Jeff Roberson/Linked Press
Longtime NHL defenseman Bobby Plager died after a vehicle fracture in St. Louis on the age of 78 on Wednesday.
Plager spent 14 years within the NHL—11 of them with the St. Louis Blues and one more three with the Fresh York Rangers.
In a assertion remembering Plager, the Blues once again shared the love for the actual person whose No. 5 became retired in 2017:
“It’s unbelievable to imagine the St. Louis Blues without Bobby Plager.
“He became an genuine 1967 member of the St. Louis Blues, but also an genuine in every sense of the be aware. Bobby’s impact at all ranges of the Blues organization became profound and eternal, and his loss to our metropolis will be deep.
“Bobby loved to squawk he became No. 5 in our program, but No. 1 in our hearts. Today, our hearts are broken, but sometime they’ll be warmed again by recollections of his character, humor and proper love for his household, our neighborhood, the St. Louis Blues and generations of followers who will omit him dearly.
“The St. Louis Blues ship all of our love and enhance to his household, and we hope all people will fetch strength luminous that Bobby got his parade.”
Tributes to Plager began flooding social media as info of his loss of life grew to alter into public.
Mayor Lyda Krewson @LydaKrewson
A sad day for St. Louis as we mourn the passing of an exact hockey yarn. I be half of thousands of followers in sending my condolences to the household and chums of the broad Bobby Plager and the total @StLouisBlues organization.
Thank you Bobby for years of recollections on and off the ice. #5
Benjamin Hochman @hochman
Bobby Plager.
Leisure In Peace.He became the toughest, nastiest Blue and the nicest, sweetest man.
He became an element of the St. Louis Blues’ culture from the very first year. He’ll be piece of the Blues’ culture and not utilizing a waste in sight. https://t.co/T9ysRp5Lrh
Aaron Portzline @Aportzline
Unpleasant info out of St. Louis this day that Blues yarn Bobby Plager has died in a vehicle accident.
Clearly touched a form of lives in hockey and former. There are many connections between #CBJ and @StLouisBlues.
Deep sympathy and condolences to all who were lucky to call him ideal friend. https://t.co/xAbJ238hx2
After retiring in 1978, Plager grew to alter into a member of the Blues’ entrance office, the set he helped advance the scouting department sooner than making a short transition to instructing—first with the St. Louis affiliate Peoria Rivermen and later 11 video games with the Blues—but he selected to resign and returned to the role of vice president of player pattern.
Plager became surely one of many distinctive Blues players on the inaugural crew and had a likelihood to skate in St. Louis alongside his brothers Invoice and Barclay. For his NHL having fun with profession, he recorded 20 targets, 121 assists and 141 aspects over 616 video games while earning 760 penalty minutes.
An investigation into the fracture remains ongoing.
