My Favorite Ex- Blues PlayersMy Favorite Ex- Blues Players
This page is strictly for my favorite ex-Blues players.Some them have been gone for a while and some have been traded recently.
Craig Conroy came to St. Louis from Montreal, but now he's gone too. Craig was the main part of our checking line. He's great at short handed goals, and is our iron man so far. As long as he stays away from an Al MacInnis slap shot he will be fine.
Craig always has a smile on his face. You can see it here in a picture with me. It's even there when he is mad. He has a wonderful wife named Jessica. Soon you will be seeing pictures of her on here. Their daughter, Taylor, is really great. She just turned a year. Taylor's little sister, Sophia is a real cutie too.
The Blues picked up Joe Murphy as a free agent. Despite of being ill and in the hospital, Joe still scored over twenty goals. He's a fun guy to watch on the ice. You never know what kind of a face he is going to make. Joe also owns a minor league hockey team in New Mexico. Here's the story about his team.
Joe was traded on March 24, 1998 for Todd Gill of the San Jose Sharks. Joe's goofy expressions will be missed.
Rod Brind'Amour was the first hockey player that I loved. He was very talented, and he wasn't much older than me. He was traded to the Flyers on September 22, 1991 for Ron Sutter and Murray Baron. Dan Quinn went along with Rod.
Steve Duchesne is back on the Blues again for a repeat performance. He is a great defenceman. Steve has been gone for two years. His daughter Dillan was born in St. Louis. His son, Lake was born with a genetic eye disorder, and were refered to a doctor in St. Louis. Steve and his wife, Tracie, are hoping to spend the rest of Steve's career here. Well....They were wrong. Steve opted to sign with the LA Kings. The Blues didn't make an offer to him. Hopefully, he'll keep the house on the golf course of St. Albens. I will miss Steve and his family. He is now playing for the Detroit Red Wings when he gets to play.
Ian Laperriere was another player traded by Mike Keenan. Ian was a fan favorite and was loved by most fans. He was traded at the end of December of 1995 to the Rangers. He played the 1994-1995 and the beginning of the 1995-1996 season with the Blues. Ian suprised us all when he came back to St. Louis before the All Star game. He was in town to see Curtis Joseph's first game back. "Lappy" got mobed by fans, including my friend Vince, who works for the Blues. I was also honored to get a with Ian and Joe Michelletti Ian had shoulder surgery on March 25, 1997.Ian has had a speedy recovery. He played very well when he came back to St. Louis on October 9th. Al MacInnis didn't have to hit him in the back of the head though. He was happy about being back in St. Louis, even tough he was playing for the other team. Ian said that he would swim the Mississippi River if it would get him back to St. Louis any faster. November 27, 1997 the Kings are back and so is Lappy. The Kings skated to a 2,2 tie with Lappy receiving an assist. Lappy has created some bad against the Blues. Lappy is d in the article conviently putting Jim Campbell to the ice.
Lappy is currently engaged. He is planning for a summer wedding in 1999. Here's a of Lappy talking to Philippe Boucher and Nathan LaFayette.
Nathan LaFayette played his rookie year with the Blues in the 1993-1994 season. He was traded to the Canucks with Jeff Brown and Bret Hedican. It was a long time before Nathan came back to St. Louis, if he wasn't injured or sent down, he was traded again. He finally made it to St. Louis with the LA Kings. It had been three years since Nathan and I saw each other. Ater he was here, my best friend and I headed out to Pittsburgh and New Jersey to see him and the rest of the LA Kings play.
Bret Hedican was also traded with Nathan LaFayette and Jeff Brown. Bret was the first ex-Blues that I saw in the shortened season of 1994-1995. The Canucks just happened to practice after the Blues the day before their game and two days before my 21st birthday. Nathan was injured at the time, and traded before the Canucks came back the second time that season. "Hedi" is the only one form that trade that is still on the Canucks. I have made a couple trips to Chicago to see him play, My best friend and I always goto the Drake hotel where they stay and wish them good luck. This of Bret and I was taken outside the Drake a few years ago. Bret played for the Blues from the 1991-1992 season to the 1993-1994 season. He is a physical defenceman. He's not afraid to stop a puck with his body, or to have the chance to be the goalie for a few seconds. Bret sitll hold the fastest skater record on the Blues. He finally signed with Vancouver on October 9th.
Hedi got traded for that darling goalie, Kevin Weekes, of the Detroit Vipers. Kevin was property of the Florida Panthers. This is the first time I had two friends traded for each other. Hedi is currently on injured reserve fora high sticking incident, that scratched the lens of his right eye. His vision is blured, but the doctors say that his vision will return.
Hedican Honored by WCHA
Congratulations to former SCSU skater Bret Hedican on being named to the WCHA's Top 50 team on Dec. 20. Hedican is being honored by the league this year, as being one of the WCHA's top 50 players in the league's 50-year history. Hedican played at SCSU from 1988 to 1991, and has played since that time in the NHL. He currently skates for the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Congratulations Bret!
Craig Johnson played for the Blues for two years. He took Brendan Shanahan's place during the 1995 playoffs when Brendan broke his ankle. Craig was traded to the Kings for Wayne Gretzky, which was a stupid move, since he didn't stay with the Blues. Craig spent most of the 1996-1997 season injured. He had adominal surgery in December.This year he's headed off to a good start. Craig played very well in the last Blues LA game. He's getting his goals and assists early, before he gets injured again.
You never know what kind of you're going to get of "Johnnie". He looks like a deer caught in the headlights in this . His roommate on the road Dan Bylsma can give you agreat candid moment too. Danny just wrote a book, "So Your Son Wants to Play in the NHL". I recomend it for a great read. Johnnie got married on February 14, 1998. His baby boy, Eric Thomas Johnson, was born the August 10,1998. The same day as his best fan's father (Carrie's dad). He also used Carrie's name for her first boy and her last name as the baby's middle name.
Cliff Ronning played for the Blues a long time ago. He was traded to the Canucks with a few other Blues players for Garth Butcher. "Cliff" is a little runt you love to . He playes for Pheonix now and helps the team out a lot. Cliff played for the Blues from the 1985-1986 season to the 1990-1991 season.
Cliff was recently traded to Nashville, where he seems to be lighting up the scoreboard. He has also added another child to the Ronning clan.
Roman Vopat was sent down at the beginning of 1996, to save him from the wrath of Brett Hull. Roman was traded to the Kings for Wayne Gretzky with Craig Johnson and Patrice Tardif. Roman played for the Blues during the fall of 1996. He played for the kings in the Spring of 1997, where I saw him score a goal against Pittsburgh on one of my many roadtrips. I impressed him by having a King's jersey with his name on it. Craig Johnson told me that I had the frist one that Roman had seen, besides his own. Roman did not play in the last game against the Blues.
After a few months away, Roman is back. I got to see him play when LA played in Toronto. He was happy to see me ( a will be coming soon). The trip was supposed to be to see Jeff Brown, but seeing Roman was just as nice.
Roman is going back to the Czech Republic for the summer. while his brother Jan is staying in the US. Here's a of the brothers together.
For some reason the 1998-1999 season has not been good for Roman. He played three games for the Kings. Then he was traded to Colorado for 11 days and didn't play. Next he went onto Chicago to play three games, and has now ended up in Philadelphia on November 17, 1998. Here's thestoryon the latest trade. He needs to settle in one place so I can see him play. I miss him.
I got to see Roman after Christmas on December 26, 1998. I was on my way through Chicago on my way to Detroit. I knew the Flyers were in town, so I just had to stop by the Drake to see Roman. He was very suprised to see me. The Flyers flew in that morning and went straight to the United Center for practice. He didn't believe me when I told him that I wouldn't see him before the game, since I was going to Detroit to see the Vipers play, and Patrice Tardif, who happened to be injured and did not make the roadtrip. Roman needs to listed to me more often, eh?
Roman has changed numbers again. He is now sporting #29 for the Flyers. Needless to say, I'm keeping the number 24 jersey I already own, and am not getting another that says #29.
I have no idea where Roman is now. He has simply fallen off the face of the earth,
Jim Campbell is one of the best rookies the Blues have ever had next to Rod Brind'Amour. Jim received twenty-three goals during the regular season. He sustained a thumb injury in a Tampa Bay Lightning game and was out for the last part of the 1996-1997 season, and some of the playoffs.
Jimmy is a really great guy. And I'm not just saying that. He got my friends and I CD's for our birthdays. Grant it, he got them from a radio station he did an interview for, but it is the thought that counts. Plus he took me and my friend out to lunch the other day, and payed for the whole thing.
Jimmy is currently playing for the Montreal Canadians
Putting Kelly Chase on the Waiver draft was the first mistake Mike Keenan ever made. The Hartford Whalers picked up "Chaser" in the 1994-1995 season, and traded him to Toranto in 1997. Kelly played for the Blues from the 1989-1990 season to the 1993-1994 season. He received the most penality minutes per game than any Blues player. Now he is back for another shift with the Blues. He was reaquired on September 30, 1997, just in time for the first game. The chears for Kelly were greater than the ones for Brett Hull.
Jeff has over grown his spot on this page. Here's a page just for him..I have a whole page dedicated to Brendan Shanahan. Check it out here.
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