Top 5 Captains In St. Louis Blues History
By Austin Oakes
#5 Al MacInnis
The St. Louis Blues acquired Al MacInnis through an offer sheet while he was still an RFA for the Calgary Flames, sending Phil Housley and two second-round draft picks back in compensation.
MacInnis began his time with the Blues with an injury, playing a limited amount of games his first season. He quickly managed to bounce back into form, and while he never achieved the same point totals with the Blues that he did with Calgary, he was still one of the most feared defensemen in the league.
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He won his first and only Norris trophy with the Blues in 1999. On top of that, he also won a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989, a Conn Smythe and seven Hardest Slapshot Competition victories. He finished his career third in all-time goals, assists, and points by a defenseman. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame two years after his retirement, and his number was retired by the St. Louis Blues.
Out of all of the other players on this list, MacInnis certainly had the shortest tenure as captain of the St. Louis Blues. The Hall of Famer only took the role on after the injury of teammate Chris Pronger, who then insisted on the title remaining with MacInnis upon his return.
However, his leadership abilities in St. Louis predates his captaincy. In fact, MacInnis could have never become captain in his entire time in St. Louis, and he would still be widely remembered as one of the best leaders the organization ever had.
He was seen as a leader by his teammates in the locker room and out on the ice. He was and continues to play a major role in the St. Louis community and Blues organization. “MacInnis” became a household name for Blues fans, and teams everywhere feared his legendary slapshot and passing abilities.
Even nearing the end of his career, which was only ended by an eye injury and the 2004-05 lockout, he served as an inspiration to young players on the team. The bottom line is that even though MacInnis was only technically the captain for a short amount of time for the St. Louis Blues, his legacy here is two-fold: his abilities and leadership, both of which were invaluable to the organization.
Next: #4