Barclay Plager

Barclay Graham Plager (March 26, 1941 – February 6, 1988) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach for the St. Louis Blues. The oldest of three hockey-playing brothers, alongside Bill and Bob, he played junior hockey with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey Association before spending six seasons in the minor leagues, where he built a reputation as a hard-nosed defensive defenceman. That reputation took hold while he was still in juniors, when he had a notable fight with his own brother Bob, then playing for the rival Guelph Royals.

Plager spent the 1964 season with the Omaha Knights of the Central Professional Hockey League, leading the league in assists and earning best-defenceman honours before the Detroit Red Wings sold him to the Montreal Canadiens for $20,000. He played the majority of the next three seasons with the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League.

The 1967 NHL Expansion opened many new jobs in the National Hockey League, and Plager was acquired along with Red Berenson by the St. Louis Blues from the New York Rangers, which held his rights. The deal proved extremely successful for the Blues. He went on to serve the franchise as a coach as well as a player.