If you close your eyes and try to picture Wayne Gretzky, you probably see the orange and blue of Edmonton or the silver and black of L.A. Maybe even the Statue of Liberty sweater from his New York sunset. But for 31 strange, frantic games in 1996, the Great One wore the Note.
It feels like a fever dream now.
Seeing #99 in a St. Louis Blues jersey is one of those hockey "glitch in the matrix" moments. Most people remember it as a failed experiment or a brief pit stop. But the truth is actually much more dramatic. It wasn't just a rental that didn't work out. It was a massive collision of egos that changed the trajectory of the franchise.
Honestly, it almost worked.
The Trade That Shook Missouri
By February 1996, the relationship between Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings had soured. He wanted a chance to win another Cup before his legs gave out. Mike Keenan, the Blues' coach and GM at the time, was a man who collected stars like trading cards. He’d already brought in Grant Fuhr and was ready to go all-in.
On February 27, the deal went down.
St. Louis sent Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, and two high draft picks to the Kings. In return, they got the greatest player to ever lace them up. The city went absolutely nuclear. Season ticket inquiries crashed the phone lines. People were ready for a parade before Wayne even landed at Lambert International Airport.
He was immediately named captain.
The plan was simple: pair the world’s best playmaker with the world’s best pure goal scorer, Brett Hull. On paper, it was unfair. In reality? It was complicated.
Why the Hull-Gretzky "Dream Team" Faltered
You’ve probably heard the narrative that Gretzky and Hull had no chemistry. That’s a bit of an oversimplification. They were actually great friends off the ice. They wanted it to work.
But they both played a "cerebral" game that required the puck.
👉 See also: New York Mets Starting Lineup Today: Why the 2026 Roster Looks So Different
Keenan’s system was a different beast. He wanted a hard-nosed, grinding style that didn't always mesh with the finesse Gretzky brought to the table at age 35. Despite the friction, the numbers weren't actually bad. Gretzky put up 21 points in 18 regular-season games for the Blues. That’s more than a point per game. Most "washed" players would kill for those stats.
The playoffs were where the real drama started.
St. Louis drew the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round and handled them in six games. Gretzky was doing his thing. He was distributing, finding lanes, and calming the room. Then came the Detroit Red Wings.
The Mike Keenan Conflict
This is where everything fell apart.
Mike "Iron Mike" Keenan was notorious for being difficult. That's putting it lightly. He’d won a Cup with the Rangers in '94, but he did it by burning every bridge in Manhattan. In St. Louis, he took aim at the icons.
During the Detroit series, Keenan did the unthinkable: he benched Wayne Gretzky.
In Game 2, with the Blues struggling, Keenan sat the Great One for a large chunk of the third period. It was a power move intended to "motivate" the team, but it mostly just insulted the most respected player in the history of the sport.
Gretzky wasn't some rookie you could kick around to send a message.
The series eventually went to a Game 7. It’s a game etched in the nightmares of every Blues fan. Steve Yzerman's famous double-overtime goal from the blue line ended the season. But the real loss happened off the ice.
The Contract That Vanished
What most people get wrong about the Wayne Gretzky St. Louis Blues era is why he left. He didn't want to leave.
Gretzky actually loved St. Louis.
His wife, Janet Jones, was from the area. They had a home there. He had every intention of signing a three-year extension to retire as a Blue. There was a verbal agreement on a deal worth roughly $15 million.
Then Keenan pulled it.
Following the Game 7 loss, Keenan was reportedly furious about Gretzky’s performance. Specifically, a turnover that led to a Detroit goal earlier in the series. In a fit of ego, Keenan and team president Jack Quinn rescinded the contract offer. They basically told the greatest player ever that he wasn't worth the money they’d already agreed upon.
Gretzky, understandably, was done.
"I guess I wasn't their guy," he later remarked. He felt disrespected. He felt unwanted. By July, he was a New York Ranger, reunited with Mark Messier, and the Blues were left with a massive "what if."
The Actionable Takeaway for Hockey Fans
When we look back at the Wayne Gretzky St. Louis Blues stint, the lesson isn't about fading talent. Gretzky went on to lead the Rangers in scoring for the next three years. He had 97 points the very next season.
The lesson is about culture.
If you're looking to understand why the Blues took another 23 years to win a Stanley Cup, look no further than the 1996 off-season. It was a masterclass in how a toxic leadership style can dismantle a championship window in a matter of weeks.
How to dive deeper into this era:
- Watch the Highlights: Search for "Gretzky Blues vs Red Wings 1996" on YouTube. Even at 35, his vision was light years ahead of everyone else on the ice.
- Read the Books: Look for Gretzky's Tears by Stephen Brunt. It covers the trades and the emotional toll of his moving from city to city.
- Check the Stats: Go to Hockey-Reference and compare Gretzky’s 1996-97 season in New York to the Blues' leading scorers that year. It’ll make you realize exactly what St. Louis gave away.
The "Great One" in the "Note" wasn't a failure of talent. It was a failure of management. St. Louis had the king of hockey in their building, and they let him walk out the door because a coach wanted to prove he was the boss.
Don't let the short duration fool you. It remains the most fascinating "almost" in the history of the NHL.