Division 3rd West Goals for 177 General Manager Lynn Patrick | 1967–68 record 27–31–16 Goals against 198 | |
Coach Lynn Patrick
Scotty Bowman | ||
The 1967–68 season was the inaugural season for the St. Louis Blues. The Blues were one of the six new teams added to the NHL in the 1967 expansion. The other franchises were the Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and California Seals. The league doubled in size from its Original Six.
Contents
- NHL draft
- Regular season
- Expansion draft
- Forwards
- Defensemen
- Goaltending
- Stanley Cup Finals
- Awards and honors
- References
St. Louis was the last of the expansion teams to officially get into the league. The Blues were chosen over Baltimore at the insistence of the Chicago Black Hawks. The Black Hawks were owned at that time by the Wirtz family, who also owned the St. Louis Arena. The team's first owners were insurance tycoon Sid Salomon Jr., his son, Sid Salomon III, and Robert L. Wolfson. Sid Salomon III convinced his initially wary father to make a bid for the team. Salomon then spent several million dollars on renovations for the 38-year-old Arena, which increased the number of seats from 12,000 to 15,000 and provided its first significant maintenance since the 1940s.
NHL draft
The Blues attempted to select Saskatoon Blades forward Dale Fairbrother with their first round pick, but the pick was ruled invalid since Fairbrother was on the Portland Buckaroos' sponsored list. The Blues passed on making selections in the second and third rounds.
Regular season
October 11, 1967 – the franchise's first game. The Blues and Minnesota North Stars played to a 2–2 tie at the St. Louis Arena, with the Blues' first ever team goal scored by Larry Keenan of North Bay, Ontario. A St. Michaels product, Keenan had his career end prematurely due to injuries. He relocated back to North Bay where he coached a local Midget AAA team for many years.
The Blues were originally coached by Lynn Patrick who resigned in late-November and was replaced by Scotty Bowman. Although the league's rules effectively kept star players with the Original Six teams, the Blues were one of the stronger teams of the Western Division. The playoff format required an expansion team to make it to the Stanley Cup finals, and the Blues made it to the final round.
Expansion draft
Forwards
Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points
Defensemen
Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points
Goaltending
Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against
Forwards
Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points
Defensemen
Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points
Goaltending
Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against
Stanley Cup Finals
The St. Louis Blues made a series of the Stanley Cup finals although they lost in four straight games. Glenn Hall was sensational, especially in game three when the Blues were outshot 46 to 15. Wrote Red Burnett, the dean of hockey writers then: "A number of Hall's saves were seemingly impossible. Experts walked out of the Forum convinced no other goaltender had performed so brilliantly in a losing cause." In the overtime of game three, Hall made a spectacular save on Dick Duff and then, standing on his head, made another save. "It was a heartbreaker to see" said Burnett "After the saves on Duff, Bobby Rousseau came and batted home the second rebound." Hall's heroics won him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.
However, Montreal was not to be denied and won the Stanley Cup in game four as J. C. Tremblay fired home the winning goal. When the game ended, the fans came on the ice to celebrate, and balloons, hats and programs were thrown from the stands.
Montreal wins the series 4–0.