BOBBY PLAGER: A HIT

BOB PLAGER: AN ORIGINAL ST. LOUIS BLUE

Bob Plager, who played parts of 3 seasons with the New York Rangers and 11-years with the St. Louis Blues, died on March 24, 2021, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was 78-years-old.

Early in his hockey career, Plager established a style of play that remained with him until he hung up his skates. Descriptions like "rugged, aggressive, rough, hard-hitting, pugilist and burly" were often used after Plager applied his physical force on an opponent. Along with his brothers, Barclay and Billy, they earned a reputation for going toe-to-toe. All three were defencemen.

"The Plagers are prepared to fight for anything in which they believe," noted a scribe. "On occasion, they'll fight for things in which they don't believe."

Bob Plager got his start in junior with Guelph of the Ontario Hockey Association in the early 1960s. At the same time, Barclay Plager, his older brother, was on the blueline for Peterborough. The inevitable occurred when they faced each other in a contest held in Peterborough. 

"He came down the ice carrying the puck, and there was an offside as I was getting ready to check him," Plager told a reporter in a 1966 interview. "I relaxed, and he gave me the stick in the mouth as he came past me. I reached out and started swinging."

And the hostilities didn't stop on the ice.

"We went at it pretty good on the ice and again in the penalty box. Then, after we were thrown out of the game, we continued to battle in the runway leading to the dressing rooms."

It was a tradition in the Plager household to resolve any disputes by putting on the boxing gloves. Numerous matches were held in the backyard between the Plager boys. "Barclay always beat me," Plager recalled. "I always beat Billy, and Billy would go across the street and lick our cousin." 

The brotherly battle in Peterborough showed everyone that Plager would stand his ground, and no one, including a sibling, was exempt from being on the other end of his fury. He stood at five-foot-eleven and his playing weight ranged from 195 to 215 pounds.

At the start of 1964-65,  Bob Plager skated for the Vancouver Canucks of the Western Hockey League. They were a farm team of the New York Rangers. Like any young player, Plager wanted a chance to show what he could do in the National Hockey League.

His call to the big show came on December 3, 1964, when Rangers' general manger, Emile Francis, summoned Plager to Broadway. Francis was fully aware what Plager brought to the table, as he coached the Kirkland Lake, Ontario, native in junior with the Guelph Royals.

New York coach, Red Sullivan, looked forward to having Plager in his line-up. "Plager's aggressive, rough and has a good shot," Sullivan said of his new addition.

On December 9, 1964, Plager made his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden. The Chicago Black Hawks were in town to face the Blueshirts. Plager's skates first touched the ice in the third period. He immediately became a fan favourite, when he went after Chicago superstar, Bobby Hull. The Daily News observed "the only Ranger who showed much enthusiasm ... was Bob Plager." This was in reference to "when he hung Bobby Hull, Chicago's Golden Boy, on the boards." 

While his work impressed the Garden faithful, more importantly, Plager's performance garnered a positive response from the boss, Emile Francis. "No 21-year-old kid has done a better job for us," said the GM. "It's likely Plager will get a good shot at winning a job with the Rangers next season."

With a taste of NHL experience under his belt, Plager returned to the Canucks on December 17. But his stay in Vancouver was a short one, as the Rangers called him up for a second time on January 11, 1965.

In a contest on January 27, 1965, at home, Plager displayed his bone crushing physical style against the Boston Bruins. His victim was Bruins' winger, Johnny Bucyk, who Plager upended with a hip check. The hit didn't go unnoticed by Red Sullivan. In his post-game scrum, Sullivan stated, "When Plager dumped Bucyk, the whole team came to life."

Unable to obtain a roster spot with New York, Plager was shipped out on February 5, 1965, to the Baltimore Clippers of the American Hockey League. This move indicated the Rangers wanted Plager to face the challenges in hockey's second best league.

The next season, 1965-66, Plager started the year in the Central Professional Hockey League with the Minnesota Rangers. At the age of 22, Plager was elected captain of his new team. His presence, on and off the ice, demonstrated the respect his teammates had for their new leader.

Plager found himself in a familiar situation when the New York Rangers sent for him to begin another stint with the parent club. He was ready for action when the Rangers took on the Red Wings at the Olympia in Detroit. When he departed Minnesota, Plager had accumulated 145 penalty minutes in just over 40 games. 

Besides his crushing hits, this time around, Plager was recognized for another skill in his repertoire. After a tilt on March 6, 1966, a 1-1 draw with Detroit, Emile Francis commented on the other facet of Plager's game. "He's fearless at blocking shots, and you would have to say he's made a big difference in our defence."

In the summer, Plager returned to his home in Kapuskasing, Ontario. His unique job, as beer taster for Brewers Retail, involved visiting commercial customers in his territory to see if their inventory was still good. When he talked about his work, one can't help but detect Plagers's sense of humour. "Beer tasting is not the ideal off-season job for a hockey player," stated Plager. "It's not very hard, you know. You just sit back, and well, you know, you taste the beer to see if it's stale."

On September 28, 1966, the New York Rangers revealed they signed Plager to new contract. But his stay with the Rangers was a short one. On October 19, 1966, Plager, along with forward Bill Collins, were optioned out to the Baltimore Clippers.

Unfazed by the move, Plager accepted the cards he was dealt, and went about his business. And, he remained relentless.

Randy Miller of the Springfield Indians, engaged Plager in bout on November 24, 1966, and came out of the fisticuffs with a broken nose. Plager told Bill Tanton of Baltimore's The Evening Sun, what his major goal was when he dropped the gloves. "And I'll tell you something, always get the first one (punch) in, that's the fight in hockey."

Tanton, also spoke with Terry Reardon, the coach and general manager of the Clippers. "That Plager is absolutely fearless," said Reardon. "I think he actually enjoys fighting. I think he and his brother (Barclay) stay in shape in the summer by beating each other up." 

At home, against the Providence Reds on December 2, Plager was involved in a collision with Bob Leduc. The incident took place behind the Clippers' net. As Plager followed through on his check, he drove Leduc into Bill Collins, who was positioned against the boards. The tremendous force of the check and the impact with Collins, resulted in Leduc going down. He suffered a back injury and was out of commission for several weeks.

Plager explained his part in the hit. "That's my play. If they don't keep their heads up they will have to take the consequences."

In February of 1967, Plager got another shot with the Rangers, as he filled in for injured defenceman, Jim Neilson. This was Plager's last appearance as a Ranger. He was sent down to Baltimore after he suited up for one game.

There was light at the end of the tunnel for Plager's goal of becoming a permanent fixture on an NHL team. It came when the NHL expanded from 6 to 12 franchises.

During the expansion draft in June 1967, the Rangers lost defenceman Rod Seiling, who was selected by the St. Louis Blues. New York, not happy with Seiling's departure, worked out a deal with St. Louis to get him back. In exchange for Seiling, Bob Plager and Gary Sabourin went to the Blues.

In St. Louis, Plager became a mainstay on the Blues' defensive core. And he never altered his game.

Following a contest in Pittsburgh, on November 6, 1968, Blues' coach, Scotty Bowman, raved about Plager's contribution in a 3-1 victory over the Penguins. "Bob was hitting as hard and as often tonight as I've ever seen him. He was really punishing those opposing forwards."

At the age of 34, Plager announced his retirement on October 1, 1977. The Blues didn't offer Plager a contract for the upcoming season. He remained in the game as a special assignment scout with St. Louis.

As the 1977-78 campaign progressed, the Blues struggled out of the gate. By Thanksgiving Day (in the States), on November 24, they only recorded 4 victories. This moved Emile Francis, now the Blues' general manager, to take action. He decided his club lacked physical fortitude and signed Plager to  contract. 

Francis shed light on his decision to bring Plager back into the fold as an active player. "Bobby may not be the fastest guy in the world on skates, but he has a hockey head on him and he won't back off from anyone, like some of our players have been doing."

Plager's comeback came at home on December 3, 1977, against the New York Islanders. Although the Blues lost 7-2, Plager's impact was immediate. The St. Louis Dispatch noted: "Until Plager hit (Mike) Kaszycki with a hip check ... the crowd sat back in bored silence and watched the Islanders effortlessly protect their three-goal lead."

His return as a St Louis Blue, ended after 18 games. On February 16, 1978, Plager was named as the player-coach of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the Central Hockey League. He replaced his brother, Barclay, who was promoted to takeover the coaching reins with the St. Louis Blues.

In the off-season, Plager was reassigned to his job as a special assignment scout. He would go on to serve a number of roles with the Blues, which ranged from working in the hockey department, to broadcasting, and community relations.

A left-shooting defenceman, Plager participated in 644 National Hockey League games with New York and St. Louis. He scored 20 goals and 126 assists for 146 points. He raked up 802 penalty minutes. He appeared in the Stanley Cup final three-times (1968-69-70) with the Blues. In 74 playoff encounters, Plager scored 2 goals and 17 helpers, for 19 points. He was in the sin-bin for 195 minutes. 

Noted for his long sideburns and wearing turtleneck sweaters, Plager was known for his sense of humour and pranks.

When his lack of conditioning got the best of him and his weight was up, Plager said, "There was one coach who told the players if they were ever late for practice, they would have to skate 10 laps around me."

In 1986, St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher, John Tudor, met Plager in the Blues' dressing room. Tudor told a story about taking out an electrical fan after being removed from a World Series contest. Plager chimed in with, "I used to hit fans too, but they were in the stands."

One time on the road, Scotty Bowman asked Plager about his sleeping schedule. "I took him outside and showed him the street lights," began Plager. "I told him, 'When they go on, I go out. The they go off, I go to the rink. They're like alarm clocks, and they're all over town.'"

Once, Plager was asked about his endorsements when he played. "I got $5,000 from every company. $5,000 not to wear their skates. $5,000 not to wear their gloves. $5,000 not to use their sticks."

A statement, from the St. Louis Blues, read in part, "It is unimaginable to imagine the St. Louis Blues without Bobby Plager. He was an original 1967 member of the St. Louis Blues, but also an original in every sense of the word. Bobby's influence at all levels of the Blues organization was profound and everlasting, and his loss to our city will be deep."