The St. Louis Blues are an American professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They play in the Central Division of the Western Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL). [1] The team joined the NHL in 1967 as an expansion team with five other teams. The Blues first played their home games at the St. Louis Arena until 1994; they have played their home games at the Enterprise Center, first named the Kiel Center, since then. [2] The majority of the Blues franchise are owned by SLB Acquisition LLC, headed by Tom Stillman; Doug Armstrong is their general manager. [3] [4]
There have been 27 head coaches for the Blues. The franchise's first head coach was Lynn Patrick, who coached for 16 games in his first term. Joel Quenneville is the franchise's all-time leader for the most regular-season games coached (593), the most regular-season game wins (307), the most regular-season points (709), the most playoff games coached (68), and the most playoff-game wins (34). Barclay Plager and Bob Plager are the only pair of brothers [5] to have coached the Blues; Barclay coached for four seasons, and Bob coached for eleven games. Red Berenson, Brian Sutter, Quenneville and Ken Hitchcock are the only head coaches to have been awarded the Jack Adams Award with the Blues. [6] Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour, and Emile Francis are the only Blues head coaches to have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder. [7] Six coaches have spent their entire NHL head coaching careers with the Blues.
Drew Bannister currently serves as head coach of the Blues; after being named the interim head coach with the firing of Craig Berube on December 12, 2023, [8] Bannister was promoted to permanent head coach on May 7, 2024. [9]
# | Number of coaches [a] |
GC | Games coached |
W | Wins = 2 points |
L | Losses = 0 points |
T | Ties = 1 point |
OT | Overtime/shootout losses = 1 point [b] |
PTS | Points |
Win% | Winning percentage |
* | Spent entire NHL coaching career with the Blues |
† | Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder |
Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2022–23 regular season.
# | Name | Term [c] | Regular season | Playoffs | Achievements | Reference | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GC | W | L | T/OT | PTS | Win% | GC | W | L | Win% | |||||
1 | Lynn Patrick | 1967 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 10 | .313 | — | — | — | — | [10] | |
2 | Scotty Bowman† | 1967–1970 | 210 | 97 | 79 | 40 | 234 | .557 | 46 | 24 | 22 | .522 | [11] | |
3 | Al Arbour† | 1970–1971 | 50 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 56 | .560 | — | — | — | — | [12] | |
— | Scotty Bowman† | 1971 | 28 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 31 | .553 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | [11] | |
4 | Sid Abel | 1971 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 7 | .350 | — | — | — | — | [13] | |
5 | Bill McCreary, Sr. | 1971 | 24 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 16 | .333 | — | — | — | — | [14] | |
— | Al Arbour† | 1971–1972 | 57 | 21 | 25 | 11 | 53 | .447 | 11 | 4 | 7 | .364 | [12] | |
6 | Jean-Guy Talbot | 1972–1974 | 120 | 52 | 53 | 15 | 119 | .496 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | [15] | |
7 | Lou Angotti | 1974 | 32 | 6 | 20 | 6 | 18 | .281 | — | — | — | — | [16] | |
— | Lynn Patrick | 1974 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .750 | — | — | — | — | [10] | |
8 | Garry Young | 1974–1975 | 98 | 41 | 41 | 16 | 98 | .500 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | [17] | |
— | Lynn Patrick | 1975–1976 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | .375 | — | — | — | — | [10] | |
9 | Leo Boivin* | 1976 | 43 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 43 | .500 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | [18] | |
10 | Emile Francis† | 1976–1977 | 80 | 32 | 39 | 9 | 73 | .456 | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | [19] | |
— | Leo Boivin* | 1977–1978 | 80 | 20 | 47 | 13 | 53 | .331 | — | — | — | — | [18] | |
11 | Barclay Plager* | 1978–1979 | 104 | 25 | 64 | 15 | 65 | .310 | — | — | — | — | [20] | |
12 | Red Berenson* | 1979–1982 | 204 | 100 | 72 | 32 | 232 | .569 | 14 | 5 | 9 | .357 | 1980–81 Jack Adams Award winner [6] | [21] |
— | Emile Francis† | 1982–1982 | 44 | 14 | 25 | 5 | 33 | .375 | 10 | 5 | 5 | .500 | [19] | |
— | Barclay Plager* | 1982–1983 | 48 | 15 | 21 | 12 | 42 | .438 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | [20] | |
13 | Jacques Demers | 1983–1986 | 240 | 106 | 106 | 28 | 240 | .500 | 33 | 16 | 17 | .485 | [22] | |
14 | Jacques Martin | 1986–1988 | 160 | 66 | 71 | 23 | 155 | .484 | 16 | 7 | 9 | .438 | [23] | |
15 | Brian Sutter | 1988–1992 | 320 | 153 | 124 | 43 | 349 | .545 | 41 | 20 | 21 | .488 | 1990–91 Jack Adams Award winner [6] | [24] |
16 | Bob Plager* | 1992 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 9 | .409 | — | — | — | — | [25] | |
17 | Bob Berry | 1992–1994 | 157 | 73 | 63 | 21 | 167 | .532 | 15 | 7 | 8 | .467 | [26] | |
18 | Mike Keenan | 1994–1996 | 163 | 75 | 66 | 22 | 172 | .528 | 20 | 10 | 10 | .500 | [27] | |
19 | Jim Roberts | 1996–1997 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | .500 | — | — | — | — | [28] | |
20 | Joel Quenneville | 1997–2004 | 593 | 307 | 191 | 95 | 709 | .598 | 68 | 34 | 34 | .500 | 1999–2000 Jack Adams Award winner [6] | [29] |
21 | Mike Kitchen* | 2004–2006 | 131 | 38 | 70 | 23 | 99 | .378 | — | — | — | — | [30] | |
22 | Andy Murray | 2006–2010 | 258 | 118 | 102 | 38 | 274 | .531 | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | [31] | |
23 | Davis Payne* | 2010–2011 | 137 | 67 | 55 | 15 | 149 | .544 | — | — | — | — | [32] | |
24 | Ken Hitchcock | 2011–2017 | 413 | 248 | 124 | 41 | 537 | .650 | 45 | 20 | 25 | .444 | 2011–12 Jack Adams Award winner [6] | [33] |
25 | Mike Yeo | 2017–2018 | 133 | 73 | 49 | 11 | 157 | .590 | — | — | — | — | [34] | |
26 | Craig Berube | 2018–2023 | 382 | 206 | 132 | 44 | 239 | .594 | 51 | 24 | 27 | .471 | 2019 Stanley Cup championship | [35] |
27 | Drew Bannister* | 2023–present | 54 | 30 | 19 | 5 | 65 | .602 | — | — | — | — | [36] |
Michael Elwin Kitchen is a Canadian former defenceman and coach. He most recently was an assistant coach for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. As of February 2016, Kitch has coached in over 2400 NHL games including playoffs. In 2012/2013 he assisted in coaching the Hawks to their longest winning streak without a loss. He also spent time as the head coach of the Lake Simcoe Snappers, the Georgina Men’s League Champions.
Joel Norman Quenneville is a Canadian–American ice hockey coach and former player in the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Coach Q", he is second in NHL coaching wins at 969 behind Scotty Bowman. Quenneville achieved his greatest success as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, a team he coached from 2008 to 2018. He led the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup titles between 2010 and 2015. The team's championship victory in 2010 was the Blackhawks' first since 1961, ending the then-longest Stanley Cup drought.
Bob Berry is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings between 1968 and 1977. Bob was elected to play in two NHL all star games. He has also served as a head coach in the NHL for the Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues between 1978 and 1994. He has two sons Bradlee and Brock. His grandson Bodie is following in his grandpa footsteps wearing his jersey #18 and playing junior hockey.
Drew Bannister is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and New York Rangers. He finished his playing career as player and head coach for the Braehead Clan of the British Elite Ice Hockey League. Bannister was born in Belleville, Ontario, but grew up in Sudbury, Ontario.
Barclay Graham Plager was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach for the St. Louis Blues.
Robert Bryant Plager was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 14 seasons from 1964 until 1978, primarily for the St. Louis Blues. Plager spent over half a century with the Blues organization in various capacities.
Craig Berube is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Nicknamed "Chief", Berube played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders. After retirement, Berube served as head coach of the Flyers for two seasons, and the St. Louis Blues for parts of six seasons, winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 as then-interim head coach. Berube additionally served as national team scout for Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, under Blues general manager Doug Armstrong.
William Ronald Plager was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman.
Michael Yeo is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks. He is the former head coach of the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL), as well as interim head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. Yeo grew up in North Bay, Ontario. He has also been an assistant coach for the Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins and head coach of the American Hockey League's Houston Aeros.
The highlight of the 1996–97 St. Louis Blues season was, after losing Wayne Gretzky the Blues were in turmoil as an ugly public feud between Brett Hull and coach Mike Keenan developed. This was the last season until early 2009, that a huge Blue note would appear at center ice.
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (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 and is named after the W. C. Handy song "Saint Louis Blues". They play their home games at the 18,096 seat Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis, which has been their arena since moving from St. Louis Arena in 1994.
The 2012–13 St. Louis Blues season was the 46th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on June 5, 1967. The regular season was reduced from its usual 82 games to 48 due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout.
The 2016–17 St. Louis Blues season was the 50th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 5, 1967. The team played in its first Winter Classic game on January 2, 2017, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 4–1 at Busch Stadium with 46,556 in attendance. It was only the third time in the nine Winter Classic games where the home team won. It was the Blues' first participation in an NHL Winter Classic game, while the Blackhawks lost for the third time in three appearances in the event.
The 2019 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2018–19 season and the culmination of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Western Conference champion St. Louis Blues defeated the Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins four games to three in the best-of-seven series. It was the Blues' first championship, in their 51st season of play, ending what was then the third-longest championship drought in league history. The Bruins had home-ice advantage in the series with the better regular season record. The series began on May 27 and concluded on June 12. The Blues' Stanley Cup–winning run of 26 playoff games tied the 2014 Los Angeles Kings for the longest of any Stanley Cup–winning team in history.