Jacques Plante Nearly Starred for Expansion Oakland Seals, NOT St. Louis Blues

[Pink Freud]

Every charter Blues fan from the early days still worships the late Hall of Fame goalie Jacques Plante, who won 5 straight Stanley Cups with Montreal, and also won 6 Vezina Trophies. Oddly, despite his huge impact, he only played in St. Louis for two seasons, in the franchise's 2nd and 3rd years. But what seasons they were!!

In those days I got my NHL History 101 from the great Canadian broadcaster Brian MacFarlane's book about the NHL's 50th anniversary, with full stories of the league's great teams and players during the Original Six era. Now, thanks to Thriftbooks, I've got another one of his great books about that time of no ads on the ice or boards; few helmets; no unpronounceable Euro/Russian names; virtually no goalie masks; and 98% Canadian players in the NHL. I was startled to read of the following about Jacques Plante:

What few people know is that Jake the Snake very nearly starred for the expansion Oakland Seals instead of St. Louis. After retiring following a few seasons with the Rangers, but still being the property of the Broadway Blueshirts, Jake saw the NHL doubling in size, and in September 1967 he was signed to a PTO (professional tryout) contract by the Oakland Seals, for whom he played goal in two preseason games....then he disappeared. Plante was always known to march to his own drummer, but even that surprised the Seals brass. That forced Oakland to go into their first season with Mutt & Jeff (ask your grandparents) in goal, in 6 ft. 4 Gary Smith and Plante's longtime Montreal backup, 5-ft.-6 Charlie Hodge.

9 months later, with longtime Montreal minor league coach and advisor Scotty Bowman now head-coaching in St. Louis, the Blues acquired Plante's rights in the intra-league draft from New York, to join Glenn Hall as the Blues' early Zero Heroes, sharing a Vezina Trophy in 1968-69, with Hall's skate heels on the goal line, flopping all over crease; and Plante almost never on his knees, staying on his skates and coming out to cut off shooter angles.

Before Dan Kelly also joined the Blues in Season Two and correctly pronounced all players' names, it was amusing/maddening to hear St. Louis sportscasters and KMOX show callers discussing "Zhox Plan-tay" after the news broke that the legend was coming to St. Louis.

Plante played for Scotty Bowman and the Salomons for two seasons. Just imagine if he had done that in Oakland, where he would have eventually played for Charlie Finley.

And you thought playing and coaching for Sid da Turd was bad......

[lidstrom5]

Oakland didn't have a lot to offer the Rangers for his rights so they said forget it. Besides Plante in New York didn't do to well without those Montreal defensemen in front of him.

[Harry York 37]

Every charter Blues fan from the early days still worships the late Hall of Fame goalie Jacques Plante, who won 5 straight Stanley Cups with Montreal, and also won 6 Vezina Trophies. Oddly, despite his huge impact, he only played in St. Louis for two seasons, in the franchise's 2nd and 3rd years. But what seasons they were!!

In those days I got my NHL History 101 from the great Canadian broadcaster Brian MacFarlane's book about the NHL's 50th anniversary, with full stories of the league's great teams and players during the Original Six era. Now, thanks to Thriftbooks, I've got another one of his great books about that time of no ads on the ice or boards; few helmets; no unpronounceable Euro/Russian names; virtually no goalie masks; and 98% Canadian players in the NHL. I was startled to read of the following about Jacques Plante:

What few people know is that Jake the Snake very nearly starred for the expansion Oakland Seals instead of St. Louis. After retiring following a few seasons with the Rangers, but still being the property of the Broadway Blueshirts, Jake saw the NHL doubling in size, and in September 1967 he was signed to a PTO (professional tryout) contract by the Oakland Seals, for whom he played goal in two preseason games....then he disappeared. Plante was always known to march to his own drummer, but even that surprised the Seals brass. That forced Oakland to go into their first season with Mutt & Jeff (ask your grandparents) in goal, in 6 ft. 4 Gary Smith and Plante's longtime Montreal backup, 5-ft.-6 Charlie Hodge.

9 months later, with longtime Montreal minor league coach and advisor Scotty Bowman now head-coaching in St. Louis, the Blues acquired Plante's rights in the intra-league draft from New York, to join Glenn Hall as the Blues' early Zero Heroes, sharing a Vezina Trophy in 1968-69, with Hall's skate heels on the goal line, flopping all over crease; and Plante almost never on his knees, staying on his skates and coming out to cut off shooter angles.

Before Dan Kelly also joined the Blues in Season Two and correctly pronounced all players' names, it was amusing/maddening to hear St. Louis sportscasters and KMOX show callers discussing "Zhox Plan-tay" after the news broke that the legend was coming to St. Louis.

Plante played for Scotty Bowman and the Salomons for two seasons. Just imagine if he had done that in Oakland, where he would have eventually played for Charlie Finley.

And you thought playing and coaching for Sid da Turd was bad......

Our neighbors named their Poodle " Jack-us Plan-tey."

[DawgDad]

Reminds me that in a not-too-distant thread on greatest Blues goalies many never mentioned Hall and Plante, yet they won the only Vezina in the team's history and backstopped the Blues to the top of the expansion ranks. Yes they were THAT good, spectacular, 2019 Binnington good.

[seattleblue]

I always mention them because they did perform very well, but they were two all-time, lock HOF goalies prior to the Blues even existing.

[DawgDad]

I always mention them because they did perform very well, but they were two all-time, lock HOF goalies prior to the Blues even existing.

None of which diminishes what they did for the Blues, which was play like two all-time, lock HOF goalies.

[seattleblue]

I always mention them because they did perform very well, but they were two all-time, lock HOF goalies prior to the Blues even existing.

None of which diminishes what they did for the Blues, which was play like two all-time, lock HOF goalies.

None of which changes the fact that when it comes up it's about who is the best Blues goalie and in that sense they get mentions but they both played less than 20% of their careers in STL. Was Gretzky the best Blues center? Brodeur the best goalie? The reasons why they aren't are related to the logical reasons Hall and Plante get mentions but don't usually get picked as the "best" Blues goalie. But they have to be mentioned for their significant contributions.

[Clark Kimble]

[Brodeur the best goalie?

Why, oh why did Martin Brodeur even come here after his legendary career in New Jersey?

It was like watching Bobby Orr as a Blackhawk....Johnny Unitas as a S. D. Charger...Joe Namath as an L. A. Ram.....Steve Carlton as a Minnesota Twin...........Fernando Valenzuela as a Cardinal......

[DawgDad]

I always mention them because they did perform very well, but they were two all-time, lock HOF goalies prior to the Blues even existing.

None of which diminishes what they did for the Blues, which was play like two all-time, lock HOF goalies.

None of which changes the fact that when it comes up it's about who is the best Blues goalie and in that sense they get mentions but they both played less than 20% of their careers in STL. Was Gretzky the best Blues center? Brodeur the best goalie? The reasons why they aren't are related to the logical reasons Hall and Plante get mentions but don't usually get picked as the "best" Blues goalie. But they have to be mentioned for their significant contributions.

Man, you are WAY off-base. Hall especially and Plante were primary reasons the Blues had ANY on-ice success in their first three seasons, they were primary drivers of fan interest and engagement in the team and NHL hockey in St. Louis along with Berenson. Gretzky and especially Brodeur didn't do anything remotely close to what Hall and Plante did for the Blues. They won a freaking Vezina Trophy as Blues, for goodness sakes.

[lidstrom5]

[Brodeur the best goalie?

Why, oh why did Martin Brodeur even come here after his legendary career in New Jersey?

It was like watching Bobby Orr as a Blackhawk....Johnny Unitas as a S. D. Charger...Joe Namath as an L. A. Ram.....Steve Carlton as a Minnesota Twin...........Fernando Valenzuela as a Cardinal......

Or Gordie Howe (say it ain't so) as a Whaler.

[seattleblue]

I always mention them because they did perform very well, but they were two all-time, lock HOF goalies prior to the Blues even existing.

None of which diminishes what they did for the Blues, which was play like two all-time, lock HOF goalies.

None of which changes the fact that when it comes up it's about who is the best Blues goalie and in that sense they get mentions but they both played less than 20% of their careers in STL. Was Gretzky the best Blues center? Brodeur the best goalie? The reasons why they aren't are related to the logical reasons Hall and Plante get mentions but don't usually get picked as the "best" Blues goalie. But they have to be mentioned for their significant contributions.

Man, you are WAY off-base. Hall especially and Plante were primary reasons the Blues had ANY on-ice success in their first three seasons, they were primary drivers of fan interest and engagement in the team and NHL hockey in St. Louis along with Berenson. Gretzky and especially Brodeur didn't do anything remotely close to what Hall and Plante did for the Blues. They won a freaking Vezina Trophy as Blues, for goodness sakes.

And you are way off base when you want to (buzz) and moan at the people who don't even mention them, as you originally said, and yet are finding a way to argue with me about it, congrats on your retirement age endeavours.

[Clark Kimble]

Or Gordie Howe (say it ain't so) as a Whaler.

Gordie originally retired at age 42 as a Red Wing. He joined the WHA Houston Aeros at age 45 to play with his sons Mark and Marty. He followed them to the WHA'S New England Whalers, then in his amazing final season, during which he turned 52, the NHL absorbed four WHA clubs, and Gordie played 80 games for the NHL's Hartford Whalers, scoring 15 goals.

It was a big thrill for me to see him play at The Arena, with Dave Keon. Later that season, the Whalers also signed Bobby Hull for the last two weeks of the season. After Hull's first game in Hartford, Howe quipped, "The kid looked good in his first game."