St. Louis Blues
Founded in 1967 expansion, won first Stanley Cup in 2019.
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri, competing in the National Hockey League’s Western Conference as part of the Central Division. The franchise was established in 1967, one of six teams added during the NHL’s expansion that year, and takes its name from the W. C. Handy composition “Saint Louis Blues.” Since 1994, the Blues have played at the 18,096-seat Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis, having relocated from the St. Louis Arena. They won the Stanley Cup in 2019 and hold the record for the most playoff appearances among teams outside the Original Six.
The Blues have frequently made the postseason throughout their history but often struggled once there, notably losing their first three Stanley Cup Finals in consecutive seasons. Their 2019 championship came in their fourth Cup Final appearance, 49 years after their last one and in the franchise’s 52nd year, making them the last active team from the 1967 expansion to capture their first Stanley Cup. The team shares a long-standing rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom they have been in the same division since 1970. Their minor league affiliates are the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League and the Worcester Railers of the ECHL.
Before the Blues existed, hockey in St. Louis began with the minor league St. Louis Flyers, who started playing at the St. Louis Arena in 1929 after an ice plant was installed. The arena, though not originally built for hockey, met NHL size standards and offered good sight lines. Interest in an NHL team grew, leading the owners of the struggling Ottawa Senators to move the franchise to St. Louis for the 1934–35 season. Renamed the St. Louis Eagles, the team continued to lose money, a problem worsened by being placed in the Canadian Division to maintain balance, which forced costly train travel to games in Toronto and Montreal. The Eagles finished last and disbanded after one season.
After the NHL contracted to six teams in 1942, expansion attempts were rejected for years. The St. Louis Arena eventually came under the control of the Chicago Black Hawks’ owners, who used St. Louis as a secondary market, placing minor league teams there and occasionally hosting NHL games in the 1950s while the Black Hawks struggled to sell tickets in Chicago. In the 1967 expansion, St.
Quick Facts
- Team Name
- St. Louis Blues
- Text Color
- #000000
- Conference
- Western
- Division
- Central
- Founded
- 1967
- History
- St. Louis Blues / 1967–present
- Arena
- Enterprise Center
- City
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Team Colors
- Blue, yellow, white / #006AC6 #FFB81C #FFFFFF
- Media Affiliates
- FanDuel Sports Network Midwest / 101 ESPN
- Owner
- SLB Acquisition Holdings LLC / (Tom Stillman, chairman and governor)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Blues were the last of the six expansion teams to gain entry into the NHL in 1967, chosen over Baltimore at the insistence of Chicago Black Hawks owners James D. Norris and Arthur Wirtz, who owned the St. Louis Arena and sought to unload the decrepit facility. The franchise's first owners were Sid Salomon Jr., Sid Salomon III, and Robert L. Wolfson. Former St. Louis Cardinals great Stan Musial was part of the initial investment group. Under coach Scotty Bowman, the Blues reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of their first three seasons (1968, 1969, 1970), losing all three times—swept by the Montreal Canadiens in 1968 and 1969, and by the Boston Bruins in 1970. The Blues became the final active team from the 1967 expansion to win their first Stanley Cup, doing so in their fourth Final appearance, 49 years after their last appearance and in their 52nd year of existence.
Reader's Guide
The St. Louis Blues are notable as one of the six original expansion teams from 1967, a group that reshaped the NHL. Despite frequent postseason appearances, the franchise historically struggled in the playoffs, including consecutive Stanley Cup Final defeats in their first three seasons. Their 2019 Stanley Cup victory ended a 49-year drought and made them the last of the 1967 expansion teams to win the Cup. The Blues share a long-standing rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom they have been in the same division since 1970. The team's early success under Scotty Bowman, including division titles and Vezina Trophy-winning goaltending from Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante, established a competitive foundation. Financial troubles in the 1970s led to the departure of key players and coaches, but the Blues maintained a streak of playoff appearances. Their home arena, originally the St. Louis Arena, was known as one of the loudest buildings in the NHL.
Did You Know?
- The Blues are named after the W. C. Handy song 'Saint Louis Blues.'
- They were the last of the six 1967 expansion teams to win the Stanley Cup, doing so in 2019.
- The franchise was awarded to St. Louis at the insistence of Chicago Black Hawks owners, who owned the St. Louis Arena.
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