#jamal mayers

Managed to record this segment so enjoy Mario being introspective, to borrow a word from Mayers.

Transcript below the cut

What is the best uniform in Blues history?Federko: I would say 1976-77 with the smaller Blue Note, the blue and the gold, and I actually like the white one. Those two are the best.Brown: I thought the ones we wore were the best, the early ’90s. Certainly not the ones they changed to (in the mid-90s) with all the red. Those were horrible.Mayers: I think the era would be the ’70s, that baby blue one. That’s my favorite.Low: My draft year was the first couple years they had the red stripe, and I hated it. But I love how they’ve tweaked the colors a little bit and brought that era back. I really think it looks awesome and that would be my favorite.Janssen: I’ll tell you right now, it’s the one that hasn’t even come out yet: It’s the white Winter Classic. Whenever they come out, they’re going to be my favorite.Tkachuk: One time, I forget what year it was, but we wore it a couple of times in the early 2000s … baby blue. Those were my favorite ones.Pronger: You know, when I was there, we went to the retro baby blue, and I didn’t mind that. I think it looked especially cool with the baby-blue logo.What does the Blue Note logo mean to you?Federko: Everything. It means loyalty, respect, hard work, blue-collar, and that’s what the Blue Note will always stand for.Brown: You know what? Just character and hard work. That’s the one thing about Brian (Sutter). He instilled that in all of us, to take care of people, be good to the fans. We all did stuff in the community and that was the Blues. That was stuff we did to let the fans know that we appreciated them because they were truly what got us fired up.Mayers: It means coming of age. I spent my entire 20s here, and when you’re part of a team for 12 years, coming of age would be the biggest thing I could give you.Low: Oh man, it’s a privilege. It’s just a privilege to play for this organization and be a part of this community. If I had to put it into one word, I’d say, “(It’s a) privilege.”Janssen: Happiness.Tkachuk: It’s special. It’s a great jersey and it represents the people.Pronger: To me, personally, I think it means a fresh start, overcoming challenges, pushing through and everything the team has meant to me in my career. Then, obviously the fan engagement and the passion for the team and the city.Who was the biggest Blues prankster, and what was the best prank you remember?Federko: In the short time that we had him, it was Guy Lapointe. You’d go to a party somewhere and it would be warm outside and Guy would turn up the heat in someone’s house. Another one, Larry Giroux, we put a lawnmower on top of Larry Patey’s house one night. They went to bed and we started it and put it on top of the roof.Brown: Garth Butcher and Kelly Chase. The one prank that neither of them will admit to even to this day … I had these beautiful patent-leather shoes. They were my favorite shoes and I probably kept them too long. They used to tell me, “Brownie, it’s time for a new pair!” So we were in Montreal at the Forum, and I stayed on the ice a little long after the morning skate. Anyway, I came off the ice and showered and went into the room to get dressed and they had nailed both of my shoes into the locker with two huge nails right through the middle of them. So I had to walk in my socks down to buy a new pair of dress shoes.Mayers: It’s got to be Marc Bergevin. I will not forget my rookie season when him and Geoff Courtnall completely unpacked my bag on a Western trip and put like 15 or 20 pounds of weights in my bag. I couldn’t figure out for the whole week why my bag was so heavy until I got home.Low: We had a lot of guys that did pranks, but I remember Sergei Varlamov missed practice one day. Like, he didn’t even show up; he just missed it. There were people trying to track him down, and come to find out, he slept in. So the next morning, I really don’t know who did it, but there was a blowup mattress, a comforter, a pillow and then his helmet on the pillow. It was absolutely awesome.Janssen: I’m going to say Dan Hinote. He was always up to something. I always had my head on a swivel when he was sitting next to me in the locker room. It was just little things. Each and every time, it was like, “You son of a bitch!” And it was hard to get him back because he was always a step ahead of you.Tkachuk: Wow, it’s between Billy Guerin and Marc Bergevin. Somebody did the Bee Gees picture and put Bergevin’s face on it. It was all over St. Louis and they put a number on it. I don’t know who they were calling, but it was hilarious.Pronger: (Marc Bergevin) and Geoff Courtnall because those two idiots used to get each other all the time. A lot of the time they were doing it to themselves — taking each other’s (hotel) keys and hiding in the rooms and scaring each other or shoe-polishing the phone. I’m sure one of them will write a book at some point.When it comes to fans connecting with players, there’s no substitution for the Blues’ Stanley Cup roster, and that was evident with the overwhelmingly positive reaction from readers when we put together the player poll in January.

But we know how much St. Louisans love their Blues alumni as well, so we decided to do something similar. We called seven former players — Bernie Federko, Jeff Brown, Jamal Mayers, Reed Low, Cam Janssen, Keith Tkachuk and Chris Pronger — and asked 14 questions that were, according to them, pretty tough. They had a lot of fun with it, however, sharing several entertaining stories and memories in the process.

Who was your favorite Blues coach and why?

Federko: Barclay Plager. Barc was my mentor and like a dad that I didn’t have here in St. Louis. He was a special guy who always took care of me.

Brown: Brian Sutter because he pushed me. Just when I thought I was playing well, he would make me believe that I had more to give, and basically made me an All-Star in 1992.

Mayers: I’ve got to go with Joel Quenneville because he gave me my first opportunity. I certainly liked playing for Andy Murray as well. It’s between those two, but I’d give the nod to Joel.

Low: Quenneville. He was good, other than he never let me play in the playoffs. Other than that, we’re best buddies.

Janssen: Let’s see, Andy Murray or Davis Payne? I liked (assistant coach) Ray Bennett. He was nice, and if you needed to go talk to him, he always had an answer for you. He was never too up or too down. He was great.

Tkachuk: Joel Quenneville. He was a players’ coach. His bench management was unbelievable.

Pronger: Joel Quenneville. He was the anti-Mike (Keenan). Mike was more a motivator. Joel was more X’s and O’s and a little bit more engaged in the developing side.

Which Blues teammate was always in the best shape?

Federko: I think Brian Sutter was always in great shape. When he went home, I don’t think he did much drinking and partying, so he was always in good shape. And Rob Ramage, he was a stud.

Brown: That’s easy, Rod Brind’Amour. He lived with me, and I remember Brian Sutter would kick him out of the weight room at the rink. I’d go for beers at the Trainwreck (Saloon) with the guys and when I got home, Roddy was downstairs doing chin-ups from the rafters in my basement.

Mayers: Geoff Courtnall was always in amazing shape, and I’d also have to include Ryan Johnson. Those are the two that stick out to me as amazing athletes.

Low: Al MacInnis was 36 years old and he was in the most unbelievable shape. The guy was just an absolute specimen.

Janssen: Keith Tkachuk, ha ha. It’s Paul Kariya.

Tkachuk: Roman Polak. He was just a powerful guy in everything he did.

Pronger: I think Al (MacInnis) used to win the award all the time for being in the best shape. Geoff Courtnall was a gazelle, could skate forever, and if it was bike-related, he was just ridiculous.

Which Blue had the best shot and why was it so good?

Federko: Best shot? Probably Joey Mullen. I had five years of Joey and then I had Brett Hull for 1 1/2 years. You had two of the greatest goal scorers in the NHL. Joey, it was his balance and his quick release; Brett had the knack of shooting in stride. They’re probably the two most natural goal scorers.

Brown: Brett Hull. What made him the best, in my opinion, was just the way he could adjust his body position to one-time the puck. No matter where it was, he could one-time it. He used to give me shit in practice. He’d go, “Brownie, fuck off,” and I’d go, “What?” I thought I was doing a great job, passing him pucks right in the wheelhouse. He goes, “They’re not always going to be in the wheelhouse. I’ve got to practice when they’re not perfect.” So he was giving me shit for giving him perfect passes.

Mayers: The obvious answer would be Al MacInnis, but I’m going to go a little bit off the board and say Scott Young. His wrister was insane, how heavy and hard it was. I’ve never seen anyone take a wrist shot as hard as him.

Low: Well, the best slap shot, Al MacInnis. Scott Young had a really deceiving shot and scored 40 goals my first season with the Blues. I’m probably going to have to say MacInnis, but a close second is Scottie Young.

Janssen: T.J. Oshie. He was dirty. He was able to toe-drag, get the puck real close to him and be able to get it upstairs. That guy was gifted in so many ways. And if you tried to hit him when he was toe-dragging you, have fun with that because he’s going to bury his shoulder right in your chest.

Tkachuk: Al MacInnis. It was just amazing how hard it was, but he actually knew where it was going.

Pronger: Yeah, I think you know that one … but I guess it depends. The best slap shot: Al (MacInnis). But the best wrist shot: Brett (Hull). From an accuracy standpoint, Brett, but Al had the slap shot. It all depends on how you tailor the question.

What is the best uniform in Blues history?

Federko: I would say 1976-77 with the smaller Blue Note, the blue and the gold, and I actually like the white one. Those two are the best.

Brown: I thought the ones we wore were the best, the early ’90s. Certainly not the ones they changed to (in the mid-90s) with all the red. Those were horrible.

Mayers: I think the era would be the ’70s, that baby blue one. That’s my favorite.

Low: My draft year was the first couple years they had the red stripe, and I hated it. But I love how they’ve tweaked the colors a little bit and brought that era back. I really think it looks awesome and that would be my favorite.

Janssen: I’ll tell you right now, it’s the one that hasn’t even come out yet: It’s the white Winter Classic. Whenever they come out, they’re going to be my favorite.

Tkachuk: One time, I forget what year it was, but we wore it a couple of times in the early 2000s … baby blue. Those were my favorite ones.

Pronger: You know, when I was there, we went to the retro baby blue, and I didn’t mind that. I think it looked especially cool with the baby-blue logo.

What does the Blue Note logo mean to you?

Federko: Everything. It means loyalty, respect, hard work, blue-collar, and that’s what the Blue Note will always stand for.

Brown: You know what? Just character and hard work. That’s the one thing about Brian (Sutter). He instilled that in all of us, to take care of people, be good to the fans. We all did stuff in the community and that was the Blues. That was stuff we did to let the fans know that we appreciated them because they were truly what got us fired up.

Mayers: It means coming of age. I spent my entire 20s here, and when you’re part of a team for 12 years, coming of age would be the biggest thing I could give you.

Low: Oh man, it’s a privilege. It’s just a privilege to play for this organization and be a part of this community. If I had to put it into one word, I’d say, “(It’s a) privilege.”

Janssen: Happiness.

Tkachuk: It’s special. It’s a great jersey and it represents the people.

Pronger: To me, personally, I think it means a fresh start, overcoming challenges, pushing through and everything the team has meant to me in my career. Then, obviously the fan engagement and the passion for the team and the city.

Who was the biggest Blues prankster, and what was the best prank you remember?

Federko: In the short time that we had him, it was Guy Lapointe. You’d go to a party somewhere and it would be warm outside and Guy would turn up the heat in someone’s house. Another one, Larry Giroux, we put a lawnmower on top of Larry Patey’s house one night. They went to bed and we started it and put it on top of the roof.

Brown: Garth Butcher and Kelly Chase. The one prank that neither of them will admit to even to this day … I had these beautiful patent-leather shoes. They were my favorite shoes and I probably kept them too long. They used to tell me, “Brownie, it’s time for a new pair!” So we were in Montreal at the Forum, and I stayed on the ice a little long after the morning skate. Anyway, I came off the ice and showered and went into the room to get dressed and they had nailed both of my shoes into the locker with two huge nails right through the middle of them. So I had to walk in my socks down to buy a new pair of dress shoes.

Mayers: It’s got to be Marc Bergevin. I will not forget my rookie season when him and Geoff Courtnall completely unpacked my bag on a Western trip and put like 15 or 20 pounds of weights in my bag. I couldn’t figure out for the whole week why my bag was so heavy until I got home.

Low: We had a lot of guys that did pranks, but I remember Sergei Varlamov missed practice one day. Like, he didn’t even show up; he just missed it. There were people trying to track him down, and come to find out, he slept in. So the next morning, I really don’t know who did it, but there was a blowup mattress, a comforter, a pillow and then his helmet on the pillow. It was absolutely awesome.

Janssen: I’m going to say Dan Hinote. He was always up to something. I always had my head on a swivel when he was sitting next to me in the locker room. It was just little things. Each and every time, it was like, “You son of a bitch!” And it was hard to get him back because he was always a step ahead of you.

Tkachuk: Wow, it’s between Billy Guerin and Marc Bergevin. Somebody did the Bee Gees picture and put Bergevin’s face on it. It was all over St. Louis and they put a number on it. I don’t know who they were calling, but it was hilarious.

Pronger: (Marc Bergevin) and Geoff Courtnall because those two idiots used to get each other all the time. A lot of the time they were doing it to themselves — taking each other’s (hotel) keys and hiding in the rooms and scaring each other or shoe-polishing the phone. I’m sure one of them will write a book at some point.

What is your favorite story about the rink you played in — The Arena or now Enterprise Center?

Federko: How nice the old Arena was when I first started. They had one painter there, and he painted all year long. He would start and by the time he finished the entire arena, it was time to start at the beginning again.

Brown: I remember Mr. (Mike) Shanahan inviting my mom and dad up to the president’s box. They were sitting up there having dinner and I was sitting on the bench looking up and seeing them. Having lost them the past couple of years, that’s certainly something I’ll never forget.

Mayers: The people you see behind the scenes that have been there for so many years, running the arena and maintaining the ice. They may have a few more gray hairs, but it’s nice to see those same people still around.

Low: I would have to say my rookie season, our first four games were on the road, and I was a healthy scratch in all four of those games, and we were like 0-1-3. So I got put into the lineup as soon as we got home for our first game against the Minnesota Wild. I got to skate out for the first time in the NHL — the home opener with all the lights out and the spotlight on me — and know that my mom and dad were at home watching on TV. That was probably the coolest moment.

Janssen: All my buddies would sit behind the bench, and they would yell at Andy Murray for not playing me, and then Andy would see them afterward by me. Andy would put two and two together and then I wouldn’t play the next game.

Tkachuk: I remember we played a game at Scottrade Center and (Stu) Grimson, he was so pissed he kicked the boards and put a hole through the boards. We had to go back into the locker room and got delayed.

Pronger: I don’t know if there’s one particular moment that signifies what the building was about. But as we got the team back on track, we’d get that rink rocking and they’d be behind us. A lot of fans don’t understand the energy that they can create by being involved in the game. It’s such a vital part of our game that sometimes it gets overlooked. That excitement and excitement in the building always transcends into the players.

Who was the best Blues captain you played for and what made him a good leader?

Federko: Well Brian (Sutter) was always our best captain; there’s no question about it. He led by example, he stood up for everybody, he was hard-nosed and he was great. Pound for pound, I would still say he’s the toughest guy in that era — he fought everybody.

Brown: I think Ricky Meagher was my first captain. He was honest, hard-working and led by example.

Mayers: I’ll say (Pronger). He taught me that you don’t necessarily have to be a group of people that are all friends, but you have a job to win.

Low: Al MacInnis. He showed up for practice ready to play, he knew how to treat guys … just everything about him made him my favorite teammate. He’s just that guy, and still to this day, he’s someone that I look up to as a mentor.

Janssen: Eric Brewer was the captain, but I’m going to say the leader of that team was (Keith Tkachuk). He knew who we were as a team and he led by example. You look at the guy and say, “Oh my God, he’s still playing?” and all of a sudden he’d go out there and put a couple in the net. You better be working hard if this guy is doing it. And he kept it lively — he was hilarious in the locker room.

Tkachuk: I had a lot of them: Al MacInnis, Dallas Drake and Chris Pronger. All three of them brought different dimensions.

Pronger: Having an opportunity to play with Wayne Gretzky and learn and understand what his life is like from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed — people looking at him, staring at him, following him, looking at every last thing he does — you can learn an awful lot from that.

Who is the most underrated Blues player you played with?

Federko: There were two guys, Mike Liut and Rob Ramage. Lutey had a couple of great years and then went to Hartford, and never got enough credit. And Rammer, he was our go-to guy, and I don’t think he got enough credit, either.

Brown: Nelson Emerson. Great hockey brain. Incredible speed. Could play in today’s game.

Mayers: Dallas Drake. He did it all. With the top-six guys, he had the offense to play there, and then defined himself as more of a role player. I think he’s underrated, how hard he hit and how hard he was to play against.

Low: I would say probably Bryce Salvador. He played with Al MacInnis, and this is a little bit on Al, but Sal was a stalwart back on the defense. He was somebody that I felt was just a great all-around teammate. I don’t know if that’s underrated or not, but I look at him as he was a top-four defenseman on a top team, and that’s something.

Janssen: Alexander Pietrangelo. He’s still underrated right now. He controls the whole game. He controlled the whole playoffs last year. He was a tall drink of water the first time he walked in the locker room and Danny Hinote and myself were staring at him. It was Andy Dufresne when he walked into Shawshank (Prison). We were like, “Ha ha, look at this kid.” Then he’s got the puck the whole time and I’m like, “What, am I going to try to hit you now?” He controls the whole game.

Tkachuk: Pavol Demitra. I never realized how skilled he was until I got here.

Pronger: I don’t think Pavol (Demitra) got the notoriety that he probably would’ve garnered had he been in a true hockey market. I think getting 80 to 90 points for the better part of five years, it’s pretty remarkable, and when you look around the league at what people say about him, they don’t really know much.

Who was the best Blues enforcer when you played and what do you remember about his toughness?

Federko: When I came in, Bobby Gassoff was a legend. I played only 30 games with Bobby (before he died), but what I saw was absolutely amazing. It was like parting the Red Sea when he got out there; no one wanted to come near him. The whole league was afraid of him.

Brown: Tony Twist, Kelly Chase, Darin Kimble … those were probably the three big ones that I played with. Basil McRae, too. Twist was the heavyweight of all heavyweights, but Chaser and Kimby would fight anybody. I couldn’t imagine having to go into a game knowing you’re fighting (Bob Probert). What a crazy game it used to be!

Mayers: The scariest was obviously Tony Twist. (Reed Low) was impressive and (Kelly Chase) too. I would say it’s a toss-up. I just wouldn’t want that job, that’s all I know.

Low: He was an absolute destroyer, this guy. I would never want to fight him. His name is Reed Low (laughs). Bernie Federko once said he had immense strength. So yeah, I would go with him.

Janssen: I always loved playing with myself. I’m kidding. There were a lot of good ones before me, and they were huge shoes to fill. When (Tony Twist) would dummy somebody so bad, then take his sweater off in the penalty box with “Tony the Tiger” tattooed on his arm … When you’re a young kid and you see how the crowd reacts to that guy, you wanted to be an enforcer.

Tkachuk: I never played here with (Tony Twist). Probably D.J. King. He was one of the toughest guys in the league. I was on the ice when he fought Derek Boogard at center ice in Minnesota. Got me tired!

Pronger: Tony Twist, just from the fear factor and knockout power and the fear of God that he put into the toughest of guys just with his ability to put guys to sleep.

Besides the team camaraderie, what is the thing you miss the most about your time with the Blues?

Federko: It was the lifestyle we had. We went for practice every morning, and then we went for a beer after. On the road, we worked our ass off during the game, and then went to the bar after. If you had to pick a lifestyle, I think we got the best one of all time. We traveled all over the country, we laughed, we joked, we did all kinds of crazy things and we got paid for it.

Brown: For me, it was the timing of the early ’90s and how good a team we had and we were so close to being a really, really good team. We were so close and we were all kind of entering our prime, and what I miss the most is that we didn’t get it done at that time. But I certainly miss the fans more than anything. Unfortunately, I played in a lot of places and the fans here were second to none.

Mayers: Honestly, I miss competing, like real competing and not apologizing for being ultra-competitive. You have to let that go or find another outlet for it, and that’s hard.

Low: Every second Friday. Payday.

Janssen: Skating to the penalty box after a fight, yelling at the fans, getting jacked up.

Tkachuk: Bringing my kids down to the rink and letting them practice with us.

Pronger: Just being on the ice and entertaining the fans; I think that’s something that we all miss. It’s something when you have 20,000 fans screaming, whether they hate you or love you. It’s very hard to replicate that in everyday life.

What is the most memorable Blues game you ever played in?

Federko: Oh, it’s the Monday Night Miracle. That game will always be there forever, with Doug Wickenheiser scoring the winner in overtime. But it’s also the most disappointing because then we lost Game 7.

Brown: Probably when we swept Chicago (in 1993) and (Ed) Belfour went crazy.

Mayers: When we swept Dallas (in 2001) and went to the conference final against Colorado, I’ll never forget that distinctive feeling when you win the second round, like we have a distinct chance to win the Stanley Cup. Even though we lost that series against Colorado, it was a lot of fun.

Low: I have to go with my first goal against Patrick Roy, and it was also on my dad’s birthday. So that was a pretty special night for dad when I scored my first goal against the greatest goalie that’s maybe ever played, between him and Marty Brodeur. Patty was pretty dang good, and for me to score on him, deke him and backhand shelf him the way I did was unbelievable.

Janssen: My first one against the Phoenix Coyotes. Drew a penalty, I had a breakaway, and the puck bounced over my stick as usual. That would happen to me, but I had some good hits. My family was there. I remember starring at my high school friends that I grew up. They’re sitting right on the glass and I’m like, “How are you guys doing? I’m just doing my thing.”

Tkachuk: My last game. I announced my retirement right before that. It was an incredible sendoff. My wife and kids came on the ice and my parents were there. Incredible!

Pronger: Well, probably Game 7 against Detroit in 1996. But that was memorable in the sense that we lost, so I’m going to say Game 7 against Phoenix (in 1999) because we won and just everything that surrounded that series.

What was your highest-paid season with the Blues?

Federko: It was $350,000 in 1986. I think I was making $335,000, but I also got plane tickets to Hawaii.

Brown: From 1992-94, I made $700,000, $800,000, $900,000 … so $900,000.

Mayers: I signed for $1.3 million my last contract with the Blues in 2007.

Low: Mine was $700,000. I was supposed to make $750,000 the year of the lockout and then $750,000 the year after the lockout. But I lost that money and we rolled our deal back 24 percent because of the lockout, so it was only $560,000 that last year. So $700,000 was the most I ever played for. Great time for a rollback and for them to change the rules on obstruction and hate tough guys, too.

Janssen: It was $650,000, but I thought I was making $10 schmill (million). I was acting like I was making $10 schmill.

Tkachuk: It might have been $10 or $11 (million), I can’t remember. Nuts … it was crazy!

Pronger: If Walt says, “I don’t know,” he’s lying. He knows. Mine was $9.5 (million).

What do you like the most about St. Louis?

Federko: It’s a great place to raise a family. It’s got great morals. We always said we wanted to raise our kids in a place where they had values, and the values here are so good. It’s blue-collar and everybody works their ass off.

Brown: The people, it’s that simple. I wouldn’t have stayed here if I didn’t like the people. This is home. This is where we’ve put down roots. And I love that it’s become a hockey hotbed.

Mayers: It’s a big small town. I grew up in a big city in Toronto, so giving my kids a chance to simplify things, I like that about this city.

Low: I love the way that the fans endear themselves to the players. I mentioned this earlier, but I’m 13 years removed and people still come up and say “hi” to me and that’s unbelievable. I was a tough guy and played 250 games here, but the fans and the city of St. Louis, it’s the best place ever.

Janssen: Walking next door to my parents’ house and stealing their beer.

Tkachuk: The Midwest feel, the people are great, and it’s a great place to raise a family. Love it!