Bob Plager's Tales from the Blues Bench

by Bob Plager, Tom Wheatley (Contributor)

Nobody bleeds Blue like Bob Plager, considered one of the funniest men in hockey. Which means nobody else could have written Tales from the Blues Bench. This rollicking book, co-written with award-winning St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Tom Wheatley, details Plager's romance with the Bluenotes from day one in 1967 to the present day. He was an original Blues player, a rugged defenseman whose specialty was the hip check. He remains an original personality and a good-humored man whose specialty is now the quick quip. As a master storyteller, Plager packs Tales from the Blues Bench with insights from every level of the hockey rink. He chronicles the puzzling mind games of a young Scotty Bowman, the quirky coach whose legend began with the original Blues. In those old-school days, Plager learned memorable lessons from veterans like Al Arbour, Doug Harvey, Glenn Hall, Dickie Moore, and Jacques Plante, all headed to the Hall of Fame. The early years also brought the three Plager brothers -- Bob, Barclay, and Billy -- together in St. Louis after they battled out of little Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Bob played long enough to help break in two Western Canadian kids, future captain Brian Sutter and future Hall of Famer Bernie Federko. Plager later coached a new generation of stars in St. Louis, players like Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, and Curtis Joseph. As head coach of the Peoria, Illinois, farm team, he led the Rivermen to a championship and a pro hockey- record 18-straight wins, developing future Blues like Kelly Chase and Nelson Emerson. The years unfortunately brought tragedy, as well, with the premature deaths of Bob Gassoff, Doug Wickenheiser, and Bob's beloved brother Barclay. The tears and the cheers, the fun and the frustration -- it is all found in Tales from the Blues Bench, as only Bob Plager could tell it.

Genres: Sports, Hockey, Nonfiction

200 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2003

Reviews

[Darin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plager produces here a short but entertaining read on the life and times of a modern NHL club from its inception in the late 1960s to today's front-office dealings. He's not only a good story-teller, but a great human being who's still involved in the Blues organization, and his stories do a great job of illustrating the changes the sports went through in the past fifty years when they began as part-time recreation to become Big Business (TM). Highly recommended.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a good read for a hockey junkie, primarily fans of the Blues and old time hockey. Plager comes from such a unique perspective, that of a enforcer instead of a skilled player. The book struggles at times to gain flow and the writing is choppy, but overall some hilarious, interesting stories.

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a life time hockey (and 45+ year Blue's fan), this book is as good as it gets. Bobby Plager has always been one of my favorites whether playing, behind the bench or now as an author. I thorougly enjoyed reading this book, essentially a biography of my beloved St. Louis Blues. Yes... I BLEED BLUE!

[Karl Krekeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, what can be more fun than reading behind-the-scenes stories about my favorite sports teams of all time?

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars*

This review is entirely my own opinion!

I really enjoyed this a lot! My friend got me this book for my 27th birthday and it’s definitely one of my favourite birthday presents ever. I’ve been a Blues fan (cheering them on from the UK!) for a few years now and I definitely learnt a lot about early Blues history from this book. It was short, snappy and really enjoyable. Bob Plager really made me feel every emotion whilst reading this - both happy and sad. It was a fun insight to hear stories from the locker rooms such as all the little pranks the players (and coaches!) pulled on each other. It definitely is a nice addition to a Blues fans collection!

It was also interesting to hear more about Bob Player’s personal life and growing up with Barc and Billy. It was emotional at times but a really informative read and showed all the “behind the scenes” moments.

I really enjoyed this and liked how the chapters were short and concise - there was just enough information and you could see Bob’s humour coming through in his writing. I did find that the stories jumped back and forth at times - perhaps it would have been better to have them in complete chronological order as occasionally we jumped from the 80’s back to the 70s etc. But this is just a personal preference and didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all!

Overall, I really enjoyed this insight into the Blues in the early days (and also more recently, with them winning the 2019 Stanley Cup) and definitely recommend it as an excellent addition to any Blues fans collection. Bleed Blue & play Gloria! 💙💛

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Plager coached my hometown hockey team, the Peoria Rivermen during the 1990/91 season. He took them through a world record (at the time) 18 game winning streak to start the season and a Turner Cup Championship the following spring. Many of the people he mentions in his book, I know personally. I love this book, of course. Bob died in 2021 of a heart attack while driving. My family and I cried off and on for the next week. To know Bob was to love him, he was truly a one-of-a-kind man. He was a true sports legend, that was the most down to earth guy you would ever want to meet. I highly recommend this book for all hockey fans.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be a hockey fan to appreciate this. I laughed multiple times and even teared up (I may have let a tear go if I was not in public). This was so much more than a sports book. It highlights the bonds and relationships that can be build- and the shenanigans along the way.

[Matt Kratz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to read about a great hockey 🏒 team!

[The Biased Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

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This book will always hold a special place in my heart, as it is the first book I ever got signed by the author. Plager compiled numerous short stories about Blues players and tells them in a hilarious and heartwarming way. You don’t need to be a Blues fan, or even know the first thing about hockey, to feel connected to this book. While reading the book I often felt like Bobby Plager was talking directly to me. It felt like two friends exchanging funny hockey stories.

The last time I met Bobby Plager, he exclaimed disappointment over not being able to write a second book filled with wonderful Blues stories because he didn’t have permission to release some of the stories he had. With a smile he assured me that he had plenty of stories to tell though!

[Elizabeth Manis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I can hear Bobby Plager telling the stories as if he were right here! That’s the way hockey is suppose to be played! Old school!