The excitement around St. Louis was amazing. I specifically remember feeling as if it was a dream. It was like a superhero had come down from the big screen to play for the Blues.
Gretzky scored in his first game wearing the Note. He played 18 games with the Blues that season, netting 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points. No one knew at the time that that would be his career stats in St. Louis.
The Blues defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs. Next, they faced off against the President's Trophy winner Detroit Red Wings in a memorable seven game series. Chris Pronger, in an off-air sound bite, recalled an encounter early on in the series where Coach Mike Keenan came into the locker room and ripped everyone a new one including Gretzky, who decided then and there that he was not resigning in St. Louis:
Pronger recalls: "Thank f***ing God I wasn't on the ice, because I would have been blamed for it...We got spanked in that series, we lost the first game tight, 3-2, whatever, second game we got blown out 8-1, and it was like an NBC game, or whatever it was, and, oh my God, [coach Mike Keenan] came in and ripped everybody, tore Gretzky a new ass, and I'm sure he'd never had that happen before, and that was it, he was like, 'I'm not re-signing here, I'm done.' That was it. Mike showed up at his hotel that night- it was an afternoon game- that night showed up shitfaced at his room, he was staying at the Ritz in St. Louis..."-The break ends. It would be nice to know what Keenan said to him. He apparently apologized, but the damage was done.
That series ended with a puck being stolen from Gretzky at center ice, and the rest is one of the most famous goals in NHL history, but one of the worst moments in Blues' history.
What might have been? The Blues had 8 Hall of Famers on that 1996 team. If Hull and Gretzky would have played together for a few seasons many feel as if the Blues would have their Stanley Cup.
Amazing News Flashback (Remember when ESPN cared about hockey?)
Gretzky's First Goal as a Blue:
2 comments:
The real shame here is that Keenan was gone the next season and Quenneville took over. When Gretzky signed with the Rangers, it was a lower low than the highest high I felt when he was traded to the Blues.
Do you remember that commercial the NHL did, I think it was for Fox, where the door with the Bluenote on it shut right in Wayne's face and then he walked into The Garden? It made it seem like WE shunned HIM. Of course, I wouldn't doubt that Keenan slammed a door or two in his face. That commercial was the lowest low for me...
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