For most of their history, the St. Louis Blues were known as a perennial playoff team that just couldn’t quite win the big one. That all changed in 2019 when the Blues won the organization’s very first Stanley Cup. As with every longstanding competitive team, they were not afraid to make changes to their roster in their hunt for Lord Stanley.
Number 5: Ben Bishop
Bishop is best remembered as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, but his career actually started with the St. Louis Blues. He was drafted by St. Louis 85th overall in 2005 and would ultimately spend five seasons within the organization, mostly in the AHL (where he picked up a fighting major in just his second career game.)
He only saw 13 games of NHL action in that time, both stints coming because of injuries to Manny Legace and Jaro Halak. Bishop re-signed with the Blues in the summer of 2011, and was traded to the Senators in February 2012 because Craig Anderson injured his hand while cooking, in a tenure that may be as equally as forgotten about.
Number 4: Scott Gomez
Scott Gomez’s career started with the New Jersey Devils in 1999, and by the time the 2015-16 season rolled around, he was looking for NHL team that would have him. Gomez signed a professional try-out with the Blues for the 2015 preseason, and eventually earned a one-year contract. He was deployed sparingly with the Blues for 21 games, where he’s score his last NHL goal, until he was placed on waivers in late December of 2015, then later place on unconditional waivers for a contract termination after refusing an AHL assignment.
He ended up signing with the Ottawa Senators in March and he played 13 games to close out the season and retired in the summer.
Number 3: Lars Eller
Eller will be best remembered as a member of the Washington Capitals’ Cup-winning team in 2018, becoming the first Danish-born player to have have name etched in history. He may also be remembered for playing six seasons with the Canadiens early in his career, but he got his NHL journey underway in St. Louis.
He was drafted 13th overall in 2007 by the Blues, at the time being the highest drafted Danish player ever (a record later broken by Mikkel Bødker the following year.) He came to America for the 2009-10 season, but it was derailed by mononucleosis, so he ended up in the AHL for most of the season. Eller got recalled by the Blues for seven games where he scored the first two goals of his career. He was traded in the summer of 2010 to the Canadiens in exchange for goalie Jaroslav Halak.
Number 2: Tom Barrasso
By the time 2002 rolled around, Tom Barrasso already had a Vezina Trophy, Jennings Trophy, two Stanley Cups, and 771 NHL games to his résumé. After suiting up 38 games the season previously split between the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs, Barrasso signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues on November 1, 2002 for one last attempt to stick in the NHL. Barrasso was one of six goalies to suit up for the Blues during the 2002-03 season. He played in only six games recording a 3.28 goals against average and a .879 save percentage. At the end of the season, Barrasso signed a one day contract with Pittsburgh so he could retire a Penguin, the team where he had the most success.
Number 1: Guy Carbonneau
When you think Guy Cardonneau, you think Montreal Canadiens. He spent 912 games over 13 seasons with the Habs, and later spent five seasons with the Dallas Stars to close out his career, winning a combined three Stanley Cups between the two franchises. But between his two legendary tenures, he played the 1994-95 season with the St. Louis Blues.
The Habs traded him to St. Louis in August of 1994 and Carbonneau played 42 games for the Blues during the season, before he was traded to the Stars in October of 1995.
Honorable mentions
Rod Brind’Amour
Making the NHL on a full-time basis for the 1989-90 season after a legendary year at Michigan State, Rod Brind’Amour scored 26 goals and 61 points in 79 games during his rookie campaign. His sophomore season was slightly less successful with just 17 goals and 49 points. In the summer of 1991 he was involved in a large trade with the Philadephia Flyers where he, along with Dan Quinn, were shipped to the Flyers in exchange for Murray Baron and Ron Sutter. He would go on to play 19 more seasons split with the Flyers and the Hurricanes, the later of which he would win a Stanley Cup.
Valeri Bure
After long stints with the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames, injuries took their toll on the Russian right wing. His first stint with the Florida Panthers came to an end on March 11, 2003 when he was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Mike Van Ryn. A sprained ligament in his knee forced him to miss all but five of the remaining games in St. Louis. In the summer, Bure was placed on waivers by the Blues where he was reclaimed by the Florida Panthers.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit:
brotherlypuck.com 