1980–81 St. Louis Blues season

The 1980–81 St. Louis Blues season was the 14th for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri. The Blues won the Smythe Division for the first time in four seasons, with a record of 45 wins, 18 losses and 17 ties, good for 107 points, and second place overall in the entire NHL. This was the first time that the Blues had ever accumulated 100 or more points in a season. The Blues defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in a five-game preliminary round, before losing the quarter-finals in six games to the New York Rangers.

Regular season Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|1||W||October 9, 1980||8–6 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (1980–81) ||1–0–0

|2||L||October 11, 1980||1–5 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) ||1–1–0

|3||T||October 14, 1980||5–5 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1980–81) ||1–1–1

|4||W||October 15, 1980||2–1 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1980–81) ||2–1–1

|5||W||October 18, 1980||3–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1980–81) ||3–1–1

|6||W||October 21, 1980||4–3 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) ||4–1–1

|7||L||October 22, 1980||3–9 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) ||4–2–1

|8||W||October 24, 1980||3–2 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1980–81) ||5–2–1

|9||T||October 25, 1980||3–3 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1980–81) ||5–2–2

|10||W||October 28, 1980||5–4 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1980–81) ||6–2–2

|11||T||October 29, 1980||2–2 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1980–81) ||6–2–3

|12||L||November 1, 1980||2–3 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (1980–81) ||6–3–3

|13||W||November 2, 1980||5–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) ||7–3–3

|14||W||November 5, 1980||6–1 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (1980–81) ||8–3–3

|15||L||November 8, 1980||2–4 || align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1980–81) ||8–4–3

|16||W||November 9, 1980||6–4 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) ||9–4–3

|17||W||November 11, 1980||8–2 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) ||10–4–3

|18||L||November 14, 1980||1–5 || align="left"| @ Colorado Rockies (1980–81) ||10–5–3

|19||W||November 15, 1980||5–3 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) ||11–5–3

|20||L||November 18, 1980||2–7 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1980–81) ||11–6–3

|21||W||November 22, 1980||6–2 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1980–81) ||12–6–3

|22||W||November 25, 1980||5–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) ||13–6–3

|23||W||November 26, 1980||6–4 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) ||14–6–3

|24||T||November 28, 1980||1–1 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) ||14–6–4

|25||W||November 29, 1980||9–3 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (1980–81) ||15–6–4

|26||W||December 2, 1980||5–2 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) ||16–6–4

|27||W||December 6, 1980||5–2 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) ||17–6–4

|28||W||December 9, 1980||4–1 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1980–81) ||18–6–4

|29||L||December 11, 1980||2–5 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) ||18–7–4

|30||W||December 13, 1980||9–4 || align="left"| Colorado Rockies (1980–81) ||19–7–4

|31||L||December 14, 1980||4–5 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) ||19–8–4

|32||L||December 17, 1980||1–4 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) ||19–9–4

|33||W||December 18, 1980||7–3 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1980–81) ||20–9–4

|34||W||December 20, 1980||5–2 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) ||21–9–4

|35||W||December 23, 1980||6–3 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) ||22–9–4

|36||T||December 27, 1980||4–4 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) ||22–9–5

|37||W||December 28, 1980||3–2 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) ||23–9–5

|38||W||December 30, 1980||5–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) ||24–9–5

|39||W||January 3, 1981||6–3 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) ||25–9–5

|40||W||January 6, 1981||6–3 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) ||26–9–5

|41||T||January 8, 1981||5–5 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) ||26–9–6

|42||T||January 10, 1981||6–6 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) ||26–9–7

|43||W||January 12, 1981||5–2 || align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (1980–81) ||27–9–7

|44||L||January 14, 1981||3–6 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) ||27–10–7

|45||W||January 17, 1981||7–6 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) ||28–10–7

|46||T||January 21, 1981||6–6 || align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (1980–81) ||28–10–8

|47||L||January 22, 1981||3–7 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1980–81) ||28–11–8

|48||W||January 24, 1981||4–2 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) ||29–11–8

|49||W||January 27, 1981||7–1 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1980–81) ||30–11–8

|50||L||January 31, 1981||2–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1980–81) ||30–12–8

|51||W||February 1, 1981||4–1 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1980–81) ||31–12–8

|52||T||February 3, 1981||3–3 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) ||31–12–9

|53||W||February 5, 1981||8–4 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) ||32–12–9

|54||W||February 7, 1981||9–2 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1980–81) ||33–12–9

|55||T||February 8, 1981||3–3 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) ||33–12–10

|56||T||February 12, 1981||3–3 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) ||33–12–11

|57||T||February 14, 1981||1–1 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1980–81) ||33–12–12

|58||W||February 15, 1981||5–4 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1980–81) ||34–12–12

|59||W||February 17, 1981||5–2 || align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1980–81) ||35–12–12

|60||L||February 18, 1981||2–9 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1980–81) ||35–13–12

|61||W||February 21, 1981||4–1 || align="left"| Colorado Rockies (1980–81) ||36–13–12

|62||T||February 24, 1981||2–2 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) ||36–13–13

|63||W||February 25, 1981||3–2 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1980–81) ||37–13–13

|64||W||February 28, 1981||7–4 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1980–81) ||38–13–13

|65||T||March 1, 1981||4–4 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1980–81) ||38–13–14

|66||W||March 3, 1981||4–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1980–81) ||39–13–14

|67||W||March 7, 1981||7–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1980–81) ||40–13–14

|68||W||March 8, 1981||7–0 || align="left"| @ Colorado Rockies (1980–81) ||41–13–14

|69||T||March 11, 1981||5–5 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1980–81) ||41–13–15

|70||L||March 12, 1981||3–4 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1980–81) ||41–14–15

|71||W||March 14, 1981||5–3 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1980–81) ||42–14–15

|72||L||March 18, 1981||2–6 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1980–81) ||42–15–15

|73||T||March 21, 1981||3–3 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1980–81) ||42–15–16

|74||W||March 22, 1981||6–5 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) ||43–15–16

|75||L||March 24, 1981||3–5 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1980–81) ||43–16–16

|76||W||March 28, 1981||7–4 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1980–81) ||44–16–16

|77||L||March 31, 1981||3–6 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1980–81) ||44–17–16

|78||W||April 2, 1981||6–4 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1980–81) ||45–17–16

|79||L||April 4, 1981||0–5 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1980–81) ||45–18–16

|80||T||April 5, 1981||5–5 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1980–81) ||45–18–17

Legend:

Playoffs Preliminary vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Quarterfinals vs. New York Rangers

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG C 78 31 73 104 479924 RW 78 54 42 96 93141407 C 80 20 67 87 4016602 LW 62 37 36 73 2414805 LW 78 35 34 69 232121704 C 74 24 44 68 57151011 C 75 34 22 56 20915505 RW 61 23 32 55 3832204 RW 55 20 26 46 413503 C 80 22 23 45 1072083 D 80 8 25 33 12436003 D 63 4 27 31 5312301 D 71 5 23 28 125311 RW 66 9 14 23 581011 D 60 2 21 23 11419000 D 74 3 18 21 6015000 C 66 6 12 18 23-5010 D 23 4 12 16 141301 D 63 4 11 15 1329000 D 40 3 10 13 1377000 RW 25 4 2 6 42020 G 19 0 2 2 00000 G 4 0 1 1 00000 D 4 0 0 0 4-3000 D 1 0 0 0 0-1000 LW 2 0 0 0 00000 G 61 0 0 0 00000 RW 1 0 0 0 01000 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LTGAGAA SO 3570 61 33 14 13 199 3.34 1 1010 19 10 3 3 72 4.28 0 220 4 2 1 1 8 2.18 0 Team: 4800 80 45 18 17 279 3.49 1

Playoffs Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG C 11 8 10 18 2401 RW 11 4 12 16 4100 D 11 1 11 12 10100 LW 11 6 3 9 77300 C 11 4 5 9 4300 LW 11 4 3 7 0102 RW 9 2 5 7 6000 C 11 2 4 6 30000 D 8 2 2 4 12000 RW 11 3 0 3 8002 D 11 1 2 3 12000 D 11 0 3 3 2000 C 11 0 3 3 4000 RW 11 2 0 2 8100 C 11 2 0 2 2000 D 4 1 0 1 11000 D 11 0 1 1 54000 D 10 0 0 0 27000 G 11 0 0 0 0000 RW 1 0 0 0 0000 RW 1 0 0 0 4000 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LGAGAA SO 685 11 5 6 50 4.38 0 Team: 685 11 5 6 50 4.38 0

Transactions The Blues were involved in the following transactions during the 1980–81 season.

Trades June 19, 1980To St. Louis BluesCraig NorwichTo Winnipeg JetsRick Bowness October 30, 1980To St. Louis BluesBill StewartTo Buffalo SabresBob Hess 4th-round pick in 1981 – Anders Wikberg

Waivers February 2, 1981To Colorado RockiesCraig Norwich

Free agent signings May 8, 1980From Västra Frölunda IF (Sweden)Jörgen Pettersson July 14, 1980From Adirondack Red Wings (AHL)John Taft November 12, 1980From Quebec NordiquesGerry Hart

Draft picks St. Louis's draft picks at the 1980 NHL entry draft held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)112Rik WilsonKingston Canadians (OHA)354Jim PaveseKitchener Rangers (OHA)475Bob BrookeYale University (ECAC)596Alain LemieuxChicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)6117Perry AndersonKingston Canadians (OMJHL)7138Roger HagglundUmeå (Sweden)8159Pat RabbittBillings Bighorns (WHL)9180Peter LindgrenHammarby (Sweden)10201John SmythCalgary Wranglers (WHL)

See also 1980–81 NHL season

References