St Louis Blues: Top 30 Goaltenders in Franchise History
6. Glenn Hall
1967-71; 140 games, 58-52-28 record, 2.43 GAA, 16 shutouts; 31 postseason games, 12-18 record, one shutout; 1968 & 1969 NHL All-Star, 1967-68 Conn Smythe Trophy Winner, 1968-69 Vezina Trophy Co-Winner
The earliest St Louis Blues teams were mainly built around experienced NHL veterans, and one of the best of those players was Glenn Hall. Hall came to St. Louis having already won a Stanley Cup championship, a Calder Trophy, and two Vezina Trophies while having made 11 All-Star teams during 14 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.
Hall was already 36 years old by the time that he arrived in St. Louis, but he continued to thrive after joining the Blues.
Hall was the Blues’ starting goalie in their first year of existence, playing in 49 games. Though he finished with a sub-.500 record (19-21-9), his numbers were very respectable, finishing with a 2.48 GAA, five shutouts, and a 9.1 goalie point share.
In the playoffs, Hall went 8-10 but was the Blues’ primary netminder as the team advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1968, where they were swept in four games by the Montreal Canadiens. Despite the Blues’ loss in the Finals, however, Hall won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) that year.
Hall’s playing time decreased in 1968-69 when the St Louis Blues signed Jacques Plante to serve as their co-starter, but his effectiveness increased. Over 41 games, he went 19-12-8 with a 2.17 GAA, eight shutouts, and a spectacular 9.4 goalie point share. Hall made the All-Star team and shared the Vezina Trophy with Plante, and he split time with his fellow grizzled veteran in the playoffs, playing in three games and going 0-2 while allowing five goals.
After the Blues had acquired goaltender Ernie Wakely in the offseason, Hall retired, but he ended up coming back to the Blues during the 1969-70 season and playing 18 regular season games. After Plante had suffered a severe facial injury during the Stanley Cup Finals, Hall was forced into action again and started two games (both of which he lost) after also starting five games as part of a rotation earlier on in the playoffs. Despite his failure in the Finals, Hall did finish the postseason with a winning record at 4-3.
His last season with the St Louis Blues was 1970-71, when he started 32 games, went 13-11-8 with a 2.42 GAA and two shutouts. He once again struggled in the playoffs, however, going 0-3 while splitting time with Wakely. He retired for good after that season, and to this day he’s still one of the franchise’s more memorable goaltenders despite his lack of consistency in the postseason.
Next: 5. Jacques Plante