Welcome to another installment where we look at the best St. Louis Blues player to wear each number. We have looked at numbers one through ten as well as numbers 11-20. Logic dictates that today we look at the best Blue to wear numbers 21-30.
Best St. Louis Blues By Sweater Numbers: 21-30
#21 Jeff Brown (Defenceman)
Brown came to the Blues during the 1989-90 season in a trade with the Quebec Nordiques. As soon as he touched the ice as a Blue, Brown was scoring. In 48 games with the Blues following the trade, Brown scored ten goals and had 38 points. The next season, his first full season with the Blues, Brown led the Blues defence in scoring. However, the next two seasons made Brown’s Blues career. Brown scored 2o goals and 59 points in the 1991-92 season. Furthermore, Brown followed that up with a career year. Brown scored 25 goals and added 53 assists for 78 points. He also registered 11 points in 11 playoff games that season.
Brown is the only Blues defenceman to have multiple 20+ goal seasons. Furthermore, his 25-goal season is a Blues single-season record for a defenceman. Considering the Blues franchise has had scoring defenceman such as Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis, and Alex Pietrangelo, Brown’s feat becomes that much more remarkable.
#22 Jorgen Pettersson (Forward)
Pettersson only played seven NHL seasons. However, the “Handsome Swede” made an impact right away. As a rookie with the Blues in the 1980-81 season, Pettersson scored 37 goals and had 73 points. Furthermore, Pettersson set the Blues record for goals and points by a rookie. The record still stands today. Pettersson followed up his rookie season with 38 goals the next year and 35 goals the next. Pettersson’s numbers began to dip after that, but he was still a productive scorer until he was traded from the Blues.
On the list of one-hit wonders, Pettersson would have to be a candidate. Regardless, Pettersson made the most of his time in the NHL. It is hard to forget a player who still has a place atop a record list.
#23 Bill Plager (Defenceman)
The brother of Bob and Barclay, Bill did not have the success his brothers did. However, the fact that all three Plager brothers played on the Blues together for four seasons is remarkable. Bill had two goals in his Blues career, and just four in his entire NHL career. Were there better players to take this spot? Yes. However, let us give Bill vote of distinction here. The Plagers are a royal family in hockey. The Plager brothers have a big spot in Blues history. Bill gets the moment here.
#24 Bernie Federko (Forward)
If it was not for Brett Hull, Federko would be the best Blue in franchise history. If it was not for Wayne Gretzky, Federko would have gotten more recognition for what he did in the 1980’s. It is hard to be considered great when your playing against the “Great One” it would seem.
Regardless of Gretzky being Gretzky, Federko was great in the 1980’s. Federko scored 100 points in a season four times for the Blues. In addition, Federko scored at least 90 points in seven of the eight seasons between 1978 and 1986. He also became the first player in NHL history to record at least 50 assists in ten consecutive seasons.
Federko played all but one season with the Blues. As such, when he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002, he was the first Hall of Famer to create his legendary resume primarily as a Blue. Federko continues to be involved with the Blues as an analyst on Bally Sports Midwest. Federko currently is the Blues all-time leader in the following categories: games played (927), assists (721), and points (1073).
March 19 1988
Bernie Federko of the St Louis Blues became the 22nd NHL player to record 1,000 career NHL Points in the Blues 5-3 loss vs the Hartford Whalers.
Bernie talking about it a couple days later.
(Sorry, audio is a little off)#stlblues pic.twitter.com/GvAwuC3blm
— STL Blues History (@STLBlueshistory) March 19, 2022
#25 Chris Stewart (Forward)
Stewart came to the Blues in a 2011 blockbluster trade with the Colorado Avalanche. Stewart made an immediate impact with the Blues. In 26 games to finish the season, Stewart scored 15 goals and recorded 23 points. The next season saw Stewart struggle, but he still posed a physical presence in the lineup. The Blues reached the Stanley Playoffs that season. Moreover, the Blues also won the Central Division.
Stewart’s arrival to the Blues coincided with the team transitioning from a talented fringe team to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Stewart was one of many pieces general manager Doug Armstrong added to make the team better. However, Stewart’s acquisition is the one that stands out. First off, the Blues traded former first-round pick Erik Johnson to get Stewart. Furthermore, the Blues also acquired defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk in the trade, who would go on to have a successful Blues career.
After struggling in the 2011-12 season, Stewart bounded back in the 48-game 2013 season, scoring 18 goals. He was having another good season the next year before being traded in the now-infamous Ryan Miller trade. Stewart’s time with the Blues is first domino that fell in the team finally becoming Stanley Cup contenders. The team remained with that label until the 2022-23 season.
#26 Paul Stastny (Forward)
Like Chris Stewart, Stastny coming to the Blues was part of the team attempting to find the next level. Stastny joined his hometown-Blues in the 2014 offseason. Paul was the third Stastny to play for the Blues, after his father, Peter, and his brother, Yan.
Stastny did not put up the numbers he did with the Colorado Avalanche. However, Stastny was still an asset in the Blues lineup. Stastny’s biggest contribution to the Blues came in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Stastny scored three goals and recorded 13 assists in 20 playoff games. Furthermore, Stastny, playing alongside Troy Brouwer and Robby Fabbri, had a big series in the second round against the Dallas Stars. Stastny scored three goals in the seven-game series. In the deciding Game 7, Stastny’s line was responsible for three goals in the Blues 6-1 win. All members of the line scored a goal.
A season and a half later, Stastny was traded, ending his time with the Blues. Looking at the statistics may suggest Stastny’s time in St. Louis failed to meet expectations. However, Stastny did move the needle for the Blues. In the three full seasons he spent with the team, the Blues advanced to the second round of the playoffs twice.
#27 Alex Pietrangelo (Defenceman)
The former first-round pick was establishing himself as an elite defenceman in the league when he was named captain for the 2016-17 season. After earning the captaincy, Pietrangelo found another level to his game. The 2017-18 season saw Pietrangelo set career highs in points and goals. Furthermore, he was named an NHL All-Star for the first time in his career.
Pietrangelo would play a huge role in the Blues run to the Stanley Cup in 2019. The captain led the league in playoff assists with 16. In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, Pietrangelo scored the Cup-winning goal. Pietrangelo would become the first Blues captain to lift the Stanley Cup. His success carried into the following season. Pietrangelo scored 16 goals and was again named to the All-Star team.
Pietrangelo is on his way to the Blues Hall of Fame. The image of Pietrangelo raising the Stanley Cup has become famous in St. Louis and will remain an iconic image in team history.
Alex Pietrangelo on what was going through his head when he was first handed the Stanley Cup (via the Blues Cup DVD):
"It's all kind of a blur when you lift that thing. My first thought was don't drop it … and where's Bouw standing?" pic.twitter.com/1CnebRcqnF
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) July 24, 2019
#28 Brad Shaw (Defenceman)
Shaw played in only 12 games for the Blues, recording no points. Why is he on this list?
Shaw is on this list because of his contributions as a Blues coach. No, he did not wear number 28 as a coach, but Shaw played a part in the Blues turnaround from a rebuilder to a contender in the late 2000s. Shaw joined the coaching staff in the 2006-07 season. He would remain on the coaching staff until the 2016 offseason. Shaw was an assistant coach under four head coaches, Mike Kitchen, Andy Murray, Davis Payne, and Ken Hitchcock.
Shaw’s biggest contribution to the team was the development of defenceman Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk. Both have had great careers. Both have received big contracts and have won at least one Stanley Cup. The players Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk became would not have been possible without Shaw. The Blues got to enjoy ten years of Pietrangelo and six and a half seasons of Shattenkirk. Thanks to Shaw, both were key members of some very good Blues teams.
#29 Jamie McLennan (Goaltender)
McLennan was a Blue for two seasons. However, it is his story that earns him a spot on this list.
In May of 1996, McLennan went to the hospital, believing he was dealing with a strain of the flu. However, it was discovered that McLennan was dealing with bacterial meningitis. He spent a week in intensive care, clinging to his life. He would recover, thankfully, and later that summer, signed a contract with the Blues. After spending a season in the minors, McLennan was given the backup goalie job for the 1997-98 season.
McLennan went 16-8-2 for the Blues that season. He posted a 2.17 goals against average and a .903 save percentage. Furthermore, McLennan was awarded the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy at the end of the season for his determination and dedication to hockey. In about a two-year span, McLennan went from clinging to his life to an award-winning NHL goalie. What a story.
#30 Jacques Plante (Goaltender)
The legendary goaltender who introduced the league to goalie masks came out of retirement to play two seasons with the Blues. In his first season, he won a record-setting seventh Vezina Trophy. Splitting time between the pipes with Glenn Hall, Plante helped the Blues, in their second season of existence, reach their second-straight Stanley Cup Final.
Plante played his final game the following post-season. He was hospitalized after being knocked unconscious by a shot to the face, and after that, Plante hung up the skates. Furthermore, Plante credits his face-mask as to why he survived the impact.
Plante was a legend before he signed with the Blues. However, the Blues got to see firsthand how good Plante was between the pipes. Plante was elite until he decided to retire for good. He ended his career as one of the best goalies in the game. He revolutionized the game and the goaltender position. As such, it is an honour for the Blues organization that Plante was part of it.
The Wrap-Up
30 numbers in. Roughly 60 to go. Next week, are are looking at jersey numbers 31-40. Looking ahead, we will have quite a few goaltenders to consider.
Other’s Teams Best
A wonderful trend has started at Last Word On Hockey. Other writers are doing a similar series with their own teams. Please check their articles out, especially if you are interested in hockey history. To find these articles, click here. Enjoy!
Rohit Bhamra deserves a big thank you for inspiring this series. The idea was his to start and he was generous enough to allow us to to incorporate the idea for our own teams.
Main photo credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
