list of st louis blues owners

St. Louis Blues (1939) - IMDb They also had strong goaltending led by Mike Liut. Attendance went from 8,897 in 1967-68 to 18,238 in 1970-71. He was replaced by assistant coach Scotty Bowman, who thereafter led the team to a winning record for the rest of the season. The Blues jumped to a 31 series lead, but struggled in games 5 and 6. That included Federko, Gassoff, Hull, MacInnis, Bob and Barclay Plager, Pronger and Sutter, along with Kelly, the Blues' legendary broadcaster. However, they only won three games on the road during the first two months of the season. Nonetheless, the team remained competitive for the next three years, despite never advancing beyond the second round. This led to a Norris Division semi-finals exit against the Chicago Black Hawks. However, injuries plagued the team all season, and the lack of a bona fide scorer hampered them as well. NHL Owners: Who Are They? - The Hockey Writers Menu. He had 70 or more goals in three consecutive seasons, including 1990-91 when he scored 86 and the team finished with 105 points. [24] 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. The latest STL Blues hockey news, NHL headlines, scores, standings and rosters. KXOK backed out of the contract after just 2 years, and the Blues immediately went back to KMOX, who held the rights until 2000. [13] 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. The St Louis Blues: A History Of The Hockey Team 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. However, they never made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. [7] Emile Francis would call it quits on May 2, leaving for the Hartford Whalers to become president and general manager. [4] 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. The Blues then fired 60 percent of their employees. The Blues are still looking for their first Stanley Cup. On February 9, 2019, another tradition was born. It also replaced red with navy blue as an accent color. Finally, in March 2006, the Lauries completed the sale of the team and the Savvis Center lease to SCP and a private equity firm, TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P. 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. Brandon Saad and Robert Thomas both recorded a goal and an assist, helping the Blues earn a 5-2 win over the Predators at home 04:56 January 19, 2023 ST. LOUIS -- Brandon Saad and Robert. Jeremy Rutherford is the lead Blues beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Jeremy Rutherford is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the St. Louis Blues. The Blues skated back to KPLR 3 years later. The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis. Ryan O'Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. 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 Board of Governors OKs sale of St. Louis Blues Members of the Blues' all-local ownership group include Tom Stillman, Jerald Kent, Donn Lux, James Cooper, Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, Steve Maritz, Edward Potter, Andrew Taylor, David Steward, Jim. The cash-poor Ornest then ran the franchise on a skeletal budget. Front Office | St. Louis Blues Sid Salomon III convinced his initially wary father to make a bid for the team. They missed the playoffs for only the fourth time in franchise history. The moves kept. Coming off their defeat of the Presidents' Trophy winning Canucks, the Kings ousted the Blues in four games. Despite these losses, the Blues raced out to a 2182 start in their first 31 games. After missing the playoffs for the first time in 197374, the Blues ended up in the Smythe Division after a League realignment. The standard for other teams was 60 players. Figures are updated after each completed NHL season. [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. The Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019 and have the most Stanley Cup playoff appearances outside of the Original Six. On November 14, 2005, the Blues announced that SCP Worldwide had officially withdrawn from negotiations to buy the team. 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. Sutter and Federko were the only untouchables on the Blues during that era. None of the previous owners has brought a Stanley Cup championship to St. Louis. 27 febrero, 2023 . Doug Wickenheiser'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, 21. Angry at having to play "second fiddle", the Blues elected to leave for KTRS in 2000. The Berenson trade did bring then-Detroit Red Wings star center Garry Unger, who ultimately scored 30 goals in eight consecutive seasons while breaking the NHL's consecutive games played record. 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. Eventually, the St. Louis Arena came under the control of the owners of the Chicago Black Hawks. St. Louis Blues: Directed by Raoul Walsh. List of former Blues players set to return to St. Louis before the end of the season . [55] Dan Kelly, the Blues' radio play-by-play announcer, was awarded the first Blues broadcaster to receive the award in 1989. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . A corresponding blue jersey was introduced the following season, thus retiring the previous set. October 1, 2019. 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. Buck elected to leave the booth after one season, though, and was replaced by another famed announcer in Dan Kelly. Nevertheless, the Black Hawks owners still owned the St. Louis Arena. The sale price for the team and building lease was reported to be $100 million. They were again eliminated by Los Angeles, however, this time in six games in the first round of the playoffs, despite taking an initial 20 series lead. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, 4 killed, 4 critically injured in crash at South Grand Boulevard and Forest Park Avenue, Parents push back on allegations against St. Louis transgender center. On November 3, 2007, the fans voted on his name on the Blues' web site. Following their playoff exit, Ralston authorized the deal to Hunter's renamed company Coliseum Holdings, Ltd. for $12 million on April 21. However, after the period of exclusivity, SCP entered the picture again. 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 the meantime, the franchise was on the brink of financial collapse. In 1978-79, the Blues won 18 of 80 games, or just one more than the NFL's 1972 Miami Dophins. Moreover, for the first time in club history, the normally excellent support seen by St. Louisans began 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). Steward, minority owner of Blues, vows to promote diversity in hockey Two months later, they traded Doug Weight, a 38-year-old four-time All-Star center, to the Anaheim Ducks as part of a package to acquire 30-year-old center Andy McDonald. The remaining staff included the accounting department, scouting staff, and coach Barclay Plager. Quenneville was fired during the 2003-04 season and like so many prominent Blues alumni before him Hull, Shanahan, Stevens, Pronger he went on to win a Cup elsewhere. Jeremy P. Rutherford Sep 29, 2013 Sep 29, 2013; 0; Facebook . Hi I have 4 tickets to the blues game tonight vs the San Jose sharks. 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. 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. Under new management, the Blues promptly installed John Davidson as president of hockey operations, moving Pleau to a mostly advisory role. He is the former owner of the St. Louis Bluesand is the co-chairman of Paige Sports Entertainment. Berenson, who had played previously in Montreal and New York, commented: "In New York or Montreal, all you'd get would be a handshake.". Tom Stillman takes over as new, local Blues owner - St. Louis Business The Enterprise Center was electric and buzzing with excitement with anticipation of the win. 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. However, despite the music stopping, the loyal Blues fans in attendance continued to sing loudly. While the Blues remained competitive, they were unable to keep many of their young players. The jersey brought back the contrasting shoulder yoke and returned to the lighter blue of previous eras. The Blues have worn blue and white jerseys with the famous "Blue Note" crest and gold accents since their inception in 1967. Jeff Gordon writes: Controlling the Blues is a great honor for diehard fan Tom Stillman. Baie-Comeau Drakkar Players Bakersfield Condors Players Barrie Colts Players Barys Astana Players Belarusian Hockey Players Belleville Senators Players Bemidji State Beavers Players Bentley Falcons. 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? However, Dean took the losses philosophically, having taken over out of a sense of civic responsibility. Ralston Purina lost an estimated $1.8 million a year during its six-year ownership of the Blues. Arbour, who officially retired as a player after the 197071 season, would remain behind the Blues' bench for the next two seasons. On June 17, 2005, the Lauries announced that they would sell the team. Sid Salomon III convinced his initially wary father to make a bid for the team. Prior to that, he worked at the New York . 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. "Our new ownership group is 100 percent local, and we are 100 percent committed to the Blues and to St. Louis." Stillman asked for support from fans, local businesses and the rest of the community. St. Louis Blues Music Genre Overview | AllMusic 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. On December 11, 2006, the Blues fired head coach Mike Kitchen and replaced him with former Los Angeles Kings head coach Andy Murray. Buck elected to leave the booth after one season, though, and was replaced by another famed announcer in Dan Kelly. The Blues also won the Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals (165) in the NHL, as netminder Roman Turek finished with a 1.95 goals-against average. Amid several questionable personnel moves and an unstable ownership situation, the Blues finished the 200506 season with their worst record in 27 years. During that time, Salomon gained a reputation throughout the NHL as the top players' owner. On June 3, Ralston announced that it had no interest in running the team anymore. The logo used on the Blues' jerseys from 1967 to 1984. #19 St Louis Blues Team Value 1 $880M Calculated December 2022 Owner (s) Tom Stillman Championships 1 Year Purchased 2012 Price Paid $180M Revenue 2 $180M Operating Income 3 $56M Debt/Value 4. 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. [48] The longest-running fan publication, Game Night Revue, was created by a group of fans in the mold of the Chicago Blackhawks' Blue Line Magazine. [58] Gretzky had previously played for the Blues in 1996, although the Blues did not retire his number prior to its league-wide retirement. On May 21, the Blues advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1970, defeating the San Jose Sharks in a six-game Western Conference Finals series. [11] The Board of Governors rejected the offer and "terminated" the team on June 13, one day before Ralston's supposed deadline. The deferred contracts came due just as the Blues' performance began to slip. The St. Louis Blues are one of the more successful NHL teams in terms of attendance. List of St. Louis Blues broadcasters | NHL Wiki | Fandom For instance, Ornest asked many players to defer their salaries to help meet operating costs, but the players always got paid in the end. While the disappointment of that series loss is still fresh, hope springs eternal with the announcement that a new ownership group is in place. Especially galling were the frequent blown leads after two periods, and with the worst home record (6133) posted in the entire NHL. 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. Blues' ownership: A colorful history - STLtoday.com Mike Keenan was hired as both general manager and coach before the abbreviated 199495 season, with the hope that he could end the postseason turmoil that Blues fans had endured for years. Defenseman Chris Pronger (acquired from the Hartford Whalers in 1995 for Brendan Shanahan), Keith Tkachuk, Pavol Demitra, Pierre Turgeon, Al MacInnis and goaltender Roman Turek kept the Blues a contender in the NHL. By 1986, the team reached the Campbell Conference Finals against the Flames. st louis blues traditions - legal-innovation.com David Backes was also announced as the new team captain. 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). But the renaissance was short-lived. In the 1999-2000 season, Quenneville's club won 51 games and collected 114 points, capturing the first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history. Beginnings and Stanley Cup Finals' appearances (19671970), Financial problems, near-relocation, and playoff streak (19701987), End of the playoff streak, lockout, and rebuild (19982011), Return to contention, first Stanley Cup championship (2011present), Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 16:20, "City Gets Big League Hockey; New Team Begins NHL Play in 196768 Season", "Musial Partner 'Biggie' Dies; Political Figure", "PHT Time Machine: When Blues skipped NHL draft", "Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search", "The Lewiston Daily Sun - Google News Archive Search", "Davis Payne will remain team's head coach St Louis Blues", "St. Louis Blues for sale after five years of Dave Checketts' ownership", "Predators defeat Blues, advance to first conference final", "Gameday Lineup: Sept. 18 at Dallas; O'Reilly, Maroon, Parayko, Thomas and Kyrou expected to play vs. Stars", "Yeo fired as coach of Blues, replaced by Berube on interim basis", "Blues clinch spot in Stanley Cup Playoffs", "Blues Beat the Bruins and Get Their First Stanley Cup Finals Victory", "Blues win Stanley Cup for first time, defeat Bruins in Game 7 of Final", "St. Louis Blues beat Boston Bruins, 41, to win first Stanley Cup", "Black senator from St. Louis passed bill to make Blues official state hockey team", "Chapter 10 10.225. However, they were stunned by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2000 playoffs in seven games. After a strong second-half run, the Blues made the 2009 playoffs on April 10, 2009, after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 31. 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. Inductees affiliated with the Blues include 24 former players (six of whom earned their credentials primarily with the Blues) and seven builders of the sport. 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. Caron was reinstated as interim general manager for the rest of the season, and general manager Larry Pleau was hired on June 9, 1997. They fired their head coach, Davis Payne, and named Ken Hitchcock as his replacement on November 6, 2011. On January 12, 1983, Batoni-Hunter Enterprises Ltd., led by WHA and Edmonton Oilers founder Bill Hunter, tendered an offer to buy the team. The Stanley Cup playoff 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. These are the top-ten-point-scorers, goal scorers, and assist leaders in franchise playoff history. In the offseason for the 201718 season, the Blues would lose David Perron to the Vegas Golden Knights via an expansion draft. After each Home win, the entire St Louis 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. Early in the morning of trade deadline day, the St. Louis Blues and the Detroit Red Wings agreed to a deal. The moves kept sportswriters busy and fans captivated, and often infuriated opposing executives. Blues games, many of which were crucial to playoff berths, would often be pre-empted for spring training coverage. Although the St. Louis Arena 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. Oct 17, 2016. The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey . 5 to the rafters", "Blues retire Pronger's number on 'very special' night in St. Louis", "Perfect setting: Gretzky's number retired before All-Star Game", "Brian Elliott, Blues Stats National Hockey League.com Players", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St._Louis_Blues&oldid=1141928547, Most points in a season: Brett Hull, 131 (199091), Lowest GAA in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, 1.56 (201112), Best SV% in a season (min 30 GP): Brian Elliott, .940 (201112), This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 16:20. The Keenan coup wound up being a catastrophe. Country Roads has been played during every Home game since, at approximately the 15:00 minute mark of the 3rd Period, regardless of the current score. Last chance! Early life[edit] Laurie grew up in rural Missouri. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com Photo by J.B. Forbes, staff photographer. The Blues would underachieve greatly the following year as they posted a 32408, but they beat the Winnipeg Jets 31 in the Norris Division Semi-Finals before dropping to the Chicago Black Hawks in the Norris Division 24. 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 NHL Board of Governors has approved the sale of the St. Louis Blues to a group headed. In between seasons and during trade deadlines, the Blues became a must-see attraction. 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. Contact Information: print. He also purchased the Checkerdome from Ralston Purina for $5 million, then raised $3 million in operating expenses. Dean told employes that the St. Louis-based firm had completed its second best fiscal year. Under the expansion playoff format, Bowman's leadership was enough as the Blues qualified for the playoffs in their inaugural season. It then took control of the franchise and began searching for a new owner. 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." But from late December through January the Blues lost only twice in 16 games and grabbed a foothold. Blues Chairman Tom Stillman confirmed . Ornest immediately reverted the name of the team's home venue to the St. Louis Arena. In 1986, the team reached the Campbell Conference finals and produced one of its signature moments, a "Monday Night Miracle" comeback victory in Game 6. They would also pick up Brayden Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers by giving away Jori Lehtera. Blues owners - STLtoday.com That was the highlight of the Ornest years; the bottom fell out soon after. 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. A third-round loss to Colorado in 2000-01 was especially deflating. . You have permission to edit this article. Over the next few years, the franchise became one of the most colorful and controversial in the NHL. Attendance had gone from a peak of 18,601 a game in 1972-73 to 10,130. The team slipped under .500 the following season and managed just 65 points in 1982-83. 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. Because they were not required to participate in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, they did not send a representative, which led the Blues to forfeit their picks. On March 17, 2011, it was announced that the St. Louis Blues were for sale. Category:St. Louis Blues owners - Wikipedia Local ownership group aims to 'put the Blues on solid financial footing.'. Dean retired and his successor, William Stiritz, had no interest in continuing the involvement in hockey. [34] A corresponding vintage white version was unveiled for the 2022 NHL Winter Classic. 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. Weight was again traded in December 2007 to the Anaheim Ducks, along with a minor league player, in exchange for Andy McDonald. [30] In 201011, the team sold out every home game. As the Blues faced the Oilers on December 7, 1982; brochures were distributed saying "Saskatchewan in the NHL". 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 hockey. Maybe eight will be worth the wait. Dean was the key figure in Ralston Purina's takeover of the St. Louis Blues after the 1976-77 season. St. Louis kept chugging along through the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Blues lost more players as Jay Bouwmeester suffered a season-ending injury, and Jaden Schwartz missed a large portion of the season. However, they were swept in the Stanley Cup Finals by the Montreal Canadiens in 1969 and then by the Boston Bruins in 1970. The original owners were successful insurance executive Sid Salomon Jr., his son Sid Salomon III and Robert Wolfson. (Jeremy Rutherford photo / Post-Dispatch) Jeremy P. Rutherford , Tom . But with Ron Caron as the general manager and Jacques Demers as the coach, with Federko and Sutter as the foundation, the Blues were competitive. When Red Berenson scored six goals in a game on Nov. 7, 1968, ownership presented the outdoor enthusiast with a new station wagon, a canoe attached to the top and a Browning 20-gauge shotgun inside. With his aging father stepping back, Sid Salomon III took a more prominent role in running the franchise and upheaval became the order of the day. She runs into the skipper of a showboat who befriends her, and they make plans to put together a musical revue. Since the St. Louis Blues were founded in 1967, the team has had a number of owners. MLS in July 2020 pushed the expansion schedule back by a year for both St. Louis and the Charlotte, North Carolina, team that began play last year, saying the Covid-19 pandemic had led to delays . The Blues play in the 19,150 (not counting standing room) capacity Enterprise Center, where they have played since 1994. C Dave Checketts D John Danforth L Bill Laurie O Harry Ornest S SLB Acquisition Holdings LLC SponsorPitch - St. Louis Blues 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. On September 2, 2020, the Blues traded goaltender Jake Allen, who had spent ten years in the Blues organization, to the Montreal Canadiens.[29]. Original Blues owner fondly remembers the early days - STLtoday.com In each instance, the Blues were swept in four games, twice by the Montreal Canadiens and lastly by the Boston Bruins. Meet the Thunderbirds | NHL.com General manager Ron Caron made astute moves, landing forwards Brett Hull, Adam Oates and Brendan Shanahan, defenseman Al MacInnis and goaltender Curtis Joseph, among others. Behind the solid goaltending of Brian Elliott and scoring heroics of Andy McDonald, the Blues defeated the Sharks in five games, advancing to the conference semifinals. With silver-jacketed organist Norm Kramer pumping out "When the Blues Go Marching In," hockey became a happening in St. Louis. [10] Ralston called the counter-suit "ridiculous" and gave the NHL an ultimatum: if the NHL would not accept Hunter's offer by June 14, Ralston would dissolve the team and sell its players and assets to other teams. The St. Louis Blues medical team is a group of Washington University in St. Louis orthopedic specialists from Barnes-Jewish Hospital led by Washington University in St. Louis' Chief of Sports Medicine Matthew Matava.[39]. 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. In 201213, the Blues completed the lockout-shortened season in fourth place in the Western Conference. Captain Wilkins Revolutionary War, Portland Selfie Museum, Articles L