In St. Louis, we fall in love with certain athletes — our guys — because of what they do for us and do to us. They play so hard for our teams and they make us feel these things, these heart-palpitating, goosebump-growing, arm-freezing, David Freesing feelings. But this? This was more than that. Because Bob Plager did these things for us and to us … and then he became part of us. Already part of our hearts, Plager became part of our community, our culture. The former Blues defenseman became the biggest Blues fan (just with better contacts for tickets than the rest of us).
He touched Blues fans in a way even the icons could not. Watching a Blues fan interact with Bobby Plager around town was a beautiful and authentic interaction. He affected the people because he was so sweet and caring and down-to-earth, which is funny because on ice he was so mean and daring and larger-than-life. But both of those Plager personas were fueled by the same traits: pride, spirit and love. He loved the St. Louis Blues. He loved St. Louisans. He was their favorite team’s grandpa.
And he is now gone. Plager was 78 when he died Wednesday in a car crash on Highway 40 (Interstate 64).
He is survived by St. Louis.
Many of the people who love him never saw him play, and that’s OK. He’s in our imagination as the personification of a St. Louis Blue. A blue-collar, blue-liner bleeding blue. He was so revered. Plager was an original Blue. Played here for 11 years. Stayed here for the rest of his years. He played with his brothers, Barclay and Bill, and played with men who became his brothers.
Around the National Hockey League, St. Louis is known as a rarity — so many former players, from the famous ones to the fourth-liners, stay and live here after ending their careers. There’s this hockey family of hockey families in town, and Bob Plager is connected to so many of them. He epitomized what it meant to be a Blues player and a Blues alum. He was caring. He was proud. He was delightful. He brightened rooms. And rinks.
Bobby’s place? It was Bobby’s Place. There were a couple locations of his bar and grill. The door handles were hockey sticks. The menu featured meals such as Bobby’s Club, Bobby’s Melt, Buffalo Bob, the Big Bob Omelet and Bobby’s Burrito. The bartenders poured shots stronger than Colton Parayko’s. By May of 2016, the Blues hadn’t been to the conference finals in 15 years. But on the night of May 11, 2016, the Blues played at Dallas in a Game 7. Winner went to the conference finals. Bobby’s Place in Valley Park was packed. Smoke wafted above, the way they said it did in the rafters of the old Arena. The Blues took a big lead. Somehow made it even bigger. And soon, with the game in hand, Bobby walked into Bobby’s Place. It was like the arrival of Norm at “Cheers.” He shook hands and posed for photos and soaked it all up upon the beer-soaked floor.
“I’m glad for the hockey team, our owners and everybody, but I’m more excited for the people,” he said that night. “This whole city, this is the greatest thing for the city right now. They’ve been waiting for this. And if we win the next round and get to the Stanley Cup Final? I’ve been to a lot of World Series, but believe me, if we get to the Stanley Cup, it’ll be a lot better than the World Series.”
It took three more years.
More than a half-century after that original Blues season, the Blues were back in the Stanley Cup Final. The opponent was Boston, the same opponent that beat Plager and the Blues in the 1970 Final, thanks to a different Bobby. The Blues lost Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final at Boston. Game 2 went to overtime. Plager had traveled with the team. He was up in the press box in the highest row of the rink — it was literally eye level with the banner for the 1970 Stanley Cup champions. Plager was famously nervous — what true Blues fan wasn’t — and he would pace around instead of watching the action. Sure enough, when Carl Gunnarsson scored the famous overtime goal, Plager realized what happened because he heard the crowd get “loud — but not that loud.” The noise was the Blues fans in attendance. So, with a 10-second delay, Plager turned his head and caught the goal on a TV. It was the Blues’ first-ever win in a Stanley Cup Final game.
Nine nights later, Plager stood on the ice of Boston’s arena.
The Blues had just won Game 7.
The Blues had just won their first-ever Stanley Cup.
“It’s unreal, it’s unbelievable,” Plager said. “Bobby Plager didn’t win it, there are a bunch of guys out there who won it, and they won it for me.
“They called me over to lift the Stanley Cup. It hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s unreal for the players, our fans back in St. Louis — we’re coming home for a parade. It’s a little heavier than I thought. You know, I’ve got two bad shoulders, I needed help to lift it up, just to hold it above my head and give it a little kiss. It’s what you dream about. Never did it as a player, but this is just as good.”
