{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (1943–2021)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | name = Bob Plager | image = BobPlager2014.jpg | caption = Plager in 2014 | played_for = New York Rangers<br />St. Louis Blues | position = Defence | shoots = Left | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 195 | birth_date = {{birth date|1943|3|11|mf=y}} | birth_place = Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|3|24|1943|3|11}} | death_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | career_start = 1962 | career_end = 1978 }} '''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 was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, on March 11, 1943.<ref name="HR player"/> His father, Gus, worked as the chief official in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association.<ref name=Timmermann>{{cite news|title=Bob Plager remembered for all he meant to team and St. Louis|url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/article_49529cdc-9c15-5f05-86b8-113fc0a6019f.html|first=Tom|last=Timmermann|date=March 24, 2021|access-date=March 24, 2021|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch}}</ref> Plager played junior hockey with the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters and the Guelph Royals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=4305|title=Bob Plager Hockey Stats and Profile|work=HockeyDB|publisher=The Internet Hockey Database|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref> Known for his aggressive, highly physical play, he broke what was then the Ontario Hockey Association record for penalty minutes in a season in 1961–62.<ref name=Timmermann/> He subsequently 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13992|title=Legends of Hockey -- NHL Player Search -- Player -- Bob Plager|website=Legendsofhockey.net}}</ref>
==Blues playing career== Plager was reunited with his brothers Bill and Barclay as all three took the ice for St. Louis Blues as the team started its 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blues.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=34447|title=Honored Numbers - Bob Plager|website=Blues.nhl.com}}</ref> Despite injuries, Plager was able to play 615 games over 11 years on the St. Louis blue line.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/plagebo01.html|title=Bob Plager|editor=<!--Not stated-->|department=Players|website=Hockey-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference|language=en|type=Profile|access-date=December 12, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201161156/http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/plagebo01.html |archive-date=December 1, 2008 }}</ref>
==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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/archives/|title=Archives | The Philadelphia Inquirer|website=Inquirer.com}}</ref>
His jersey was retired on February 2, 2017, the seventh for a Blues player.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/plager-retirement-ceremony-set-for-630-pm/c-286032768 |title=Plager retirement ceremony set for 6:30 p.m. |publisher=NHL.com |date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> He was either a player, coach or executive for nearly all of the Blues' existence until his death.<ref>{{cite web|title=St. Louis Blues legend Bob Plager dies in car accident at age 78|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31129801/st-louis-blues-legend-bob-plager-dies-car-accident|first=Emily|last=Kaplan|date=March 24, 2021|access-date=March 24, 2021|website=ESPN.com}}</ref>
==Personal life== Plager's brothers, Bill and Barclay, also played in the NHL.<ref name="HR player"/> All three of them played together with the St. Louis Blues from 1968 to 1972.<ref name="HR player"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/plagebi01.html|title=Bill Plager Stats|work=Hockey-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/plageba01.html|title=Barclay Plager Stats|work=Hockey-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref> Plager was a convert to Judaism.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=hockey&ID=30 |title=Plager, Bob : Jews In Sports @ Virtual Museum |publisher=Jewsinsports.org |date=March 11, 1943 |access-date=October 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171917/http://jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=hockey&ID=30 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewishsportsreview.com/totalhockey.htm|title=All-Time List of Jewish Skaters in the NHL|website=Jewishsportsreview.com|access-date=May 3, 2018|archive-date=March 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310020901/http://www.jewishsportsreview.com/totalhockey.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Death== Plager died of a "cardiac event" suffered while driving eastbound on Interstate 64, on March 24, 2021, leading to a two-vehicle collision.<ref name=Death>{{Cite web |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/blues-hockey-legend-plager-killed-in-crash-on-highway-40-in-st-louis/article_8edbff6b-f3fd-5702-9190-5c4b2c5100d5.html |title=Blues hockey legend Plager killed in crash on Highway 40 |date=March 24, 2021 |last=Heffernan |first=Erin |website=The St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Blues legend Bobby Plager dead in car accident on Interstate 64|url=https://www.kmov.com/news/sources-blues-legend-bobby-plager-dead-in-car-accident-on-interstate-64/article_12d6bd1a-8cd4-11eb-b4f2-2f4048beba25.html|access-date=March 24, 2021|website=Kmov.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/blues-legend-bob-plager-died-from-cardiac-related-issue/63-250ac785-c4fa-4efe-9b81-21b28b1141b0|title=Blues legend Bob Plager died from cardiac-related issue|website=Ksdk.com|date=March 26, 2021}}</ref> During a commemoration ceremony at Enterprise Center, organist Jeremy Boyer played "When The Blues Go Marching In" while Blues alumni carried his coffin out of Enterprise Center to be transported.<ref>{{Citation|title=Jeremy playing "When the Blues Go Marching In" one last time for Bobby| date=April 19, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8QUIO_4Xww|language=en|access-date=2022-01-12}}</ref>
==Career statistics== <small>Source:<ref name="HR player">{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/plagebo01.html|title=Bob Plager Stats|work=Hockey-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref></small>
===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1961–62 | Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers | EPHL | 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1962–63 | Guelph Royals | OHA | 45 || 11 || 28 || 39 || 97 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1964–65 | New York Rangers | NHL | 10 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 18 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1964–65 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 31 || 5 || 12 || 17 || 103 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1965–66 | Minnesota Rangers | CHL | 44 || 7 || 12 || 19 || 145 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1966–67 | New York Rangers | NHL | 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 || 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 644 !! 20 !! 126 !! 146 !! 802 ! 74 !! 2 !! 17 !! 19 !! 195 |}
==Coaching record== <small>Source:<ref name="HR coach">{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/coaches/plagebo01c.html|title=Bob Plager NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record|work=Hockey-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref></small> {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="6"|Regular season !!|Postseason |- ! 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== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{icehockeystats}} *[http://blues.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=34447 St. Louis Blues biography]
{{s-start}} {{succession box | before = Brian Sutter | title = Head coach of the St. Louis Blues | years = 1992 | after = Bob Berry}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plager, Bob}} Category:1943 births Category:2021 deaths Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:Baltimore Clippers players Category:Burials at Bellerive Gardens Cemetery Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Converts to Judaism Category:Guelph Biltmores players Category:Guelph Royals players Category:Ice hockey people from Kirkland Lake Category:Jewish Canadian sportspeople Category:Minnesota Rangers players Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers Category:New York Rangers players Category:Road incident deaths in Missouri Category:St. Louis Blues announcers Category:St. Louis Blues coaches Category:St. Louis Blues executives Category:St. Louis Blues players Category:St. Louis Blues scouts Category:St. Paul Rangers players