1983: Saskatoon Blues NHL

1983: Saskatoon Blues NHL
In the 1982-83 season of the National Hockey League, the St. Louis Blues almost re-located to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for the 1983-84 NHL season. The Blues, who were financially struggling, was being sold by St. Louis-based pet food conglomerate Ralston-Purina in agreement to Bill Hunter, a Saskatoon native known for founding the World Hockey Association. Despite these efforts, the NHL's Board of Governors vetoed the relocation bid 15-3 in a meeting in New York on May 18, 1983. The pet food giant then abandoned the franchise as it became the only NHL franchise to miss out on an NHL Entry Draft, and the Blues were eventually bought by Harry Ornest (a Los Angeles businessman who pledged to keep the Blues in St. Louis) in an eleventh-hour deal.

However, what if the St. Louis Blues did re-locate to Saskatoon in 1983? In this alternate history, we'll be looking at the points of divergence that lead to a successful Blues re-location, the re-location's effects on St. Louis, Saskatoon and the NHL, and the altered evolution of hockey.