first two months of the season. 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. After losing Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals, the team beat the San Jose Sharks in Game 2 at Scottrade Center, securing its first playoff game victory since 2004. While there were a number of interested parties, none had enough cash to meet Ralston's asking price. [5] 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. They missed the playoffs for only the fourth time in franchise history. The Blues are still looking for their first Stanley Cup. St. Louis Blues (1958) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The navy blue third jersey was kept without any alterations, before it was retired prior the 201617 season. Hi I have 4 tickets to the blues game tonight vs the San Jose sharks. The team slipped under .500 the following season and managed just 65 points in 1982-83. 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). [47], The team also has a long tradition of fan-produced programs, sold outside the arena and providing an often biting, sarcastic, humor-filled alternative to team- and League-produced periodicals. Following the 198081 season, the television broadcasts moved from KDNL to NBC affiliate KSD-TV for the 198182 season, produced by Sports Network Incorporated (SNI), owned and operated by Greg Maracek who did the broadcasts with Channel 5 sportscaster Ron Jacober. The group becomes the eighth to hold the keys to the franchise since its inception. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season. [45], The Blues were one of the last teams to add a goal horn, doing so during the 199293 season at the St. Louis Arena. This third jersey was unveiled on September 21, 2008, and debuted during a Blues' home game against the Anaheim Ducks on November 21, 2008. The mainstream appeal moved a conglomerate of corporate leaders to buy out Shanahan and build the Kiel Center (now the Scottrade Center), opening the downtown doors in 1994. Years later, Sutter argued that had the Blues made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, they would have likely beaten the Canadiens, having won two out of three games against the Habs in the regular season. On November 3, 2007, the fans voted on his name on the Blues' web site. The Blues were one of the six teams added to the NHL in the 1967 expansion, along with the . st louis blues traditions - legal-innovation.com He was 78. However, after the period of exclusivity, SCP entered the picture again. Original Blues owner fondly remembers the early days - STLtoday.com Things got worse after Keenan orchestrated a bold trade to acquire Wayne Gretzky late in the 1995-96 season. Steward, minority owner of Blues, vows to promote diversity in hockey While the first Blues teams included fading veterans like Doug Harvey, Don McKenney and Dickie Moore, the goaltending tandem of veterans Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante proved more durable, winning a Vezina Trophy in 1969 behind a sterling defense that featured players like skilled defensive forward Jim Roberts, team captain Al Arbour and hardrock brothers Bob and Barclay Plager. The Blues simplified their design, with only the blue note logo on the front; there were no third jerseys for the season. In late September, 2005, the Lauries signed an agreement to sell the team to SCP Worldwide, a consulting and investment group led by Dave Checketts, former president of New York's Madison Square Garden. In 1980-81, with Berenson behind the bench, the Blues had a 107-point season and put hockey back on the St. Louis radar. By accident", "Pronger steps aside as captain; MacInnis steps in", "Blues retire Plager's No. The initial results were not good. March 3, 2023 by Marcus Ashpaugh. Disillusioned by Keenan's contentious style, Gretzky became a free agent and departed for New York. After two awful years, including what is still a franchise-worst 185012 record with 48 points in 1979, the Blues made the playoffs the following year, the first of 25 consecutive postseason appearances. However, injuries plagued the team all season, and the lack of a bona fide scorer hampered them as well. During the 3rd Period, The Blues were winning by a large margin against the visiting Nashville Predators. This setupKelly as commentator, with either Kyle, Bob Plager, or Noel Picard (whose heavy French-Canadian . Dean told employes that the St. Louis-based firm had completed its second best fiscal year. [14] Davidson also installed a strong development program under head scout Jarmo Kekalainen, using the team's raft of high draft picks in 2006 and 2007 to select highly touted prospects such as T. J. Oshie, Erik Johnson and David Perron. The St. Louis Blues are one of the more successful NHL teams in terms of attendance. [55] Dan Kelly, the Blues' radio play-by-play announcer, was awarded the first Blues broadcaster to receive the award in 1989. The deferred contracts came due just as the Blues' performance began to slip. None of the previous owners has brought a Stanley Cup championship to St. Louis. Although perennial postseason contenders for most of their history, the franchise frequently struggled in the playoffs, including consecutive Stanley Cup Finals defeats at the end of their first three seasons. Gretzky, whose wife is a native St. Louisan, personally approved the trade and was prepared to finish his illustrious career with the Blues. They captured the Jennings Trophy once more for allowing the fewest goals in the league (165). However, for the third straight year, they lost in the first round and in six games. Oct 17, 2016. However, they never made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Local ownership group aims to 'put the Blues on solid financial footing.'. 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 Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019 and have the most Stanley Cup playoff appearances outside of the Original Six. Category:St. Louis Blues owners - Wikipedia John Kelly (son of Dan) and Darren Pang are the current team for television coverage, while Scott Warmann, Alexa Datt, Bernie Federko, and Jamie Rivers present the pre-game and post-game shows. That included Federko, Gassoff, Hull, MacInnis, Bob and Barclay Plager, Pronger and Sutter, along with Kelly, the Blues' legendary broadcaster. Hitchcock is a finalist for the Jack Adams coaching award and Doug Armstrong is a contender for general manager of the year. The Blues got off to a slow start in their initial season. This division was particularly weak, and in 197677, the Blues won it while finishing five games below .500, though this would be their last playoff appearance in the decade. Hockey-crazy Stillman is the latest to try his luck where so many others have failed. Sid Salomon III convinced his initially wary father to make a bid for the team. Following their playoff exit, Ralston authorized the deal to Hunter's renamed company Coliseum Holdings, Ltd. for $12 million on April 21. In 57.4% of St. Louis' previous games this season (35/61), the teams combined to score over Saturday's over/under of 6.5 goals. On March 17, 2012, the Blues became the first team to reach 100 points and clinch a playoff berth in the 201112 season under Hitchcock, qualifying for their first playoffs since 200809. During that time, Salomon gained a reputation throughout the NHL as the top players' owner. The latest STL Blues hockey news, NHL headlines, scores, standings and rosters. This led to a Norris Division semi-finals exit against the Chicago Black Hawks. It has been called the "Fan Salute" by some. Blues owner sold on St. Louis | FOX 2 Jake Allen was now the starting goaltender for the Blues, while the team also signed former Nashville Predators backup Carter Hutton. 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. 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. After an early-season coaching change brought Ken Hitchcock aboard, the Blues broke through this season with 109 points, two points removed from the best record in the NHL. In between seasons and during trade deadlines, the Blues became a must-see attraction. Bill Laurie - Wikipedia Jeremy P. Rutherford Sep 29, 2013 Sep 29, 2013; 0; Facebook . Since the 201920 preseason, WXOS (101 ESPN) has been the flagship radio station for the Blues. All that hardware notwithstanding, hopes for a Stanley Cup run turned to stunning disappointment. On June 3, Ralston announced that it had no interest in running the team anymore. A few weeks later, SCP withdrew and a month later, the Blues announced they had signed an exclusive letter of intent to negotiate with General Sports and Entertainment, LLC. Blues Acquire Vrana From the Red Wings (Jeremy Rutherford photo / Post-Dispatch) Jeremy P. Rutherford , Tom . Despite defeating the Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Winter Classic by the score of 41, the Blues fired Hitchcock and promoted Yeo to head coach on February 1, 2017. Im baffled., Suspect charged in fatal shooting in downtown St. Louis, Former Sweetie Pies TV star Tim Norman gets two life sentences in nephews death, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol slams ump C.B. The Blues took on the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first-round series. As the Blues faced the Oilers on December 7, 1982; brochures were distributed saying "Saskatchewan in the NHL". 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, both from the declining Los Angeles Kings. 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. After an ice plant was installed, the minor league St. Louis Flyers began play there in 1929. Gary Bettman -- St. Louis Blues' future 'bright' with new owners Arbour, who officially retired as a player after the 197071 season, would remain behind the Blues' bench for the next two seasons. St. Louis kept chugging along through the late 1980s and early 1990s. [13] After that season, Ornest sold the team to a group led by St. Louis businessman Michael Shanahan. The Blues have a tradition of live organ music. Bill Laurie, a former point guard at Memphis State University, had long desired to buy and move a National Basketball Association (NBA) team to St. Louis (coming close to achieving this in 1999, with an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the then-Vancouver Grizzlies), and it was thought that this desire caused him to neglect the Blues. The Keenan coup wound up being a catastrophe. The seats are in section 106 row cc seats 1-4. "We've given them the extreme honor, so it's. Phil Goyette won the Lady Byng Trophy for the Blues in 1970 and New York Rangers castoff Red Berenson became the expansion team's first major star at center. 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. Caron was reinstated as interim general manager for the rest of the season, and general manager Larry Pleau was hired on June 9, 1997. post; account; . san jose sharks vs . [55] The seven individuals recognized as builders by the Hall of Fame includes former Blues executives, general managers, head coaches, and owners. List of former Blues players set to return to St. Louis before the end of the season . He asked many players to defer contracts to help meet operating costs and through much of Ornest's tenure, the team operated with a small office staff. KSDK history: Mike Bush, Art Holliday start traditions | ksdk.com - FOX61 They play their home games at the 19,150-seat Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis, which has been their arena since moving from St. Louis Arena in 1994. With silver-jacketed organist Norm Kramer pumping out "When the Blues Go Marching In," hockey became a happening in St. Louis. However, they were swept in the Stanley Cup Finals by the Montreal Canadiens in 1969 and then by the Boston Bruins in 1970. On June 13, 2016, it was announced that Mike Yeo would replace Hitchcock as head coach of the Blues following the 201617 season. Photo by Scott C. Dine/St. Photo by Lloyd Spainhower/St. In fact, several of the Blues' young stars, such as Rob Ramage, Joe Mullen and Gilmour, were main cogs in the Flames' 1989 Stanley Cup win. The logo used on the Blues' jerseys from 1987 to 1998. However, longtime Ralston Purina chairman R. Hal Dean said that he only intended to keep the Blues as a Ralston subsidiary only temporarily until a more stable owner could be found who would keep the team in St. Louis. In 1984, the Blues drastically redesigned their look, adding red and darkening the shade of blue. These distractions would greatly affect their performance as they squeezed into the playoffs with a 254015 record in the 1983 season, good enough for 65 points. Since the St. Louis Blues were founded in 1967, the team has had a number of owners. Blues Chairman Tom Stillman confirmed . Other players like Patrik Berglund, and Alex Steen did not return in time for the season. Attendance plummeted, from 18,560 a game in 2003-04 to 12,520 in 2006-07. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the six teams from the 1967 NHL expansion and is named after the W. C. Handy song "Saint Louis Blues". 0. 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. By 1986, the team reached the Campbell Conference Finals against the Flames. However, Dean took the losses philosophically, having taken over out of a sense of civic responsibility. In 201213, the Blues completed the lockout-shortened season in fourth place in the Western Conference. The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. After hockey resumed in 2005, a few months after GNR's final issue, a new publication, St. Louis Game Time, was formed by several former GNR staffers.[49]. New Blues ownership group Tom Stillman, chairman and CEO of Summit Distributing Donn Lux, Luxco chairman and CEO Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, president of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation Steve. Their regular-season success, however, did not transfer into the playoffs, as they were eliminated by the New York Rangers in the second round 24 after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round 32. [58] Gretzky had previously played for the Blues in 1996, although the Blues did not retire his number prior to its league-wide retirement. [25] This all but assured that Berube would have the "interim" tag removed from his title, which occurred two weeks after their Cup victory. A third-round loss to Colorado in 2000-01 was especially deflating. Louis Post-Dispatch, Ruth and Harry Ornest, holding court during their reign with the St. Louis Blues, on July 12, 1985. He went on to win the Stanley Cup with the Stars the next year, scoring a controversial goal on the Buffalo Sabres' Dominik Hasek to clinch the Cup for Dallas. St. Louis Blues (1958) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb SponsorPitch - St. Louis Blues October 1, 2019. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced the Vancouver Canucks, to whom they lost in six games. He is the former owner of the St. Louis Bluesand is the co-chairman of Paige Sports Entertainment. After being one of the worst teams a couple of years before, they were one of the best in 1981, as they finished with a then-franchise-best record of 451817 record which translated to 107 points and the second-best record in the league. 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. Aside from Stillman, the ownership group includes Jerald Kent, Donn Lux, James Cooper, Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, Steve Maritz, Edward Potter, Andrew Taylor, David Steward, Jim Kavanaugh, John Danforth,. The Blues lost Bowman, who left during the 197071 season following a power-sharing dispute with Sid Salomon III (who was taking an increasing role in team affairs),[6] as well as Hall, Plante, Goyette and ultimately Berenson, who were all lost to retirement or trade. Movies. During the offseason, forward T. J. Oshie was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Troy Brouwer. The team did not even participate in the 1983 NHL draft, forfeiting all of its picks.