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50 Most Outstanding Players in St. Louis Blues History: 40-31

By Patrick Karraker

Oct 2, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild assistant coach Scott Stevens during a preseason hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Hurricanes 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild assistant coach Scott Stevens during a preseason hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Hurricanes 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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40. Jorgen Pettersson

Forward, 1980-85; 365 games, 161 goals, 171 assists, plus-2 rating, 105 PIM

Pettersson, who was signed as a low-risk, 24-year-old free agent out of Sweden before the 1980-81 season. Though he didn’t have spectacular expectations attached to him as he broke into the NHL, Pettersson ended up becoming one of the Blues’ most productive scorers during the early-to-mid 1980s, and he was really ahead of his time in playing a speed and skill-based game centered around putting the puck on the net, rather than relying on physicality to create offensive opportunities.

Peterson’s most productive season was ’80-’81, his first in the NHL, when he scored 37 goals and added 36 assists while posting a plus-14 rating in 62 games. He earned votes for the Lady Byng and Calder trophies, and he collected seven points in 11 playoff games.

Pettersson continued to get votes for the Lady Byng over the next two seasons, scoring 30-plus goals in both of those campaigns, and he was able to match his career high in points (73) in ’82-’83. He also got votes for the Selke Trophy, given to the league’s best defensive forward, in ’81-’82.

His numbers dropped off during his final two seasons, but he still managed to collect more than 20 goals and 30 assists in both of them. He was traded to Hartford in 1985 and ultimately had a very short NHL shelf life–he was out of the league and back in Sweden by his 30th birthday–but his significant contributions during his prime cannot be ignored.

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