Former St. Louis Blues star Bob Plager was killed in a car accident on Wednesday, police said. He was 78 years old.
Plager was alone in his vehicle when it collided with a vehicle carrying two people on Interstate 64 in St. Louis at around 1:30 pm, police said. One woman suffered minor injuries. No further details were revealed.
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“It is unimaginable to imagine the St. Louis Blues without Bobby Plager,” said the team. “He was an original member of the St. Louis Blues in 1967, but also an original in every sense of the word. Bobby’s influence at all levels of the Blues organization was profound and eternal, and his loss to our city will be profound. “
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also released a statement about Plager’s death.
“Few men in the history of our game were more closely linked to a city and a franchise than Bob Plager to St. Louis and the Blues,” said Bettman. “In the lineup for the inaugural Blues game on October 11, 1967, he helped with the first goal in the history of the franchise and committed the Blues’ first penalty that night – thus starting a 54-year association with the organization.”
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The team also paid tribute to Plager on Twitter.
Plager began his career with the New York Rangers in 1964. He played three seasons with the Rangers before joining the Blues on his 1967-68 inaugural team.
The 67-68 Blues team was coached by Lynn Patrick and, eventually, by Scotty Bowman. The team ended 27-31-16 with 70 points and finished third in the Western NHL Division. Plager played 53 games as a defender alongside his brother Barclay. The team made it to the Stanley Cup only to lose in four games to the mighty Montreal Canadiens.
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Plager played the rest of his career with the Blues. He has scored 20 goals and 121 assists over the course of his career.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.