Bob Plager

Robert Bryant Plager (March 11, 1943 – March 24, 2021) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 14 seasons from 1964 until 1978, primarily for the St. Louis Blues. Plager spent over half a century with the Blues organization in various capacities.
==Early career==
Plager grew up in Kirkland Lake, Ontario in a hockey family. His father was the chief official in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Plager played junior hockey with the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters and the Guelph Royals. Known for his aggressive, highly physical play, Plager broke what was then the Ontario Hockey Association record for penalty minutes in a season in 1961-62. He signed a professional contract with the New York Rangers in 1964 but only played 29 games with this club over the next three years, spending most of his time with the minor league Baltimore Clippers. The NHL's expansion gave Plager his chance to become an NHL regular; he was traded to St. Louis with Gary Sabourin, Tim Ecclestone and Gord Kannegiesser for Rod Seiling on June 6, 1967.Legends of Hockey - NHL Player Search - Player - Bob Plager
==Blues playing career==
Plager was reunited with his brothers as the St. Louis Blues started their existence with a hard-hitting, defensive-oriented squad that appeared in three straight Stanley Cup Finals. Plager earned a reputation as a bruising player with a devastating hip check. Off the ice, he was known as a prankster who was able to bond teammates through his lighthearted demeanor.Honored Numbers - Bob Plager - St Louis Blues - History Despite injuries, Plager was able to play 615 games over 11 years on the St. Louis blue line.https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/plagebo01.htm
==Post-playing career==
Plager retired from on-ice action in 1978 and took a job with the Blues front office. He is credited with developing the process of advanced scouting. During the 1990–91 season, he took over as head coach of the Peoria Rivermen, a Blues affiliate club. In his one season behind the bench, he led the team to a Turner Cup championship and won the Commissioners' Trophy as coach of the year. During the 1992–93 season, he became the Blues' head coach, but, unhappy with his new role, he resigned after 11 games to return to his job as vice president of player development.Archives - Philly.com
His jersey was retired on February 2, 2017, the seventh for a Blues player. He was either a player, coach or executive for nearly all of the Blues' existence until his death.
==Personal life==
Plager's brothers, Bill and Barclay, also played in the NHL. All three of them played together with the St. Louis Blues from 1968 to 1972.
Plager was a convert to Judaism.All-Time List of Jewish Skaters in the NHL He was killed in a two-car accident along eastbound Interstate 64 on March 24, 2021.
==Career statistics==
Source: 
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1959–60 	Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters	OHA 		44 	0 	1 	1 	37 		5 	0 	1 	1 	4
1960–61 	Guelph Royals 	OHA 		43 	3 	12 	15 	99 		14 	3 	8 	11 	73
1961–62 	Guelph Royals 	OHA 		50 	5 	22 	27 	161 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1961–62 	Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers 	EPHL 		3 	0 	0 	0 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1962–63 	Guelph Royals 	OHA 		45 	11 	28 	39 	97 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1962–63 	Baltimore Clippers 	AHL 		4 	0 	0 	0 	6 		2 	0 	0 	0 	10
1963–64 	St. Paul Rangers 	CHL 		61 	13 	35 	48 	158 		8 	3 	6 	9 	21
1964–65 	New York Rangers 	NHL 		10 	0 	0 	0 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1964–65 	Vancouver Canucks 	WHL 		31 	5 	12 	17 	103 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1964–65 	Baltimore Clippers 	AHL 		19 	2 	12 	14 	27 		5 	0 	0 	0 	6
1965–66 	New York Rangers 	NHL 		18 	0 	5 	5 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1965–66 	Minnesota Rangers 	CHL 		44 	7 	12 	19 	145 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1966–67 	New York Rangers 	NHL 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1966–67 	Baltimore Clippers 	AHL 		63 	3 	16 	19 	169 		9 	0 	5 	5 	15
1967–68 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		53 	2 	5 	7 	86 		18 	1 	2 	3 	69
1968–69 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		32 	0 	7 	7 	43 		9 	0 	4 	4 	47
1968–69 	Kansas City Blues 	CHL 		5 	1 	3 	4 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1969–70 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		64 	3 	11 	14 	113 		16 	0 	3 	3 	46
1970–71 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		70 	1 	19 	20 	114 		6 	0 	2 	2 	4
1971–72 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		50 	4 	7 	11 	81 		11 	1 	4 	5 	5
1972–73 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		77 	2 	31 	33 	107 		5 	0 	2 	2 	2
1973–74 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		61 	3 	10 	13 	48 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1974–75 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		73 	1 	14 	15 	53 		2 	0 	0 	0 	20
1975–76 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		63 	3 	8 	11 	90 		3 	0 	0 	0 	2
1976–77 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		54 	1 	9 	10 	23 		4 	0 	0 	0 	
1976–77 	Kansas City Blues 	CHL 		4 	0 	2 	2 	15 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1977–78 	Salt Lake Golden Eagles 	CHL 		11 	0 	3 	3 	52 		6 	0 	3 	3 	6
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		644 	20 	126 	146 	802 		74 	2 	17 	19 	195
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Coaching record==
Source: 
Team 	Year 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Post season
Team 	Year 	G 	W 	L 	T 	Pts 	Division rank 	Result
St. Louis Blues	1992–93	11 	4 	6 	1 	(9) 	(resigned) 	—
==See also==
*List of select Jewish ice hockey players
==References==
==External links==
*
*St. Louis Blues biography
==External Links==
*
Plager, Bob
Category:2021 deaths
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Plager, Bob
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches
Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Category:Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters players
Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario