barclay plager obituary

On March 24, 1981, the Blues retired Barclay Plager's No. When did Barclay Plager retire? Billy Plager, one of three Plager brothers to play with Blues, has died Death "Thank you guys. . Plager's brothers, Barclay and Billy, were also part of those Blues teams. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Blues legend Bobby Plager dies in car accident - KOMU 8 And this time, he brought the Stanley Cup. There were also framed photos of Barclay and one of all three brothers, including Billy Plager. It was No. "For me, this is very special, but sitting here and looking at the kids and thinking, 'This is the toughest trophy to win.' 4, was there to watch.. cemeteries found in Creve Coeur, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Obituary | Robert (Bobby) Bryant Plager of Chesterfield, Missouri Year should not be greater than current year. There have been hundreds of visits to Bellerive Gardens Cemetery over the years, but none like last week. Add to your scrapbook. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Plager played 645 games in 11 seasons for the Blues from 1967-78. Ive never had more respect for anybody than Barc.. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Transaction information may be incomplete. He gave our star players room to be star players. Born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, he played as Defenseman in the National Hockey League for ten seasons (1967 to 1977) with the St. Louis Blues. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Plager's day with the Cup included visits to daughter Melissa . He received a text message from the Blues that it would be Sept. 1 and passed that along to his daughter, Melissa Briggs, who began the planning. "We go up there and start pushing and shoving. In a playing career that spanned 10 seasons, Barclay played 614 games with the Blues from their inaugural season in 1967 until 1977. An eight-pack of beer! Mr. Plager, who was with the New York Rangers briefly in the fall of 1967, played for St. Louis for 10 seasons and appeared in four All-Star Games. He played 11 seasons for St. Louis -- teaming for a stretch with brothers Barclay and Bill -- and later worked . At his age (37), being a player-coach, that was not done a lot, Blues Hall of Famer Bernie Federko, who played for Barclay in Kansas City, once said. The Plager family, bonded by Barclays younger brother Bobby, is as close-knit as the stitching on the Blues sweater. In 1984, it was announced that Barclay had an inoperable brain tumor and just six months to live. Want more local sports delivered straight to your inbox? In 1933, Dnipropetrovsk State University was . Weve updated the security on the site. 1967-68; 1968-69; 1969-70; 1970-71; 1971-72 . I get asked about that a lot, Picard told the Post-Dispatch in 2011. It was in Boston this year, and we lost it the last time we were in there, the Stanley Cup, he said. To those who have gone before us. Catchers once in a lifetime lunge saves Cardinals, Four young people die in Old Monroe head-on crash, Governor threatens to keep Missouri lawmakers in session over transgender rules, Barat Academy in Chesterfield to close after years of financial troubles, Court records online include private information for thousands of Missouri residents, Why some St. Louis-area Roman Catholics are looking forward to parish reorganization. It was an emotional moment to be sure, one that was in stark contrast to the triumphant emotions Bob felt following Game 7 in Boston. More Plager Pages. He played all 614 games of his NHL career for the Blues. On Jan. 6, 1972, a fan dumped a beer on Blues coach Al Arbour, leading to a chaotic scene that saw several players head into the stands, including all three Plagers. 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. 'Cardiac event' killed Blues legend Bob Plager - ESPN Photo by Steve Perille, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Steve Perille Many of the. All rights reserved. Bob Plager, left wing. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. "So really, that's what I wanted, and that's what I got. Barclay Plager had 44 goals over his career. 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. Failed to report flower. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. My uncle Bob gave it to me years and years ago, Karen said. That's where Bob stood, already wearing his Blues Stanley Cup champions hat and taking it all in with tears welling up in his eyes. He played all 614 games of his NHL career for the Blues. Barclay Plager was born on March 26, 1941. The Plagers werent getting their hopes up last season, with the Blues sitting in last place in the NHL standings in January. Billy Plager, right wing.". To use this feature, use a newer browser. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. On March 24, 1981, the Blues retired Barclay Plager's No. Memories and more for Blues at NHL All-Star Game - STLtoday.com There were a few tears, for sure.. Debuting with his brother in 1967 and retiring a year before Bob in 1977, Barclay scored 44 career goals . I couldnt believe that this was actually happening., As the van doors opened, Helen turned and said: I dont know what to expect whatever happens, happens. Missing are Barclay Plager and Gord Berenson. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. There was no words to even describe that, Karri said. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Oops, we were unable to send the email. ", Tweet from @StLouisBlues: If there's anything more St. Louis than @RealTedDrewes from the #StanleyCup, we don't know what it is. So of course, with my mind, Im thinking, Are they going to put (Bobbys day with the Cup) on a number, like the 8th or the 5th?. Bally Sports Midwest's parent company filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday. Kelly thought he had lost his lone opportunity. Please reset your password. He had it on when the Blues won the Cup, as well as the day at the cemetery. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in early 1987 had an operation to remove it. Even now, he stays very close with our family and he is always including his teammates, my dad and our family. Professional Hockey Player. He. Barclay Plager was born in KirklandLake, Canada. Maybe theyre trying to tell us something from up above, Bobby said. Hockeydb.com - Hockey Statistics and History for the NHL and more! Its fantastic! Helen said seconds after her lips came off. Enter Search Term. Louie Korac The operation was successful but a new tumor was discovered later that year. The laughter aside, the Plagers truly felt that Barclay was soaking it up. I cant even tell you how excited I was, Karen said. If weve got an eight or a five, were good, Helen added. Barclay Plager never won a Stanley Cup as a player. Suffering from dizzy spells thought to be the result of an old head injury, Plager was examined by a doctor following his stepping down as coach. Plager, who lost a three-year battle to cancer, had been designated an honorary captain of the Campbell Conference team, along with brother Bob. #stlblues #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/9NfgNVHfDv, St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 2, 2019. . 8 sweater was retired in 1981, after which he returned to the bench as an assistant coach and even filled in as the interim head coach. A timeless toast: From his final resting place, longtime Blue Barclay If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. From left, Barclay Plager, Ernie Wakely, and Noel Picard all were members of Omaha's CHL championship team of 1963-64. 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." . Try again later. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. So they were my family. Barclay Plager never won a Stanley Cup as a player. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. "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. All rights reserved. An outfield in flux. (Photo courtesy Rachel Hecht). 0 cemeteries found in Creve Coeur, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. He served as the team's head coach but was relieved of his duties in 1979 after the team recorded their worst season in franchise history. Billy Plager, one of three Plager brothers to play for the Blues, died early Sunday morning. They lined up one after the other, and after Helen drank from it, her children followed. Bobby has been here since day one, so hes been a fixture this whole time, Kevin said. Told about the impression hes left on his brothers family, Bobby briefly got choked up. by The playoffs were a blur.. [1] He played the majority of the next three seasons with the Springfield Indians of the AHL. Learn more about merges. His reputation was established while still in juniors, when he had a notable fight with his own brother Bob, who was playing for the rival Guelph Royals. This year, it was payback, and it was great. 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. It just goes to show what they did back then and what they still mean to the city.. Photo by Steve Perille, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Many of the Blues, who call The Arena home, get their first look at the plush Arena Club in 1967, the team's inaugural season in the NHL. As the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Blues 4-1 victory, Helens thoughts were immediately with her late husband. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. The latest STL Blues hockey news, NHL headlines, scores, standings and rosters. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Please try again later. 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. But like the rest of the city, the family was swept up by the second-half turnaround. In early 1987, Plager had an operation to remove a brain tumour with a heat treatment. Barclay played 10 seasons with the Blues from 1967-77 and remained with the organization after his retirement as a player in various roles, including two stints as a head coach, until he passed away in 1988 from a cancerous brain tumor. Not long after the last player took a lap with the trophy hoisted high above his head at TD Garden, the team gathered at center ice to witness a moment 52 years in the making. "I remember Scotty saying the lineup in the dressing room," Bobby Plager once told the Post-Dispatch. Picard was a defenseman for six seasons for the Blues before being let go in the 1972-73 season and finishing his career with Atlanta. Kirkland Lake, Timiskaming District, Ontario, Canada, Creve Coeur, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. 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. Picard made one of hockey's indelible moments possible. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2023. 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. I didnt really realize who my dad was, as far as like people saying, Oh my gosh, your dad is Barclay Plager? said Karen, who was 20 when he died. Keith Allen, Fred Cusick and Bob Johnson were presented the Lester Patrick Award for service to U.S. hockey at a luncheon here today. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Billy Plager, brother of Bobby and Barclay Plager, played 127 games for the Blues in the early 1970s. Well, its a little promise you make yeah well, Ill tear up now that I would take care of his kids, he said. They got to watch us, and I got to lift the Cup on the ice in Boston. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Barclay was playing under Eddie Shore in Springfield, where the concept of "old time . Oops, something didn't work. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. You won't find many people the Blues' Stanley Cup title has more meaning to than the Plagers. The oldest of three hockey playing brothers (with Bill and Bob), Plager played junior league hockey with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey Association before spending six seasons in the minor leagues, cementing a reputation as a hard-nosed defensive defenceman. The players erupted into arguably one of the loudest cheers of the night at ice level - and that's saying something considering the elation they had shown immediately after the clock ran out on Game 7. All Rights Reserved. Plager came to the Blues from the New York Rangers when the NHL expanded in 1967-68. Barclay and Bob were together on the Blues' defense for a total of 11 seasons. The Blues released the following statement Sunday: "The St. Louis Blues and the Blues Alumni organization are deeply saddened by the passing of Billy Plager. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. NHL officials said today that status would not change. When you see the sweater of mine thats down at the rink, with the blood on there, I say, Oh yeah, thats blood but it aint mine, he said. They put the little one there, but I knew if I got it and when I got it, that was an automatic, that was the first place it was going to go, Bobby said. He was survived by both of his brothers. Three killed in Russian missile attack on Dnipro: Governor The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Plager wore No. Jack had the option of framing the sweater or wearing it, and hes chosen the latter. "Bobby" Bryant Plager was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario on March 11, 1943. And that's what the 76-year-old did Sunday. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Then Allen was embarrassed again, because he lost the thread of his speech and, since he was not wearing his glasses, could not read it, either . I should have went there right after work, but I didnt, I went home. Follow Jeremy on Twitter @jprutherford, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2019/09/03124738/IMG_0825-1-converted-with-Clipchamp-converted-with-Clipchamp.mp4, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2019/09/03130456/IMG_0840.TRIM-1-converted-with-Clipchamp.mp4, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2019/09/03140812/IMG_0851-converted-with-Clipchamp.mp4. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. If you know anything about the Plagers, you know that they are consumed by finding a connection to the No. Player Overview & Base Stats; Game Finder; Streak Finder; Span Finder; News; Career Splits. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. However, the emotion proved too much and the Blues were beaten by Philadelphia, 4-2. Barclay died from a brain tumor in 1988 at the age of 46. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. ). Bob Plager Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth, Cause of Death, Married As the group giggled, Sgt.Wetzel, who led the police escort, stood nearby pinching himself. Meanwhile, a magical moment, one that would eclipse all others, was unfolding in front of them. If things don't work out, though, we have an option to stay in Binghamton for two more years.". (Post-Dispatch file photo). The Blues won the Cup for the first time in their 51-season history when they defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 7 of the Final on June 12. Other Links. There was a problem saving your notification. Data Provided By Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. It was a dream season, said Kevin Plager, 48, one of Barclay and Helens two sons. We were just hanging out, telling a couple of stories.. It went on for quite a while.". St Louis Blues, stlouisblues.com and stlblues.com are trademarks of the St Louis Blues Hockey Club. 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. . Kelly died almost exactly a year later, from cancer at the age of 52. Professional Hockey Player. but oh my gosh, there were tears of happiness the whole time. On March 24, 1981, prior to a game with the New York Islanders, Barclay Plager Night was held and his No. Oles Honchar Dnipro National University - Wikipedia 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. Or write about sports? I didn't invite everybody, but I invited the kids, their parents tonight.