Market1967–68 St. Louis Blues season
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1967–68 St. Louis Blues season

The 1967–68 St. Louis Blues season was the inaugural season in the history of the franchise. The Blues were one of the six new teams added to the NHL in the 1967 expansion. The other franchises were the Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and California Seals. The league doubled in size from its Original Six.

Offseason
NHL draft The Blues attempted to select Saskatoon Blades forward Dale Fairbrother with their first round pick, but the pick was ruled invalid since Fairbrother was on the Portland Buckaroos' sponsored list. The Blues passed on making selections in the second and third rounds. ==Regular season==
Regular season
The franchise's first game was played on October 11, 1967. The Blues and Minnesota North Stars played to a 2–2 tie at the St. Louis Arena, with the Blues' first ever team goal scored by Larry Keenan of North Bay, Ontario. A St. Michaels product, Keenan had his career end prematurely due to injuries. He relocated back to North Bay where he coached a local Midget AAA team for many years. The Blues were originally coached by Lynn Patrick who resigned in late-November and was replaced by Scotty Bowman. Although the league's rules effectively kept star players with the Original Six teams, the Blues were one of the stronger teams of the West Division. The playoff format required an expansion team to make it to the Stanley Cup finals, and the Blues made it to the final round. Season standings Record vs. opponents ==Playoffs==
Playoffs
Stanley Cup Final The Blues beat the North Stars in a game 7 double overtime and made the Stanley Cup Final. Although they lost in four straight games, they played proudly, as all four games each were decided by just one goal (and two of the four were decided in overtime). Glenn Hall was especially noted for his goaltending, especially in game three when the Blues were outshot 46 to 15. Red Burnett, one of the most prominent hockey writers of the day, said of Hall's playing, "A number of Hall's saves were seemingly impossible. Experts walked out of the Forum convinced no other goaltender had performed so brilliantly in a losing cause." In overtime in game three, Hall made an exceptional save on Dick Duff and then, standing on his head, made another. Burnett said, "It was a heartbreaker to see. After the saves on Duff, Bobby Rousseau came and batted home the second rebound." Hall's playing won him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. However, Montreal was not to be denied and won the Stanley Cup in game four as J. C. Tremblay fired home the winning goal. When the game ended, the fans came on the ice to celebrate, and balloons, hats and programs were thrown from the stands. ==Schedule and results==
Player statistics
Forwards Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points Defensemen Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points Goaltending Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against ==Post-season stats==
Post-season stats
Forwards Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points Defensemen Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points Goaltending Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against; SV% = Save percentage ==Awards and honors==
Awards and honors
• Glenn Hall, Conn Smythe Trophy ==Expansion draft==
Expansion draft
St. Louis Blues selections ==References==
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