Gretzky loved hull and the blues when he played here, but good old Keenan ran him off and so Gretzky ended up leaving, There's a reason you see Gretzky at a few blues games a year and all the signed jerseys
The words "Saskatoon" and "Judge Houston" pretty much sum up the franchise low points to Blues fans. At least with Houston, there was some redemption, the 5 first round picks for Scott Stevens got them Brendan Shanahan, who got them Chris Pronger, who got them Eric Brewer, who got them the 3rd round draft pick that won them the Cup, Jordan Binnington.
As a fan, even with last year being a dream come true, this team was absolutely the hardest to be a fan of in sports IMO. Your 'lost assets' column could be doubled and I would think nothing of it. Especially from the 80s until just a few years ago, many of the best players in NHL history made pit stops in STL before going on and winning cups elsewhere. I think they've only missed the playoffs 10-12 times in 53 years? They've broken hearts almost every year for half a century. It has just been relentless misery, but I'm still so grateful we all got to experience last year's run!
I live in Saskatoon, and as cool as it would be, it would never last. I know the NHL and the CHL are drastically different when is comes to fans but our minor team barely averages 2,800 per game for attendance. The population of Saskatoon was around 170k at the time. There wouldn't even be enough support by a longshot. I like that in the CFL and lacrosse they are "Saskatchewan", I wonder how that would have gone
Wyatt Poth I would love to see it but I agree that I can’t see it happening. I’ll disagree about the CHL/NHL comparison as they’re so different and almost every pro team in Saskatoon gets way more than that. Although, the city is talking about building a large new stadium mostly funded by the owner of the Rush.
Called it perfect for me! As a fan the absolute worst low point ever was reading the headline "Ralston Purina sells Blues to Saskatoon group." ~ paraphrased from distant memory. Next lowest was probably the 2000 Presidents Cup/first round exit. Another fact fitting for such a topic is how Blues ex- head coaches had won a mind numbing 17 Stanley Cups before the Blues had yet to win any. Blues fired only the best!!
I somewhat remember when the Laurie group had the blues up for sale and were trying to find a buyer and to keep from the dwindling attendance being shown during the national televised game (ESPN?) the game was a free food game. All the basic stadium food was free as a way to entice ticket sales that game. Granted I was I think 8 or 9 yrs old at the time
if you have followed hockey (nhl) since the 70s, the last two yrs have been cool with two of the most unfortunate team winning the cup in the caps and blues. great stories
The late 1970s and much of the 1980s is the low point. Had a brief downturn in the longest drought but wasn't as bad as the almost relocation to Saskatoon. Calgary Flames did benefit in picking up Joe Mullen and Doug Gilmour in separate trades to help in their Stanley Cup in 1989.
1983 was a fair choice for franchise low point, and I hated Keenan, but I’d argue that the early 2000s were a major low point. Yes, 3 years was the longest playoff drought. But, the Blues have missed the playoff 9 times ever. 5 were 2006-2011. We had the less successful Walmart heir consort mad that the nba wouldn’t let him buy and move an NBA team to St Louis (the reason he bought the Blues), and he left the team to rot after demanding that the GM trade Pronger. Apparently just because he was a bad businessman. Then we got Checketts who was basically a grifter and seemed to put the team out to pasture while making short sighted deals (selling 20 years of concessions rights for $20 mil, most of which went into his ownership group’s pockets), and openly mocking the current owner, Stillman (who had a smaller chunk of the team) for going to practices and (gasp!) caring about the team. And I won’t even get into the Sarah Palin night that had its own consequence. I had season tickets through all those years, where they got as low as $7/game, and that team got so unwatchable at a certain point that not only did I start bringing books to games, but I thought that I might be losing my love of the game.
I rememebr hull hated keenan...hull biggest conplaint was keenan wouldnt practice the power play...lol..i liked hull but cried and cried over this and whole power play thing a d practicing it...and since everyone loved hull, they all jumped on hull bandwagon and ran keenan out of town...a shame...keenan to me is a winner! I know im in minority on this in blues nation tho!
Imagine the anger of fans nowadays if a team tanked and then after didn't draft at all. Like Detroit this year just NOT going to the draft. Barasso was also a Blue later I believe.
Losing the team was a much larger worry. Much is made of missing the draft, but at the time it didn't seam like much. The relief from the league blocking the move was so huge that the temper tantrums of Ralston Purina that followed seamed small in comparison. There would be much crazy fighting as a sale/new owner was worked out, but there was a sense that the worst was behind us. It would be worked out and the team would remain!! Missing out on one draft was small potatoes compared to losing the entire team for eternity. It would work out, and get better. (3 years later we were 1 game from the finals.)
Hi Shannon! My heart is broken once again 💔 no mention of the old professor! Who got the golden Brett on the blues ? Who match him with Adam oates to create one of the best scoring duo of all time selling so many season tickets. Ok i forgive for now but you can't speak about blues history without talking about Ronald Caron. Like always I love your video and your channel is amazing!!
I'm gonna say this...from best teams to worst teams...i don't remember a year with at least 2 at least top 4 quality defenseman on the Blues roster...not once !! It's pretty good !
I almost forgot about Harry Ornest and Ralston Putin’s and the “Where the hell is Saskatoon?” bumper stickers. Too many very good players and very good coaches not to have more trips to the Cup Finals. You missed Jacques Demers.
Brain sutter fav and mist loyal blue of all time..i rememebr in 81-82 not even taking a paycheck so they could cover other rookies and lesser players to pay them and this is when sutter is making like 150 to 175 grand a year...wow
Being from saskatoon, unfortunately there’s no way it would have lasted long term.... too many games in a season and too much unpredictable weather over the winters for the rest of the province to help support the games, like the rough riders who play once a week in the summer. And the Rush lacrosse team who plays in the winter. But only 9 home season games and almost always on weekends
If I made a list of the toughest fighters in Blues history the Twister tops it (Reaves second). If I had to choose though I would take Kelly Chase over his teammate for an enforcer. Impressive fighter in his own right, but unlike Twist he could at least be moderately useful on a straight shift. Overall Reaves would be my first choice in such a roll. Again though looking strictly at the fighting alone: Tony Twist was the best. Edit: Would also like to mention we had many top line/top paring types who could hold their own in a scrap too. B.Sutter, the Plagers, Pronger, Stevens, Gassoff, Backes, Ramage etc.
H Guy, Not a single mention of early days of Hall, Plante, Berenson, Unger, Doug Harvey, Plager hip checks & fights! Also on ownership by Solomans...and MOST OF ALL; SCOTTY BOWMAN!!! How dare you miss! Lol
We twice had ownership that decided they just didn't want the team anymore. Laurie and crew decided that the team would be more marketable without Pronger's salary, so they gave him away.
I feel Saskatchewan would be a pretty good place to have a team. I know the market would not be the best or the greatest but the people of Regina and Saskatoon would be able to have a healthy amount of fans in the arena every game. I might be a bit bias because I am from Saskatchewan though😂
That Jets Fan Regina definitely wouldn’t work, and while Saskatchewan would adopt the team immediately I’m not sure there’s enough people. I also don’t see any expansion happening for a long time so we would have to beat Houston for a potential Arizona move. I will add though that Saskatoon is planning the construction of a very large stadium partially funded by the owner of the rush so that’s where the nll games will get played.
R ,T Completey agree. I feel the team should be called Saskatchewans team not one of the cities. Saskatchewan has a great fan base for the rush and I feel they could do the NHL team
didnt hurt as much as i thought. Interesting how lots of the lost assests werent necessarily the teams fault: Scott stevens was lost in arbitration Oates was a greedy b.... demanding to renegotiate his contract Gilmour had alleged sex with a 13 year old and kinda had to be traded and Gretzky and Joseph were Keenan's victims Its pretty clear Keenan cost the blues a shot at championships. He took a great team and made it pedestrian to feed his ego.
Loved scott stevens 5 g and 44 a in 90-91 and NHL must have hated we went out by rules set by nhl and get stevens and cost us 5 1st rd draft picks and the lose stevns following yr to jersey for shanahan geez .when yhey gave the 2 dofferent proposals and nhl unbiased lol opinion takes jerseys offer of stevens! Lmao
Well according to legend Garry Bettman is a eternal shape shifting monster. Always has been and always will be commissioner. XD So purhapes you can blame him.
I know you are a Boston fan, so it pained you to watch them loose to the Blues, but really it could only have been Boston vs St. Louis. St. Louis pro sport teams have been on the loosing side to Boston for a long time. Start with the Celtics beat the St. Louis Hawks in 1956-57 for their first NBA title, they also beat them a couple more time for their 3rd and 4th championships. Then we have your Bruins, Bobby Orr need I say more? Then we have the Patriots beat the STL Rams to start the cheater/ I mean Brady era. Not done yet because we have the Red Socks. They break their curse on the our beloved Cardinals. I think this was ment to be.
I cannot even what to mention Keenan by name but time has passed but was so upset of this JERK! Oats left because of him as well as Cujo, Gretzky and many others we had Oats and Hall together and think Gretzky with them also but nope we had to bring in the monster who did so much damage. I also remember the ownership of the dog food Co. this is why it is bad for a company to own a sports team but the biggest raw deal for the early Blues was dealing with playing at the Checkerdome and having to pay Chicago all the money to play there this team has gotten better at their new digs which is going to get a makeover this year.. Blues was a good name for the early teams as it was like playing the blues.
Gretzky loved hull and the blues when he played here, but good old Keenan ran him off and so Gretzky ended up leaving,
There's a reason you see Gretzky at a few blues games a year and all the signed jerseys
Plus his wife is from St Louis. That's why he owns a house here
Gretzky said as recently as last year he’d live in St. Louis full time if the rest of his family would go for it.
The words "Saskatoon" and "Judge Houston" pretty much sum up the franchise low points to Blues fans. At least with Houston, there was some redemption, the 5 first round picks for Scott Stevens got them Brendan Shanahan, who got them Chris Pronger, who got them Eric Brewer, who got them the 3rd round draft pick that won them the Cup, Jordan Binnington.
As a fan, even with last year being a dream come true, this team was absolutely the hardest to be a fan of in sports IMO. Your 'lost assets' column could be doubled and I would think nothing of it. Especially from the 80s until just a few years ago, many of the best players in NHL history made pit stops in STL before going on and winning cups elsewhere. I think they've only missed the playoffs 10-12 times in 53 years? They've broken hearts almost every year for half a century. It has just been relentless misery, but I'm still so grateful we all got to experience last year's run!
Basically, it was from 1967-2018. Doesn’t matter now!
Halle-fuckin'-lujah
Remember the years with Many Legacé...good times...
Remember when he fell asleep on the bench and was removed from the team? Chris Mason played like 35 games in a row and led us to the playoffs
Jack Makackov yeah, but Legace was great for the Blues until he met Sarah Palins carpet for that stupid photo op.
@@jackmakackov7077 That Chris Mason...very underrated goalie ! Almost a started all his years, remind me a lot of Thomas Greiss.
Those hats in the thumbnail are 🔥🔥🔥!!!
Shortened version: end of every season except last season
I live in Saskatoon, and as cool as it would be, it would never last. I know the NHL and the CHL are drastically different when is comes to fans but our minor team barely averages 2,800 per game for attendance. The population of Saskatoon was around 170k at the time. There wouldn't even be enough support by a longshot. I like that in the CFL and lacrosse they are "Saskatchewan", I wonder how that would have gone
Wyatt Poth I would love to see it but I agree that I can’t see it happening. I’ll disagree about the CHL/NHL comparison as they’re so different and almost every pro team in Saskatoon gets way more than that. Although, the city is talking about building a large new stadium mostly funded by the owner of the Rush.
5 or 6 coaches could have been named as major 'lost assets' in addition to all the players the Blues lost before their time...
Oh yeah, particularly Bowman
Scott Stevens really cost them. so many picks
But we inadvertenty got Binnington out of it.
Play "Gloria!"
The Gloria from the Shadows of Night from the 60s
Called it perfect for me!
As a fan the absolute worst low point ever was reading the headline "Ralston Purina sells Blues to Saskatoon group." ~ paraphrased from distant memory.
Next lowest was probably the 2000 Presidents Cup/first round exit.
Another fact fitting for such a topic is how Blues ex- head coaches had won a mind numbing 17 Stanley Cups before the Blues had yet to win any.
Blues fired only the best!!
I somewhat remember when the Laurie group had the blues up for sale and were trying to find a buyer and to keep from the dwindling attendance being shown during the national televised game (ESPN?) the game was a free food game. All the basic stadium food was free as a way to entice ticket sales that game. Granted I was I think 8 or 9 yrs old at the time
We’re at a franchise high point right now!!
that laces hat is sick.
if you have followed hockey (nhl) since the 70s, the last two yrs have been cool with two of the most unfortunate team winning the cup in the caps and blues. great stories
The late 1970s and much of the 1980s is the low point. Had a brief downturn in the longest drought but wasn't as bad as the almost relocation to Saskatoon. Calgary Flames did benefit in picking up Joe Mullen and Doug Gilmour in separate trades to help in their Stanley Cup in 1989.
Love the video. It wasn't until more recently that the Blues bucked the trend of trading star players out of town
1983 was a fair choice for franchise low point, and I hated Keenan, but I’d argue that the early 2000s were a major low point. Yes, 3 years was the longest playoff drought. But, the Blues have missed the playoff 9 times ever. 5 were 2006-2011. We had the less successful Walmart heir consort mad that the nba wouldn’t let him buy and move an NBA team to St Louis (the reason he bought the Blues), and he left the team to rot after demanding that the GM trade Pronger. Apparently just because he was a bad businessman. Then we got Checketts who was basically a grifter and seemed to put the team out to pasture while making short sighted deals (selling 20 years of concessions rights for $20 mil, most of which went into his ownership group’s pockets), and openly mocking the current owner, Stillman (who had a smaller chunk of the team) for going to practices and (gasp!) caring about the team. And I won’t even get into the Sarah Palin night that had its own consequence. I had season tickets through all those years, where they got as low as $7/game, and that team got so unwatchable at a certain point that not only did I start bringing books to games, but I thought that I might be losing my love of the game.
I rememebr hull hated keenan...hull biggest conplaint was keenan wouldnt practice the power play...lol..i liked hull but cried and cried over this and whole power play thing a d practicing it...and since everyone loved hull, they all jumped on hull bandwagon and ran keenan out of town...a shame...keenan to me is a winner! I know im in minority on this in blues nation tho!
Imagine the anger of fans nowadays if a team tanked and then after didn't draft at all. Like Detroit this year just NOT going to the draft.
Barasso was also a Blue later I believe.
Losing the team was a much larger worry. Much is made of missing the draft, but at the time it didn't seam like much.
The relief from the league blocking the move was so huge that the temper tantrums of Ralston Purina that followed seamed small in comparison.
There would be much crazy fighting as a sale/new owner was worked out, but there was a sense that the worst was behind us. It would be worked out and the team would remain!! Missing out on one draft was small potatoes compared to losing the entire team for eternity. It would work out, and get better.
(3 years later we were 1 game from the finals.)
I enjoyed this video. And the lost assets list could go on forever!!
Hi Shannon! My heart is broken once again 💔 no mention of the old professor! Who got the golden Brett on the blues ? Who match him with Adam oates to create one of the best scoring duo of all time selling so many season tickets. Ok i forgive for now but you can't speak about blues history without talking about Ronald Caron. Like always I love your video and your channel is amazing!!
Sergio Momesso would up playing for the Blues twice. Keenan brought him in in 96-97 i believe.
Also, i fondly remember the 1996 St Louis Oilers
I'm gonna say this...from best teams to worst teams...i don't remember a year with at least 2 at least top 4 quality defenseman on the Blues roster...not once !! It's pretty good !
The loss of Bob Hassoff who was kill in Tragic motorcycle weeck also hurt the Blues as well up and coming young defenseman as well
Gassoff
This would have been like the Arizona Coyotes no arena to play in no way a new arena was going to be built in time for 1983-84
Nice video. Thanks, Shannon.
I almost forgot about Harry Ornest and Ralston Putin’s and the “Where the hell is Saskatoon?” bumper stickers. Too many very good players and very good coaches not to have more trips to the Cup Finals. You missed Jacques Demers.
Brain sutter fav and mist loyal blue of all time..i rememebr in 81-82 not even taking a paycheck so they could cover other rookies and lesser players to pay them and this is when sutter is making like 150 to 175 grand a year...wow
2:57 😄 We need a band to make a song, "Blame it On Bettman"
9:44 😄
Wait, is that legit Saskatoon Blues merch in the thumbnail or is that fan made?
Likely made by the city in anticipation of the sale going through.
Love that hat! Let's. Go. Blues.
Being from saskatoon, unfortunately there’s no way it would have lasted long term.... too many games in a season and too much unpredictable weather over the winters for the rest of the province to help support the games, like the rough riders who play once a week in the summer. And the Rush lacrosse team who plays in the winter. But only 9 home season games and almost always on weekends
Dishonorary mention: St. Louis Eagles ('34-'35) - I know it's a different franchise, but still a hockey lowpoint...
Should have a whole video about former teams.
Saskatoon Blues has a nice ring to it
May a host of murder hornets descend upon your nads.
Saskatoon had the Blues when this didn't go through tough luck
How about a high point for each team excluding cup wins? Love the vids they’re keeping me sane during this lack of hockey
I'd love to see the Brian Sutter video. Please?
Mike Keenan. That’s #1
Shannon, would you ever consider doing a “tough guys” list? Or have you? Tony Twist would definitely be on that list
If I made a list of the toughest fighters in Blues history the Twister tops it (Reaves second).
If I had to choose though I would take Kelly Chase over his teammate for an enforcer. Impressive fighter in his own right, but unlike Twist he could at least be moderately useful on a straight shift.
Overall Reaves would be my first choice in such a roll.
Again though looking strictly at the fighting alone: Tony Twist was the best.
Edit: Would also like to mention we had many top line/top paring types who could hold their own in a scrap too. B.Sutter, the Plagers, Pronger, Stevens, Gassoff, Backes, Ramage etc.
H Guy,
Not a single mention of early days of Hall, Plante, Berenson, Unger, Doug Harvey, Plager hip checks & fights! Also on ownership by Solomans...and MOST OF ALL; SCOTTY BOWMAN!!! How dare you miss! Lol
Al Arbour too!!
The league said no cause the BlackHawks didn't want to loss cheep travel.
You remembered Saskatoon!
Ownership forced Chris Pronger out of town
We twice had ownership that decided they just didn't want the team anymore. Laurie and crew decided that the team would be more marketable without Pronger's salary, so they gave him away.
I have really grown weary of Wal Mart heirs screwing St. Louis sports.
@@edwardofgreene Worse, the husbands of Walmart heirs.
I feel Saskatchewan would be a pretty good place to have a team. I know the market would not be the best or the greatest but the people of Regina and Saskatoon would be able to have a healthy amount of fans in the arena every game. I might be a bit bias because I am from Saskatchewan though😂
That Jets Fan Regina definitely wouldn’t work, and while Saskatchewan would adopt the team immediately I’m not sure there’s enough people. I also don’t see any expansion happening for a long time so we would have to beat Houston for a potential Arizona move. I will add though that Saskatoon is planning the construction of a very large stadium partially funded by the owner of the rush so that’s where the nll games will get played.
R ,T Completey agree. I feel the team should be called Saskatchewans team not one of the cities. Saskatchewan has a great fan base for the rush and I feel they could do the NHL team
It will never happen though lol
I love your channel
Still going to blame this on Bettman
didnt hurt as much as i thought.
Interesting how lots of the lost assests werent necessarily the teams fault:
Scott stevens was lost in arbitration
Oates was a greedy b.... demanding to renegotiate his contract
Gilmour had alleged sex with a 13 year old and kinda had to be traded
and Gretzky and Joseph were Keenan's victims
Its pretty clear Keenan cost the blues a shot at championships. He took a great team and made it pedestrian to feed his ego.
Keenan, what a psychopath
Carrot
How bout a vid on the Bruins' lost assets? You'd need an entire board lol.
I already did the Boston video.
Thanks for Oshie blues
It hurt to see him go but glad he found a place with a damn good team.
I can't say Mike Keenan without a lot of cuss words between Kee and Nan. If he was on fire I wouldn't spit on him.
One Word: Saskatoon.
Your really shoulda put shanahan on the lost assets list. You coulda fit him.
They coulda had sea bass?
Love the content! Aller Habs, aller!
I live down the street from Cam jansen
Too bad Saskatoon didn't get a team. Would it have worked? Who knows, but it would have been great to have a hometown team to cheer for.
Saskatoon would have moved in the mid 90s. So it is for the better they didn't go there in the first place.
No Canucks extra videos yet? Not enough drama from Vancouver?
I do very few Canucks videos.
Loved scott stevens 5 g and 44 a in 90-91 and NHL must have hated we went out by rules set by nhl and get stevens and cost us 5 1st rd draft picks and the lose stevns following yr to jersey for shanahan geez .when yhey gave the 2 dofferent proposals and nhl unbiased lol opinion takes jerseys offer of stevens! Lmao
That cat in the background is distracting. Other than that cool man cave & good video. Let’s Go Blues!!!
Well according to legend Garry Bettman is a eternal shape shifting monster. Always has been and always will be commissioner. XD So purhapes you can blame him.
Kinda wished they relocated to Saskatoon
Why do you wound me so? Most horrendous scare from my high school days. Trying to give me PTSD?
Purina cat chow...
The cats are Blues fans
Saskatchatoon yeah buddy
Who voted No and who abstained on the move to Saskatoon?
Franchise lows? This video could go an hour
Hard to believe jake allen as bad as blue fans dislike him or blame him is like 2nd on all time goalie wins..hard to believe...
Would Shanahan be a lost asset?
Yep!! Thanks a lot Keenan!!
Yes, but we got Pronger in the deal. I give Keenan a pass on that one. (Probably the only time you will ever get me to say that.)
I know you are a Boston fan, so it pained you to watch them loose to the Blues, but really it could only have been Boston vs St. Louis. St. Louis pro sport teams have been on the loosing side to Boston for a long time. Start with the Celtics beat the St. Louis Hawks in 1956-57 for their first NBA title, they also beat them a couple more time for their 3rd and 4th championships. Then we have your Bruins, Bobby Orr need I say more? Then we have the Patriots beat the STL Rams to start the cheater/ I mean Brady era. Not done yet because we have the Red Socks. They break their curse on the our beloved Cardinals. I think this was ment to be.
Hull and Oates!!!
I still blame bettman cuz i can lol
Best name Hannu Toivonen
Or Beckford Tseu, same era
Good ol' Ears.
I loved Keenan!
Oh cool you mean a place that would actually supported hockey doesn't get a team.
I cannot even what to mention Keenan by name but time has passed but was so upset of this JERK! Oats left because of him as well as Cujo, Gretzky and many others we had Oats and Hall together and think Gretzky with them also but nope we had to bring in the monster who did so much damage. I also remember the ownership of the dog food Co. this is why it is bad for a company to own a sports team but the biggest raw deal for the early Blues was dealing with playing at the Checkerdome and having to pay Chicago all the money to play there this team has gotten better at their new digs which is going to get a makeover this year.. Blues was a good name for the early teams as it was like playing the blues.
Oates was traded waaaay way before Keenan got there
You didn't mention Shanahan sleeping with Janey's wife. That led to the trade that brought Pronger here.
Didn’t Gilmore have some babysitting problems?
*sigh* I wish they’d never won the cup
Boo, why?