The St. Louis Blues have a history dating back to the original expansion of the National Hockey League. Some of the greatest players in league history, including The Great One Wayne Gretzky, have played in St Louis but the franchise has just one Stanley Cup. Where do players like Brett Hull and Bernie Federko rank among the top 10 Blues of all time?
Greatest Blues player of all time: Bernie Federko
Bernie Federko takes the number one spot on the Blues top 10 list. He spent the first 13 seasons of his career in St Louis and is the franchise leader in games played, assists, and points. He was dominant in the 1987 playoffs, scoring seven goals and adding 14 assists in 24 games as the Blues lost in the conference final.
His number 24 is retired by the franchise and he is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He never won a major award but put up four 100-point seasons in the mid-1980s. Putting off gaudy offensive numbers in that period did not guarantee anything with Wayne Gretzky snagging Hart Trophies nearly every season.
#2: Brett Hull
Many would have him number one because of one number: 741. Only four players have ever scored more goals in their careers than Brett Hull. He scored 527 of those goals with the Blues, good enough for the top spot in franchise history. He also has the most power-play goals, hat tricks, and goals per game in Blues history.
Hull is a three-time All-Star and a Hart Trophy winner for Most Valuable Player, all with the Blues. He is a member of the Hall of Fame and has his number 16 retired by the Blues.
#3: Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger spent nine seasons in St. Louis in the middle of his career and was a star defenseman. Before he made a career out of dragging teams to the Stanley Cup Finals, he anchored teams in St Louis that struggled in the playoffs. He averaged 30:44 in 85 playoff games with the Blues. His first year after leaving the team was the first year they missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 seasons.
Pronger was a three-time postseason All-Star with the Blues and won his only career Norris Trophy for top defenseman and Hart Trophy for Most Valuable Player in 1999-00. He is a member of the Hall of Fame and has his number 44 retired by the Blues.
#4: Al MacInnis
The second defenseman on the list, Al MacInnis rounded out his Hall of Fame career in St. Louis. He was dealt from the Flames after 13 seasons in Calgary and spent a decade with the Blues. He ranks in the top 10 in assists and points in franchise history and manned the blue line for some great teams.
MacInnis is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and has his number two retired by the Blues. He was named to two postseason All-Star teams and won one Norris Trophy in his time with the Blues. He placed second in Norris voting in his second-to-last season at 39 years old.
#5: Brian Sutter
Another member of the 1980s Blues, Brian Sutter played his entire career with St. Louis. He remains in the top five of games played, goals, assists, and points in franchise history due to his 12 years of great production with the Blues. Sutter was the captain for the final nine years of his career. He then became the head coach, making the playoffs in each of his four seasons.
Sutter never won a major award and is not in the Hall of Fame but does have his number 11 retired by the franchise. He won the 1991 Jack Adams Award as the top coach when he was behind the Blues' bench.
#6: Garry Unger
The former NHL ironman, Garry Unger played every game in his nine-year stint in St. Louis. He remains on the franchise leaderboard in games played, goals, assists, and points. Unger came in after the team went to three consecutive Cup Finals in their first three years.
Unger is not in the Hall of Fame and does not have his number retired by the Blues. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2023.
#7: Alex Pietrangelo
Alex Pietrangelo gets the honor of having the most iconic photo in Blues history. The captain who lifted the Stanley Cup, Pietrangelo was a star defenseman for over a decade before the championship run. He racked up 16 assists and averaged 25:45 of ice time in the 2019 playoffs.
Pietrangelo was named postseason All-Star three times with the Blues. He left the Blues in free agency after 2020 and joined the Vegas Golden Knights. He won a second Stanley Cup there in 2023.
#8: Vladimir Taresenko
Continuing the run of modern players is Vladimir Tarasenko. He scored 30 goals in five consecutive seasons before losing two consecutive seasons to injury. After the championship, Tarasenko played 34 games over two seasons to end his Blues career. He had a recent resurgence, winning another Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers.
Tarasenko was a two-time All-Star with the Blues but never won a major award. He was a key part of the title, with 11 goals in 26 games during that run. He signed a multi-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings in the offseason as he looks to get them back to the playoffs.
#9: David Backes
Another former captain, David Backes was the face of the teams that could not get over the hump in the playoffs. He sneaks into the top 10 in games played, goals, and points. He left St Louis for Boston and was a healthy scratch for each game of the 2019 Cup Final.
Backes never won a major award and will not be a contender for the Hall of Fame but he is certainly an important player in Blues history. He spoke about the year the Blues finally beat the Chicago Blackhawks in the playoffs emotionally when he retired which shows his passion for the city and team.
#10: Ryan O'Reilly
Rounding out the list, Ryan O'Reilly sneaks on despite only spending five seasons with the Blues. He joined the team in 2018 and immediately made the impact they needed him to make. O'Reilly won the Selke Trophy for top defensive forward and the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP in his first season while leading the team to the title.
The Blues traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2022 trade deadline. He is now with division foe Nashville. No matter where O'Reilly ends his career, his Blues tenure will go down as the most impactful.
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