Stanley Cup Final: Who’s on the Mount Rushmore as the all-time best for the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues?
The 2019 Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues is a rematch of the 1970 Final, which Boston swept.
In the NHL since 1924, the Bruins have won the Stanley Cup five times. Current Bruins Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask were on the 2011 championship team. The Blues entered the NHL during the 1967-68 season and have never won a Stanley Cup. They reached the Final their first three seasons (1968-70) in the 12-team NHL, but this is their first trip since then.
Here's a look at who USA TODAY Sports would put on the all-time Mount Rushmores for each franchise.
These are the best players to ever suit up for the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues. (Photo: Illustration by Greg Hester, USA TODAY Sports)
BRUINS' MOUNT RUSHMORE
Bobby Orr (1966-76): Considered to be the greatest defenseman in NHL history. His puck-moving ability revolutionized the game and the position. Wearing No. 4, Orr won eight consecutive Norris trophies as the league’s top defenseman, three Hart trophies as MVP and two Art Ross trophies as leading scorer. He helped the Bruins win two Stanley Cups and holds the NHL record of 139 points by a defenseman. A Hall of Famer.
Eddie Shore (1926-40): Selected as the Hart Trophy winner in 1933, 1935, 1936 and 1938, Shore was voted as one of the NHL’s Top 100 Greatest players in 2017. He helped the Bruins win Stanley Cups in 1929 and 1939. The Bruins have retired his No. 2. A Hall of Famer.
Ray Bourque (1979-00): A five-time Norris Trophy winner, Bourque scored 10 or more goals in all 22 seasons he played defense for the Bruins. He scored a career-best 31 in 1983-84. With 1,579 points, he is the highest-scoring defenseman in NHL history. His No. 77 is retired by both the Bruins and Colorado Avalanche. A Hall of Famer.
Phil Esposito (1967-76): When “Espo” registered 126 points for the Bruins in 1968-69, he became the first NHL player to break the 100-point barrier. He led the NHL in goals for six consecutive seasons from 1970-75. His best season came in 1970-71, when he netted 76 goals and 155 points. He scored 42 or more goals eight times and helped the Bruins win two Stanley Cups. A Hall of Famer.
Who we hated leaving off: Milt Schmidt (1936-42 and 1945-55) won two Cups for the Bruins as a player and two as general manager. Power forward Cam Neely (1986-96) was a three-time 50-plus goal scorer. Both are Hall of Famers.
BLUES' MOUNT RUSHMORE
Brett Hull (1987-98): Holds the Blues record of 527 goals, scored over 11 seasons. He scored a career-best 86 goals in 1990-91, when he won the Hart Trophy. That’s the third-highest scoring total in league history. He also scored 72 goals in 1989-90 and 70 in 1991-92. A Hall of Famer.
Bernie Federko (1976-90): The franchise’s all-time leader in games (927) and points (1,073). He was the first NHL player to register 50 or more assists for 10 consecutive seasons. Goal Magazine once called Federko the most “overlooked” talent. During one stretch of his career, he registered 90 or more points in seven out of eight seasons. He is now a television analyst for Blues games. A Hall of Famer.
Al MacInnis (1994-04): Owning one of the league’s hardest slap shots, MacInnis won a Norris Trophy while playing for the Blues in 1999. The Blues retired his No. 2 and put a bronze statue of him in front of the arena. Works for the Blues organization. A Hall of Famer.
Brian Sutter (1976-88): Sutter ranks No. 3 on the franchise’s scoring list with 303 goals and ranks first with 1,786 penalty minutes. Sutter, who spent his entire career with St. Louis, was a tough, high-scoring winger who could score 30 or more goals and rack up 200 or more penalty minutes. His best season might have been 1982-83, when he had 46 goals and 254 penalty minutes. He scored 32 or more goals six times. The Blues retired his No. 11. He’s also a former Blues coach.
Who we hated leaving off: Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger won the Hart Trophy and Norris Trophy while playing for the Blues.
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