St. Louis Blues History: The Strange Brendan Shanahan Story Ends

20 years ago, Brendan Shanahan’s time with the St. Louis Blues came to an end. While fans were upset at time, little did any of us know what we were getting in return.

What is it with Brendan Shanahan and the end of July. He seems to always get moved in the middle of the summer. Strange coincidences to be sure.

21 years ago, the St. Louis Blues gave up on one of the most talented wingers they had seen in recent history. It was, at the time, thought to be another example of the Blues giving up on a player too early for reasons that weren’t comprehendable at the time.

Little did we know the kind of player we were getting in return. Little did we know how good the deal could be. At the time it was a catastrophe.

It was another sending away of scoring when the team has always needed it. The Blues dealt away Doug Gilmour and Adam Oates in fairly quick succession, all things considered. Many felt this was another stab in the back by aimless management with no real plan.

While the last statement could still be true in a sense. Mike Keenan didn’t know what he was doing as a general manager and made some crazy deals with one or two decent ones sprinkled in. However, it ended up not being the case in the grand scheme of things.

The odd thing about Shanahan getting dealt was it closed the chapter on one of the stranger stories the Blues have had to endure. From the beginning, Shanahan’s time with the St. Louis Blues seemed star crossed.

He arrived in July of 1991, with high hopes of building upon a 66 point season. It should have been a great signing. A strong, yet skilled winger to pair up with Brett Hull on the other side.

It didn’t end that way. In the days before draft pick compensation was the norm for restricted free-agents, players were usually decided on. However, instead of the usual unknown “player to be named later”, teams went after bigger names.

In the Blues’ case, the New Jersey Devils went after a huge name. The Blues captain of the time, Scott Stevens.

Even though it was within the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, it was an extremely harsh penalty handed down by the arbitration judge. The Blues and their fans definitely felt cheated.

Fast forward four years and the strange story came to a strange end. It was fitting in a way, but nonetheless irritating at the time.

The Blues dealt Shanahan to the Hartford Whalers, in exchange for a little known, but promising defenseman named Chris Pronger.

At the time, there was almost a revolt. Even in the pre-internet age, the outrage and disappointment was palpable.

More from History

• The 3 Best Enforcers in Blues History
• Championship for the Blues 4 Years Ago. How Different Were Things Then?
• Wayne Gretzky Confirms What St. Louis Blues Fans Knew
• Snowstorm Game of 1973: A 3-1 Blues Victory over The Kings
• Flashback Friday: Blues Stage Biggest 3rd Period Comeback in NHL History vs Leafs

At the time, it felt cold and empty. The Blues had lost one of the best defenseman of all time for this scorer. They only got four seasons from him and then lost him.

The strange story had additional turns and twists in it. Most fans believed that the trade was simply due to Keenan being Keenan, or in other words insane. However, there were rumblings it may have had to do with the fact Shanahan was sleeping with Craig Janney‘s wife.

Sadly, the infidelity part is true or allegedly. Janney’s wife of the time is now Shanahan’s wife. How much, if any, it had to do with the trade is pure conjecture. It seems a bit odd that it would have that much to do with it since the Blues had already traded Janney at the deadline of the prior season.

It could be that Shanahan was a locker room “cancer”. After his stint with the Blues, there were rumors that he was not the most popular guy in the back with the Detroit Red Wings.

Whatever the reason, it was almost the only way the story could end once things had gone so sour. For the Blues, it was up to them and Pronger as to how bad the trade could have been.

Fortunately, in a rare turn of good events, the Blues actually got a fantastic player in return. You can argue which player was better, but there is no arguing the quality that Pronger brought once he came into his own.

Shanahan played more games, but he started earlier and Pronger missed so many games at the end of his career with head injuries. Shanahan obviously had more points, but 698 points is pretty good for a defenseman that was known for his physicality more than his offensive prowess.

It’s a tough call in the end. If you can only take one, which would you keep? We know what Pronger was, since he played the prime of his career with the Blues. We got a taste of Shanahan at his best, but he went on to greater glory elsewhere.

Shanahan won more Stanley Cups, but he was on a loaded team whereas Pronger was almost always the best player on his team. In the end, there is no right answer.

Next: Blues Top 30 Draft Picks: Part III

It’s hard to go against a Hall of Fame defender that spent so many good years with the Blues.

It was a strange journey with Shanahan though. It began in tears and ended in tears. Although the Blues could not win a title with any of them, it seemed like all ended up where they were meant to be.