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50 Most Outstanding Players in St. Louis Blues History: 20-11

By Patrick Karraker

Jan 2, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) skates in the game against the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2016 Winter Classic ice hockey game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) skates in the game against the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2016 Winter Classic ice hockey game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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16. Jacques Plante

Goalie, 1968-70; 69 games, 36-21-11 record, 2.07 GAA, 10 shutouts

Plante’s Blues career was extremely short, but for the time that he spent wearing the Blue Note, he was the most dominant goaltender in franchise history. After a three-year retirement, a 40-year-old Plante returned and joined forces with another grizzled veteran, Glenn Hall, to form the Blues’ goalie tandem in 1968-69. The two vets would combine to have the most dominant goaltending season in Blues history.

One could say that Plante posted video game numbers in ’68-’69, but even the most dominant of video game goalies usually aren’t as successful as Plante was during that season. Plante posted a rather pedestrian 18-12-6 record in 37 games, but he posted a league-best 1.96 goals-against average and collected five shutouts. He was even more dominant during the postseason, going 8-2 in 10 games while collecting three shutouts (yes, he had shutouts in just under a third of his playoff games) and posting a 1.43 goals-against average. Plante and Hall were awarded the Vezina Trophy following the season.

While splitting time in 1969-70 with both Hall and Ernie Wakely, Plante was once again extremely successful. At the age of 41, he went 18-9-5 with a 2.19 goals-against average and five shutouts. He thrived in the playoffs again, going 4-1 with a 1.48 GAA and a shutout in six games, but he suffered a facial injury in the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals and did not return. That injury would mark the final action of his Blues career, as he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs that offseason.

Plante’s 1.96 goals-against average in ’68-’69 ranks fourth among single-season performances in club history, and his five shutouts in each of his Blues seasons are tied for tenth. Despite playing just 69 regular-season games for the Blues, Plante is also tied for eighth all-time in franchise history in shutouts.

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