Happy September, hockey fans! Training camps begin this month and NHL games will be played this month. The quest for Lord Stanley begins very soon. In the meantime, we will continue our “Since 2000” series. Today, we are looking at the top-ten St. Louis Blues regular seasons since 2000.
Top-Ten Regular Seasons: Criteria
The following is the criteria we will be using to rank the top-ten regular seasons:
- Seasons shortened by lockouts or COVID-19 are eligible despite less than the usual 82 games played.
- Stanley Cup Playoff runs are not taken into consideration. This is an analysis purely of the regular season only.
- Final standings, All-Stars, personal awards, and team awards are taken into consideration.
- Was a team able to avoid major slumps during the season?
- Was a team able to overcome a major obstacle during the season?
Without further ado, let us begin ranking the top-ten St. Louis Blues regular seasons since 2000.
Best St. Louis Blues Regular Seasons Since 2000
#10 – 2000-01 Regular Season
Following winning the Presidents’ Trophy in the 1999-2000 season, the Blues entered the season looking to repeat their success. While the team did fail to win the Presidents’ Trophy and the Central Division, the Blues did post 103 points. In addition, the team had a fantastic home record, going 28-5-5-3.
Hall of Famer Pierre Turgeon and forward Scott Young posted over 70 points. Furthermore, Young scored 40 goals. Defenceman Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis, as well as head coach Joel Quenneville, represented the Blue Note at the All-Star Game.
#9 – 2008-09 Regular Season
The first half of the season was highlighted by the injury bug. Erik Johnson, Andy McDonald, Eric Brewer, and Jay McKee were just some of the many who missed some, if not all, of the season. Ineffectiveness became an issue as well. Goaltender Manny Legace, fresh off an All-Star season in 2008, struggled and was eventually placed on waivers. In late January, the Blues sat in last place. Another lost season was on the brink.
However, things turned around. A 6–2–4 surge in February pushed the Blues to an even .500 at 26-26-8 and to within five points of the eighth and final playoff spot. Behind the emergence of young players and the play of goaltender Chris Mason, the Blues continued to climb up the standings. The Blues would clinch a playoff spot in their second-to-last game of the season. The Blue Note finished as the sixth seed in the NHL’s Western Conference. Furthermore, the playoff birth was the team’s first since the 2004-05 lockout.
#8 – 2019-20 Regular Season
The Blues entered the 2019-20 season ready to defend their Stanley Cup championship. In what become just a 71-game season due to COVID-19, the Blues had one of their best regular seasons. Despite an injury to forward Vladimir Tarasenko, the Blues got 25-goal seasons from David Perron and Brayden Schenn. Between the pipes, Jordan Binnington and Jake Allen were one of the best goaltender tandems in the league. Furthermore, Binnington, Perron, captain Alex Pietrangelo, and reigning Conn Smythe and Selke Trophy winner Ryan O’Reilly were named All-Stars for the game hosted by St. Louis.
What makes the 2019-20 regular season special if the team showcasing the same talent and skill they had just won the Stanley Cup with. The team also showed the ability to overcome adversity. In addition to the Tarasenko injury, the Blues lost defenceman Jay Bouwmeester in February as a result of a cardiac event. The Blues were a well-built team with great talent. In an alternative timeline where COVID-19 does not exist, the St. Louis Blues may very well have repeated as Stanley Cup champions.
#7 – 2014-15 Regular Season
The 2014-15 season contained many stories for the Blues. One of these was the great Martin Brodeur suiting up for seven games as a Blue. Brodeur’s three wins and one shutout were the final of his career. Another story was breakout seasons. Vladimir Tarasenko scored 37 goals, a then career-high. Defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk emerged as a top offensive defenceman in the league, recording 44 assists. In goal, Jake Allen settled into his first full-time NHL role, posting a 2.28 goals against average. Brian Elliott, meanwhile, continued his success with the Blues with a 2.26 GAA. Elliott, Tarasenko, and Shattenkirk were each named All-Stars.
The Blues won their second Central Division title in four seasons. The season is also notable for general manager Doug Armstrong correcting a previous mistake. A year ago, the Blues suffered from multiple injuries during the final days of the season. In an attempt to avoid the same problem, Armstrong made various trades to bring in additional depth to the roster. This eventually became a regular practice for the general manager.
#6 – 2002-03 Regular Season
The Blues lost Chris Pronger to injury early in the season. Al MacInnis took over as captain and the Blues put together a 99-point season. Pavol Demitra led the Blues with 93 points. As of September 2024, that is closest a Blue has gotten to a 100-point season. However, with Pronger missing most of the season, another defenceman needed to step up. Enter Barret Jackman. Wearing the number five per a request by Blues legend Bobby Plager who also wore the number, Jackman won the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie. Furthermore, Jackman won the award as a defensive defenceman. He won the award over offensive-minded rookies like Henrik Zetterberg and Rick Nash.
The 2002-03 Blues saw seven goaltenders take the ice for the team. Brent Johnson played in the most games with 38. However, that was only good for 46% of the team’s games. 2002-03 was certainly an unorthodox season. The oddities of the season certainly make the team making the playoffs an accomplishment to commemorate.
#5 – 2001-02 Regular Season
After reaching the Western Conference Final in 2001, the Blues had a busy off-season. First, starting goalie Roman Turek was traded, meaning Brent Johnson would take the reigns in 2001-02. While Turek was a big subtraction, the Blues did bring in forward Doug Weight. In addition, the Blues re-signed Keith Tkachuk, who they had acquired in March of 2001.
No Turek was no problem for the Blues. Johnson won 34 games and posted a 2.19 GAA. Weight recorded 49 points in 61 games. Tkachuk and Pavol Demitra led the scoring with 38 and 35 goals, respectively. General manager Larry Pleau would be recognized for his efforts to construct the roster by winning the Lester Patrick Trophy.
#4 – 2018-19 Regular Season
The Blues were built for success in 2018-19. However, the team struggled severely to start the season. On November 19th, with a record of 7-9-3, head coach Mike Yeo was fired and replaced by Craig Berube. Unremarkably, the next few months showed the same result. When the new year rang in, the Blues were last in the league.
Then Jordan Binnington appeared, and he did not look nervous. Behind Binnington and improved team play, the Blues then went on a franchise-record, 11-game winning streak and had a 30–10–5 run to finish the season. The team finished with 99 points and nearly won the Central Division. Furthermore, newcomer Ryan O’Reilly was named an All-Star and won the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward.
Can confirm, @binnnasty ain't nervous. #Winnington #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/b4Op2L3pxq
— NHL (@NHL) April 30, 2019
#3 – 2011-12 Regular Season
After a two-year absence from the playoffs, the Blues were looking to turn things around. Doug Armstrong would bring in veterans and former Stanley Cup champions Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner to help move the needle. In what would become a franchise-altering move, the Blues signed goaltender Brian Elliott to be the backup goalie to Jaroslav Halak. The final piece to the puzzle came in early November when the Blues fired head coach Davis Payne and hired Ken Hitchcock.
The Blues had hoped the season would help them reach the next level. However, they did more than that. The Blue Note won the Central Division and finished second in the Western Conference. Armstrong won the General Manager of the Year Award for his efforts constructing the team. Hitchcock won the Jack Adams Award as the league’s best coach. Furthermore, Halak and Elliott won the William M. Jennings Trophy for leading the league in fewest goals allowed.
#2 – 2013-14 Regular Season
The 2013-14 season was special for the Blues. The team won 52 games for 111 points. The Blue Note just missed out on the Presidents’ Trophy and the Central Division title. However, the team’s final record was reminiscent to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning team in 2000. The season is also notable for Doug Armstrong seeing the team as a legitimate-Stanley Cup contender and made a trade to improve the team. Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, and others were traded in exchange for goaltender Ryan Miller and forward Steve Ott. While we know how the story ends, it does not change the fact that the Blues played the entire season as a top team with Stanley Cup aspirations.
An example of how good this team was can be found in the 2014 Winter Olympic teams. David Backes, T.J. Oshie, and Kevin Shattenkirk were named to Team USA. Vladimir Sobotka was named to the Czech Republic team. Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo won Gold Medals with Team Canada. Vladimir Tarasenko played for Team Russia. Lastly, Jaroslav Halak played for Team Slovakia.
#1 – 1999-2000 Regular Season
Everything about the 1999-2000 Blues was great. The Blues qualified for the playoffs for the 21st consecutive season after finishing the regular season with a record of 51–19–11–1 (114 points). As a result, the Blue Note won the Central Division title as well as the Presidents’ Trophy for the highest points total in the NHL. The Blues allowed the fewest goals during the regular season with 165, and had the most shutouts with nine.
The Blues had numerous award winners in 2000. Chris Pronger won the Hart Trophy and Norris Trophy as the league’s MVP and top defenceman. Head coach Joel Quenneville won the Jack Adams Award. The late Pavol Demitra won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Last but not least, goaltender Roman Turek won the Jennings Trophy.
Not only is this the best regular season Blues team since 2000, but it also may just be the best regular season in franchise history.
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
