"He made a proposal, but he's a little more anxious than I am," Poile said. N.B. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. General Manager David Poile of the Washington Capitals met today with David Welker, owner of the Fort Wayne Komets of the International League, to discuss the possibility of Fort Wayne becoming the Capitals' sole farm outlet next season. For the players and coaches in the all-star game, it's tough to be here now, especially those of us who played with him." Post-Dispatch file photo, Billy McCreary (right), the new coach of the Blues, talks over old times with there players who played for him eight years ago when he was coaching at Omaha in the Central Hockey League on Nov. 2, 1971. Barclay Plager was 46 when he died Feb. 6, 1988, from a brain hemorrhage. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. On March 24, 1981, the Blues retired Barclay Plager's No. (Post-Dispatch file photo). "I knew I was going to get my grandson involved with his kids and the kids there, the hockey team, and we had Jimmy Roberts and Noel Picard, Dan Kelly and their family, and the Gassoffs, I wanted them over at the house," said Plager, an ambassador for the Blues who has been with the franchise since it entered the NHL. ST. LOUIS, FEB. 8 -- The death on Saturday of Barclay Plager, who served the St. Louis Blues as captain, coach and inspiration, has cast a pall over the 39th NHL All-Star Game, to be played here Tuesday. And think about it, he's obviously been there for 52 years and he's the only person throughout the entire organization that's talked to every single player. The defenseman retired following the 1977-78 season after two seasons in the CHL. Bobby spent his entire run with the St. Louis Blues alongside his brother Barclay Plager. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Please try again later. Plager's brothers, Barclay and Billy, were also part of those Blues teams. Complete record of every goal scored or assisted by the player. In 1981, Plager was named assistant coach of the Blues, and save for another stint as interim head coach in the 1983 season, served as such until his death from cancer in 1988. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Noel was such a big, happy-go-lucky guy and enjoyed life. Washington winger Dave Christian is one of six members of the 1980 U.S. gold medal hockey team still playing in the NHL. The family attended several postseason games, and after the Blues 5-1 loss in Game 6, the clan gathered at Kevins house to watch Game 7. stlouisblues.com is the official Web site of the St Louis Blues. "It meant a lot because our first years, those were the guys that were there. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? He was also welcomed by his parents, Gus and Edith Plager Carrying on Bobby's legacy are his daughter, Melissa Plager Briggs, son, Bobby, Jr., and son-in-law David Briggs. Our most heartfelt condolences go out to his brother Bobby and the entire Plager family.". Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Barclay Plager (21142)? But the person who Brian Sutter said was as tough of a man as Ive ever met, lasted more than three years, remaining on the bench as an assistant coach until shortly before his death in 1988. That was the first time I teared up when they did that, Karen added. Those are the people that got the chance like me but didn't win it. I did my thing, but what you want more than anything else is to let them fill it up and watch my family and Barclays family take a drink out of it, Bobby said. It was great for me, but it was their day, too.. Bob Plager's day with the Cup included a visit to his brother Barclay's grave and a house party with families of former Blues who have passed. His career totals were 44 goals, 187 assists and 231 points. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Capitals Search for Farm. Noel Picard, an original Blue who played a supporting role in one of the most famous moments in NHL history, died on Wednesday. With his career winding down, Plager was named player-coach of the Blues' Kansas City CHL farm team in 1977, leading his club into the finals and being named the league's most valuable player. Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. 8 jersey has been retired by the St. Louis Blues, Biographical information and career statistics from, This page was last edited on 7 May 2022, at 23:03. He was survived by both of his brothers. . The deal proved extremely successful for the Blues, for Berenson became the first great offensive star of the newly minted Western Division, while Plager anchored a stingy defence that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL in 1969, the second fewest in 1970, and the third fewest in 1971. That included being swept 4-0 in the Stanley Cup Final each of their first three seasons (also Montreal Canadiens in 1968 and 1969). There was no way we were going to win. When Boston's Bobby Orr shot the puck for overtime goal in Game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals to end the series, Picard put his stick between Orr's legs and tripped him, sending Orr flying through the air and celebrating while parallel to the ice. He is the author of "Bernie Federko: My Blues Note" and "100 Things Blues Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die." The operation was successful but a new tumor was discovered later that year. In 263 NHL games from 1967-76, including 127 with the Blues from 1967 to 1972, Billy Plager had four goals, 38 points . It just goes to show what they did back then and what they still mean to the city.. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Billy Plager, right wing.". Leave your condolences and send flowers to the family to show you care. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/XBWWz2yKom. Kelly and his family cut short their vacation to Punta Gorda, Fla., and had just made the 19-hour drive home the day before. He played in 127 regular-season games and 19 playoff games with the team before being claimed by Atlanta in the 1972 expansion draft. Buy his book. Melissa Briggs, the daughter of Blues legend Bob Plager, placed the flag there back in June to let her uncle know that the Blues - the team both Bob and Barclay cherished so much and always represented with such pride - had finally done it. His number 8 has been retired by the Blues. It was in Boston this year, and we lost it the last time we were in there, the Stanley Cup, he said. Bobby joked, however, that the stain on the sweater wasnt from Barclay. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. NewsNow brings you the latest news from the world's most trusted sources on Dnipro. I didn't invite everybody, but I invited the kids, their parents tonight. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. 8 for Barclay or No. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. I think a lot of that has to do with the parents that brought them up, who were Blues fans and made their kids Blues fans. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. He was the life of everything. Bob joined the team in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft and was in the lineup for the club's inaugural season in 1967-68. Told about the impression hes left on his brothers family, Bobby briefly got choked up. Behind Plager's leadershiphe was named the second captain in team history in 1970 and served longer than any other Blues' captain save for Brian Sutterthe Blues made the Stanley Cup finals their first three seasons. Originally his rights were held by the New York Ranges, but were acquired with future star Red Berenson by the newly enfranchised Blues in 1967. The latest STL Blues hockey news, NHL headlines, scores, standings and rosters. If Barc was here, hed have the same answer, Oh yeah, thats blood, but it aint mine.. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Armstrong picked it up and said, Here we go. So we gave Barclay a little drink there, and then I look and everybody is pouring beers and saying, Heres to you, Barc! I said, I dont know whos buried beside him, but if he ever wakes up, hes going to have one heck of a hangover.. . All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Please reset your password. Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky had an interesting comment today about the upcoming Olympic hockey tournament: "I hope Canada wins the gold medal, because I know a lot of guys have put in a lot of hard work, but the best thing for hockey would be for the U.S. to win the gold medal, because of the extra attention that would be given to hockey in the U.S." . . Add to your scrapbook. In the postseason, they took turns visiting his gravesite, leaving Lets Go Blues signs and rally towels on his headstone. More Plager Pages. Cardinals latest, deflating loss compounds concerns, Man shot, killed near Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis, What was Andrew Knizner thinking? At least three people have been killed and 15 injured in a Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, according to the regional governor, Valentyn Reznichenko. The Blues had the Stanley Cup, and following a time-honored tradition, current members of the teams management, coaching staff and players began passing it around the U.S., Canada and Europe. They're talking about putting franchises in Phoenix and Sacramento and Erie {Pa.} and that could affect everybody's costs.". The only thing that might have made that moment more special is if Barclay and Billy had been there to hoist the Cup with him. There have been hundreds of visits to Bellerive Gardens Cemetery over the years, but none like last week. by His No. Plager died on Feb. 6, 1988. Photo by Steve Perille, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Steve Perille Many of the. Keith Allen, Fred Cusick and Bob Johnson were presented the Lester Patrick Award for service to U.S. hockey at a luncheon here today. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. I was busy with four kids and never really thought about what it meant until the years kept going by and by and by and my kids were getting older, Helen said. Armstrong declared that Barclay would be the first to drink from the Cup, so after some champagne was poured, he and Bobby tilted it directly over the ground where Barclay has been buried for the past 31 years and gave him a long-awaited sip. In the postseason, they took turns visiting his gravesite, leaving "Let . https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/07/obituaries/barclay-plager-hockey-player-46.html. He said, Its got grandpas blood all down here.. Barclay Plager had 44 goals over his career. But its still incredible that to this day, people hear the Plager name and say Are you related? Edmonton's Glen Sather, the Campbell coach who played here with Plager, said today, "Barclay Plager was a friend, a teammate and a great competitor. He was also . Robert "Bobby" Bryant Plager was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario on March 11, 1943. And that's what the 76-year-old did Sunday. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. On Sunday, Bob was accompanied to the cemetery by his daughter, his grandchildren, Barclay's wife, Helen, and their children and grandchildren. He played 11 seasons for St. Louis -- teaming for a stretch with brothers Barclay and Bill -- and later worked . I will never forget it. Do you have a blog? Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Last chance! Barclay Plager never won a Stanley Cup as a player. It was super exciting because we were all together, Karri said. That was the best hour and a half that weve ever had up there for my family, for my mom, for our Uncle Bob. [1] He played the majority of the next three seasons with the Springfield Indians of the AHL. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. LOUIS, FEB. 8 -- The death on Saturday of Barclay Plager, who served the St. Louis Blues as captain, coach and inspiration, has cast a pall over the 39th NHL All-Star Game, to be played here. A police escort led by Ballwin Sgt. cemeteries found in Creve Coeur, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Five for me, eight for Barc, and Barcs best friend, Noel, No. The way it worked out and how special it was in Boston the last time we were there (in 1970), and I was on the ice in Boston, and I had to watch them hoist the Stanley Cup. This account has been disabled. Most historical data provided by Dan Diamond and Associates. Other Links. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. He played with his other two brothers, Bill and Bob, in St. Louis for a total of four seasons. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. He also had health issues and underwent an exam for some scar tissue on his brain, believed to be the result of an injury suffered earlier in his career. As the group giggled, Sgt.Wetzel, who led the police escort, stood nearby pinching himself. It was No. We finally did it! she said. I get asked about that a lot, Picard told the Post-Dispatch in 2011. . Maybe theyre trying to tell us something from up above, Bobby said. At the All-Star Game February 9, 1988, a moment of silence was held at the St. Louis Arena in his memory. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. From left, Barclay Plager, Ernie Wakely, and Noel Picard all were members of Omaha's CHL championship team of 1963-64. Barclay died from a brain tumor in 1988 at the age of 46. Billy Plager, the youngest of the Plager brothers, played parts of four seasons with the Blues - more than any other team in his NHL career - and passed away more recently in 2016. Blues legend Bob Plager passed away on March 24, 2021, at the age of 78, after a car crash on I-64 in St. Louis. Kelly died almost exactly a year later, from cancer at the age of 52. The laughter aside, the Plagers truly felt that Barclay was soaking it up. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. I cant even tell you how excited I was, Karen said. Read the obituary of Robert "Bobby" Bryant Plager (1943 - 2021) from St. Louis, MO. Billy Plager, brother of Bobby and Barclay Plager, played 127 games for the Blues in the early 1970s. He retired as a player during the following season when he was named as head coach of the Blues, succeeding Leo Boivin. 4, was there to watch.. Some of them could be a little crazy, but those were the true ones., Blues talk: The fans remember "One tough cookie". GREAT NEWS! I thought you might like to see a memorial for Barclay Plager I found on Findagrave.com. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. If you think we're going to party down here, they're partying up there, too.". "Bryan was my coach in an all-star game and I learned more hockey from him in one day than I did from my own coach in two seasons," MacLean said. She sent out the emails to warn us, Save the date! Helen said. Last chance! Tweet from @lkorac10: Bob Plager said with his bad shoulder, he can't be lifting the Cup over his head. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Plager came to the Blues from the New York Rangers when the NHL expanded in 1967-68. Try again later. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. They were forever proud of that day, lining up together with the Blues. Barclay Plager, a former National Hockey League defenseman for the St. Louis Blues who later coached the team, died of brain cancer today. Helen Plager, the widow of former Blues player and coach Barclay Plager, stood near the chapel of Bellerive Gardens Cemetery last Sunday and recalled what she whispered to her late husband during this years Stanley Cup playoffs.