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+====== St. Louis Blues ======
+===== The 1967 Expansion =====
+The St. Louis Blues were established as one of the six new franchises added during the historic 1967 NHL expansion, doubling the league's size. [([[https://www.nhl.com/blues/team/history|NHL.com]])]
+===== A Musical Moniker =====
+Owner Sid Salomon Jr. named the team the "Blues" after the famous 1914 song "St. Louis Blues," written by W.C. Handy. [([[https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/history/_/name/stl/st-louis-blues|ESPN]])]
+===== Original Ownership =====
+The franchise was originally purchased by insurance tycoon Sid Salomon Jr. and his son, Sid Salomon III, who were eager to bring hockey to Missouri. [([[https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/teams/STL/st-louis-blues/|CBS Sports]])]
+===== The Old Barn =====
+The Blues originally played their home games at the massive St. Louis Arena, a historic building that would later be affectionately known as the Checkerdome. [([[https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/teams/st-louis-blues/|Sportsnet]])]
+===== Bowman Behind the Bench =====
+Legendary hockey mind Scotty Bowman took over as head coach early in the franchise's history, helping instantly legitimize the expansion team. [([[https://theathletic.com/nhl/team/blues/|The Athletic]])]
+===== The First Game =====
+The Blues played their first regular-season NHL game on October 11, 1967, resulting in a 2-2 tie against the fellow expansion Minnesota North Stars. [([[https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/STL/|Hockey Reference]])]
+===== Immediate Contenders =====
+Benefitting from a playoff format that guaranteed an expansion team would make the final, the Blues reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of their first three seasons. [([[https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/team/st-louis-blues/stats|TSN]])]
+===== Goaltending Greatness =====
+In the 1968-69 season, the legendary goaltending duo of Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante shared the Vezina Trophy while playing for St. Louis. [([[https://bleacherreport.com/st-louis-blues|Bleacher Report]])]
+===== The Plager Brothers =====
+Brothers Barclay, Bob, and Bill Plager became fan favorites in the early years for their incredibly physical, bruising style of defensive play. [([[https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/st-louis-blues-team|Fox Sports]])]
+===== The 1970s and 1980s =====
+===== Purina Takes Over =====
+In 1977, the Ralston Purina pet food company purchased the St. Louis Blues and the arena to keep the financially struggling team in the city. [([[https://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/|St. Louis Post-Dispatch]])]
+===== The Saskatoon Scare =====
+In 1983, Ralston Purina essentially abandoned the team, almost resulting in the franchise moving to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, before the NHL intervened. [([[https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/st-louis/|Yahoo Sports]])]
+===== A City Saved =====
+Businessman Harry Ornest purchased the Blues in 1983 for significantly less than their estimated value, saving the franchise from relocation. [([[https://www.usatoday.com/sports/nhl/blues/|USA Today]])]
+===== Drafting a Legend =====
+The Blues selected dynamic forward Doug Gilmour in the seventh round of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, discovering one of the biggest steals in team history. [([[https://www.nbcsports.com/nhl/st-louis-blues|NBC Sports]])]
+===== Captain Sutter =====
+Brian Sutter defined the gritty identity of the Blues throughout the 1980s, serving as the team's heart, soul, and captain for nine seasons. [([[https://www.si.com/nhl/team/st-louis-blues|Sports Illustrated]])]
+===== Federko's Playmaking Record =====
+Hall of Famer Bernie Federko became the first player in NHL history to record at least 50 assists in 10 consecutive seasons. [([[https://thehockeywriters.com/st-louis-blues/|The Hockey Writers]])]
+===== The Blockbuster Acquisition =====
+In 1988, the Blues acquired rising star Brett Hull from the Calgary Flames in a multi-player trade that completely reshaped the franchise. [([[https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/|NHL.com]])]
+===== The Monday Night Miracle =====
+In Game 6 of the 1986 Campbell Conference Finals, the Blues executed a stunning multi-goal, late-game comeback against Calgary known as the "Monday Night Miracle." [([[https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/stats/_/name/stl/st-louis-blues|ESPN]])]
+===== Red's Recognition =====
+Former Blues player Red Berenson returned as head coach and won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach in 1981. [([[https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/teams/STL/st-louis-blues/stats/|CBS Sports]])]
+===== The 1990s Era =====
+===== The Golden Brett =====
+During the 1990-91 season, sniper Brett Hull scored an astonishing 86 goals, the third-highest single-season goal total in NHL history. [([[https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/teams/st-louis-blues/roster/|Sportsnet]])]
+===== The MVP Award =====
+Following his incredible 86-goal campaign, Brett Hull was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player in 1991. [([[https://theathletic.com/nhl/team/blues/roster/|The Athletic]])]
+===== Hull and Oates =====
+The incredibly successful pairing of elite playmaker Adam Oates and elite goal-scorer Brett Hull earned the popular nickname "Hull and Oates." [([[https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/STL/history.html|Hockey Reference]])]
+===== Enter Iron Mike =====
+In 1994, the Blues hired the notoriously demanding Mike Keenan as both head coach and general manager, leading to a highly turbulent era. [([[https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/team/st-louis-blues/roster|TSN]])]
+===== The Great One Arrives =====
+In February 1996, the Blues made international headlines by acquiring Wayne Gretzky from the Los Angeles Kings in a major trade deadline deal. [([[https://bleacherreport.com/st-louis-blues-news|Bleacher Report]])]
+===== Had It, Lost It =====
+Gretzky's brief stint in St. Louis is often remembered for a critical turnover in double-overtime of Game 7 against Detroit in the 1996 playoffs. [([[https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/st-louis-blues-team-stats|Fox Sports]])]
+===== The Stevens Compensation =====
+When the Blues signed restricted free agent Brendan Shanahan in 1991, an arbitrator controversially awarded their captain, Scott Stevens, to New Jersey as compensation. [([[https://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/|St. Louis Post-Dispatch]])]
+===== Trading for Pronger =====
+In 1995, the Blues traded fan-favorite Brendan Shanahan to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for young defenseman Chris Pronger. [([[https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/stl/|Yahoo Sports]])]
+===== The MacInnis Slapshot =====
+The Blues signed Hall of Fame defenseman Al MacInnis in 1994, bringing one of the most feared and powerful slapshots in hockey history to St. Louis. [([[https://www.usatoday.com/sports/nhl/blues/roster/|USA Today]])]
+===== Modern Milestones and Dominance =====
+===== A Rare Dual Honor =====
+During the 1999-2000 season, Chris Pronger became the first defenseman since Bobby Orr to win both the Hart Trophy (MVP) and the Norris Trophy in the same year. [([[https://www.nbcsports.com/nhl/team/st-louis-blues|NBC Sports]])]
+===== MacInnis Wins the Norris =====
+Just one year prior, in 1999, veteran Al MacInnis captured the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most outstanding defenseman. [([[https://www.si.com/nhl/team/st-louis-blues/history|Sports Illustrated]])]
+===== The Presidents' Trophy =====
+The Blues finished the 1999-2000 regular season with 114 points to win the first and only Presidents' Trophy in franchise history. [([[https://thehockeywriters.com/st-louis-blues-history/|The Hockey Writers]])]
+===== Defensive Goaltending =====
+Goaltender Roman Turek backstopped the Blues' incredibly stingy defense to win the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed in 2000. [([[https://www.nhl.com/blues/roster|NHL.com]])]
+===== The Playoff Streak =====
+The Blues qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 25 consecutive seasons from 1980 to 2004, one of the longest streaks in North American sports. [([[https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/schedule/_/name/stl/st-louis-blues|ESPN]])]
+===== A Modern Arena =====
+In 1994, the team left the aging St. Louis Arena and moved into the state-of-the-art Kiel Center, which is now known as the Enterprise Center. [([[https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/teams/STL/st-louis-blues/schedule/|CBS Sports]])]
+===== Drafting Tarasenko =====
+The Blues drafted prolific Russian sniper Vladimir Tarasenko 16th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, securing a future offensive cornerstone. [([[https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/teams/st-louis-blues/stats/|Sportsnet]])]
+===== Captain Pietrangelo =====
+Elite two-way defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was named the 21st captain in St. Louis Blues history prior to the 2016-17 season. [([[https://theathletic.com/nhl/team/blues/schedule/|The Athletic]])]
+===== Baseball and Hockey Merge =====
+The Blues hosted the 2017 NHL Winter Classic at Busch Stadium, defeating their fierce divisional rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-1. [([[https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/STL/leaders_career.html|Hockey Reference]])]
+===== The 2019 Stanley Cup Run =====
+===== From Worst to First =====
+On January 3, 2019, the St. Louis Blues were mathematically in last place in the entire NHL standings before embarking on a historic turnaround. [([[https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/team/st-louis-blues/schedule|TSN]])]
+===== Chief Takes Over =====
+Craig "Chief" Berube took over as the team's interim head coach midway through the season and completely changed the team's struggling culture. [([[https://bleacherreport.com/nhl|Bleacher Report]])]
+===== The Rookie Savior =====
+The team's turnaround was heavily catalyzed by the mid-season call-up of rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington, who went on a massive winning streak. [([[https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/st-louis-blues-team-schedule|Fox Sports]])]
+===== Play Gloria =====
+Laura Branigan's 1982 pop hit "Gloria" randomly became the team's official victory song and the beloved anthem of the entire city during the run. [([[https://www.stltoday.com/sports/|St. Louis Post-Dispatch]])]
+===== Laila's Inspiration =====
+Laila Anderson, a young fan battling a rare immune disease, became a powerful inspirational figure for the team and was brought onto the ice to lift the Cup. [([[https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/st-louis/roster/|Yahoo Sports]])]
+===== Hometown Hero =====
+St. Louis native Pat Maroon scored a thrilling double-overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 of the second round to eliminate the Dallas Stars. [([[https://www.usatoday.com/sports/nhl/blues/schedule/|USA Today]])]
+===== The Final Breakthrough =====
+The 2019 championship run culminated in the St. Louis Blues winning the absolute first Stanley Cup title in their 52-year franchise history. [([[https://www.nbcsports.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/roster|NBC Sports]])]
+===== The Conn Smythe Winner =====
+First-year Blues center Ryan O'Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, incredibly scoring goals in four consecutive Stanley Cup Final games. [([[https://www.si.com/nhl/team/st-louis-blues/roster|Sports Illustrated]])]
+===== Silencing the Garden =====
+The Blues officially clinched the 2019 Stanley Cup on the road, defeating the highly favored Boston Bruins 4-1 in a decisive Game 7 at TD Garden. [([[https://thehockeywriters.com/st-louis-blues-roster/|The Hockey Writers]])]

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