St Louis Blues

Longtime NHL defenseman Bobby Plager died after a car crash in St. Louis at the age of 78 on Wednesday.

Plager spent 14 years in the NHL—11 of them with the St. Louis Blues and another three with the New York Rangers.

In a statement remembering Plager, the Blues once again shared the love for the man whose No. 5 was retired in 2017:

"It is unimaginable to imagine the St. Louis Blues without Bobby Plager.

"He was an original 1967 member of the St. Louis Blues, but also an original in every sense of the word. Bobby's influence at all levels of the Blues organization was profound and everlasting, and his loss to our city will be deep.

"Bobby liked to say he was No. 5 in our program, but No. 1 in our hearts. Today, our hearts are broken, but one day they will be warmed again by memories of his character, humor and strong love for his family, our community, the St. Louis Blues and generations of fans who will miss him dearly.

"The St. Louis Blues send all of our love and support to his family, and we hope everyone will find strength knowing that Bobby got his parade."

Tributes to Plager began flooding social media as news of his death became public.

Doug Armstrong shared a statement on the passing of Bobby Plager. https://t.co/eFVcQygsQS #stlblues pic.twitter.com/VAB4Uggipc

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 24, 2021

❤️5️⃣😭

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) March 24, 2021

A sad day for St. Louis as we mourn the passing of a true hockey legend. I join thousands of fans in sending my condolences to the family and friends of the great Bobby Plager and the entire @StLouisBlues organization.

Thank you Bobby for years of memories on and off the ice. #5

— Lyda Krewson (@LydaKrewson) March 24, 2021

Bobby Plager.
Rest In Peace.

He was the toughest, nastiest Blue and the nicest, sweetest man.

He was a part of the St. Louis Blues’ culture from the very first year. He’ll be part of the Blues’ culture forever. https://t.co/T9ysRp5Lrh

— Benjamin Hochman (@hochman) March 24, 2021

Awful news out of St. Louis today that Blues legend Bobby Plager has died in a car accident.

Obviously touched a lot of lives in hockey and beyond. There are many connections between #CBJ and @StLouisBlues.

Deep sympathy and condolences to all who were lucky to call him friend. https://t.co/xAbJ238hx2

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) March 24, 2021

Heartbroken to hear the passing of the great Bobby Plager. So lucky to have met this genuine, kind-hearted legend. #RIPBobby pic.twitter.com/NrNr88LNaJ

— Michelle Bogowith (@MBogowith) March 24, 2021

Triste nouvelle..RIP Bob Plager! 🙏 https://t.co/jChI6NYzvP

— Chantal Machabee (@ChantalMachabee) March 24, 2021

The Missouri House just took a moment of silence in memory of Blues legend Bobby Plager who died in a car accident earlier today in STL. #moleg #mogov #stlblues pic.twitter.com/qoTmP0eFvp

— Emily Manley (@EmilyManleyTV) March 24, 2021

After retiring in 1978, Plager became a member of the Blues' front office, where he helped advance the scouting department before making a short transition to coaching—first with the St. Louis affiliate Peoria Rivermen and later 11 games with the Blues—but he chose to resign and returned to the role of vice president of player development.

Plager was one of the original Blues players on the inaugural team and had a chance to skate in St. Louis alongside his brothers Bill and Barclay. For his NHL playing career, he recorded 20 goals, 121 assists and 141 points over 616 games while earning 760 penalty minutes.

An investigation into the crash remains ongoing.

Goaltender Jordan Binnington led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup title in 2019, and now the team is rewarding him with a new contract. 

On Thursday, the Blues announced they inked the goaltender to a six-year contract extension worth $36 million. He was previously playing on the final season of his contract.

The 27-year-old has made 19 starts this season with a 2.69 goals against average, .908 save percentage and 9-6-3 record. The Blues' announcement noted Binnington is second in the league in wins, fourth in shutouts and eighth in goals against average since he made his first career start on Jan. 7, 2019.

Yet it was his playoff run in 2019 that stood out the most.

He finished with a 16-10-4 record as the first rookie goaltender in NHL history to notch 16 postseason wins in a single season. He posted a 2.46 goals against average and .914 save percentage during that run and helped lead the Blues to a victory over the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final.

Another chance at a Stanley Cup could be in Binnington's future.

St. Louis has 32 points at 14-8-4 this season, which is good enough for second place in the West Division. It is just one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights and appears primed to challenge in the playoffs.

Binnington is still in the early stages of his career, but he already has plenty of postseason experience and figures to add more in the coming years following this contract.

The St. Louis Blues have reportedly canceled practices because of positive coronavirus tests involving members of the organization.

Per The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford and Scott Burnside, the Blues shut down their facilities before Friday's scheduled workout stemming from "multiple" positive tests, but they are "expected" to reopen for practice Monday. 

On Monday, the NHL announced 26 out of more than 250 players tested have come back positive for COVID-19 since voluntary workouts began June 8.

Rutherford and Burnside noted the Blues used a multipurpose facility in Maryland Heights, Missouri, for a workout Thursday, and it was open for public use the following day.

The NHL is in the second phase of its "Return to Play" plan. Teams are allowed to open training facilities in their home cities so players can take part in voluntary individual activities with a maximum of six players and limited staff allowed in the building at the same time.

Per Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the NHL is advising teams the third phase (training camps) won't begin until at least July 13 pending ratification of the return-to-play agreement between the owners and players.

TSN's Bob McKenzie has reported Aug. 1 is the target date to begin the 24-team postseason, but the league has yet to make a formal announcement.

The NHL Player Gaming Challenge picked up again Saturday, with the St. Louis Blues duo of Robert Thomas and Colton Parayko easily rolling over the Montreal Canadiens team of Nick Suzuki and Victor Mete.

Parayko and Thomas won the two five-on-five games to seal the win before falling in the three-on-three mini-game that followed.

Here are the results: 

Game 1 (5-on-5): 3-1, St. Louis

Game 2 (5-on-5): 4-3, St. Louis

Game 3 (3-on-3): 10-6, Montreal

The full replay is available on YouTube and features plenty of fun stories from the Blues' summer with the Stanley Cup in 2019.

While Parayko was dishing on what it was like to take the Cup to his hometown of St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, to enjoy it with his family, Thomas had a different experience—not because of what he did with the chalice, but what his teammates before him did.

Thomas said the Cup was in rough shape by the time it made its way to his home in Aurora, Ontario. Apparently, his teammates dented the trophy in some areas and left salt residue on the rim after drinking margaritas from it. That came after a few players had the Cup with them in the shower.

Beginning in 1995, the NHL has allowed each member of the Stanley Cup-winning team—including coaches, support staff and some front office members—to host the iconic prize at a place of their choosing.

Most players bring the Cup to their hometowns and celebrate with close friends and family. Apparently, some of the Blues really enjoyed themselves when it was their turn.

St. Louis fans can take solace in knowing their team's time with the Cup likely won't crack the NHL's 10 most infamous celebration moments.

On Saturday, the Blues celebrated a much smaller, if not more meaningful, victory.

In joining the NHL Player Gaming Challenge, the team participated in a charity event, helping raise money for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as front-line workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a league release, the National Hockey League Foundation and Electronic Arts have already donated a combined $100,000 to get the funding started.

With the NHL season still suspended because of the coronavirus, the St. Louis Blues have began furloughing employees starting Monday, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic.

"Staff identified for this program will be part of a temporary layoff with healthcare benefits in full effect," CEO Chris Zimmerman said in a letter.

Other staffers and contractors who will keep working have taken a 20 percent reduction in salary, per Rutherford.

The Blues had previously announced they would pay game-day workers at Enterprise Center during the suspension, while owner Tom Stillman, Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo and others worked together to create a fund for those in need, via KMOV.

The NHL season has remained paused through April without an official return date yet announced.

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the league is considering using four cities as centralized locations to resume play. St. Louis was not on that list.

Teams were also asked about availability in their stadiums through August.

St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo provided a positive update on teammate Jay Bouwmeester, who experienced a cardiac episode during the team's Feb. 11 game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Pietrangelo told reporters Tuesday that Bouwmeester is "good," per the Associated Press' John Wawrow. The 36-year-old had attended team games and practices before the NHL suspended its season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Blues announced Feb. 14 that Bouwmeester underwent surgery to place a implantable cardioverter defibrillator in his chest.

The 36-year-old made his first public comments on Feb. 26, confirming to reporters he would miss the remainder of this season and was unsure about his future beyond that.

The defenseman also praised the medical personnel at Honda Center for treating him so quickly.

"It happened in the absolute best place that it could happen because of all the protocols they have in place and how people responded so quickly," he said, per CNN's Madeline Holcombe. "No. 1, they saved my life, and No. 2, the fact that they could get on it so fast was very helpful."

Pietrangelo told reporters that Bouwmeester remains in St. Louis for the time being and may return home to Edmonton, Alberta, once his children finish the current school year.

The St. Louis Blues said play-by-play announcer John Kelly tested positive for the coronavirus.

The team confirmed Kelly began self-quarantining March 13 and that he's "feeling strong and symptom free."

"The health and safety of the entire Blues family remains our core focus during these unprecedented times," the Blues said. "We wish John well as he continues his recovery at home."

The Colorado Avalanche announced Thursday that one of their players tested positive for COVID-19, the third such case in the NHL after the Ottawa Senators confirmed their second positive diagnosis.

Kelly's self-quarantine period began one day after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman suspended the 2019-20 season because of the ongoing pandemic. The league is on hold until at least mid-May to line up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended eight-week halt to events with 50 or more people.

Kelly began working as a Blues commentator in 1989 before leaving after the 1991-92 season. He returned to St. Louis in 2004. He has also called games for the Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers.

After the St. Louis Blues faced criticism Wednesday for being the only NHL team this season to schedule a "Hockey Is For Everyone" night during a road game, a team executive explained the decision.

According to USA Today (h/t ESPN's Greg Wyshynski), Blues Vice President of Media and Brand Communications Mike Caruso said high ticket demand played a role in the choice:

"Due to unprecedented ticket demand and sales following last season's success, we weren't able to execute as many ticket promotions as we have in the past. However, instead of forgoing 'Hockey Is For Everyone' completely, we wanted to brainstorm ways to continue its application.

"That is where the idea of a watch party came in. This allows us to open the entire building—over 18,000 seats—for the event, instead of having just a couple hundred available for a home game. In addition, it afforded us the opportunity to introduce a charitable element where groups can sell tickets as a fundraiser and get $5 of each sale donated back to their organization. We also have the flexibility to completely tailor our game presentation and in-game activations to the HIFE initiative—something we couldn't do at a normal home game due to pre-sold sponsorship/partner elements. Our watch parties garnered national acclaim during the playoffs last season, and we are hoping to duplicate that atmosphere with this year's HIFE event."

Rather than holding a "Hockey Is For Everyone" night during a home game, the Blues will open the Enterprise Center on March 24 for the "first-ever Hockey Is For Everyone Celebration and Watch Party," which will take place during the Blues' road game against the Washington Capitals.

Per NHL.com, the "Hockey Is For Everyone" initiative is about providing a "safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status" in hockey.

The Buffalo Sabres are the only team other than the Blues who did not schedule a "Hockey Is For Everyone" or LGBTQIA+ pride event for a home game this season, as the Sabres opted to focus on 50th anniversary celebrations instead, per Wyshynski.

Among those who expressed dismay over the Blues' decision to hold "Hockey Is For Everyone" night during a road game was Pride St. Louis, which released the following statement:

"Pride St. Louis is saddened to hear that the St. Louis Blues have again decided not to openly welcome and support LGBTQIA+ fans in a home game for a Pride Night with the Blues. We ask of the St. Louis Blues a chance to be seen, heard and supported. Other NHL teams still have a Pride night in addition to 'Hockey is for Everyone.' These teams are using their voice to support the diversity between LGBTQIA+, people of color, physical disabilities, and gender diversity, which is inspiring."

The Blues won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history last season, and they are the top team in the Western Conference this season and the No. 2 team in the entire NHL behind only the Boston Bruins.

The "Hockey Is For Everyone" Watch Party, tickets will cost $10, and the Blues announced that proceeds will go to "participating organizations and Blues for Kids."

St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a cardiac episode during a game against the Anaheim Ducks earlier in February.

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said at a press conference Bouwmeester would not play again this season and that St. Louis would evaluate his future with the team later.

"It was a scary thing, but it's been going pretty good lately, and we'll continue to evaluate things as it goes," Bouwmeester said. "I'm at the point now where I feel pretty good."

Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench during a Feb. 11 game against the Ducks. He was revived by a defibrillator and taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery to implant an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator, which monitors his heart for any arrhythmia.

The 36-year-old is in his 17th NHL season. He previously played for the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames, making two All-Star teams. In 2019, he won his first Stanley Cup with the Blues to become the 29th member of the Triple Gold Club.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has issued a statement thanking those who helped and supported him following his cardiac episode and letting fans know he is on the mend:

"I would sincerely like to thank all of the trainers from both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks, as well as all of the first responders, the Anaheim medical staff and the team at the UCI Medical Center for their quick actions on Feb. 11.

"Our family has felt the support of the entire National Hockey League family and the city of St. Louis during this time. We have all been greatly comforted by your genuine concern.

"On Sunday evening, I returned to St. Louis and I am on the road to recovery. My wife and daughters are forever grateful for everyone's support and we will continue to have a positive outlook for our future."

Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench during last Tuesday's game against the Anaheim Ducks, and Blues president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong called it a "cardiac episode" in a statement.

Emily Kaplan of ESPN.com noted Bouwmeester "underwent an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator procedure" to restore the heart's normal rhythm. That happened after doctors at the Honda Center used a defibrillator to revive him.

The game, which was tied in the first period, was postponed as a result of the incident.

Pete Blackburn of CBS Sports noted the Blues and Anaheim Ducks will make it up March 11 in a game that will reset the full 60-minute clock but still start with the score tied at one. St. Louis' home game against the Florida Panthers was moved from March 10 to March 9 to accommodate the new makeup date.

Bouwmeester, 36, has been in the league since the 2002-03 campaign and played for the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames and Blues. He has been on the Blues since they acquired him from Calgary via trade in April 2013.

Blackburn suggested that "it's very unlikely he'll play again this season" after being placed on injured reserve.