St. Patrick's Day Massacre was the epitome of the Blackhawks/Blues rivalry

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre has been part of Chicago’s lore for nearly a century. People all around the world know the legend of what happened in a North Side garage on that cold February morning. Chicago Blackhawks’ lore has the St. Patrick’s Day Massacre, which happened on March 17, 1991.

Back in the Norris Division days, any time the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues got together, you knew it wouldn’t take long for tempers to flare. On this particular night, things went overboard in one of the craziest games in franchise history.

The Birth of a Rivalry

Before we get to the St. Patrick’s Day Massacre, we need to give you some background on the Blackhawks/Blues rivalry. For younger fans who missed out on the 80s and 90s, you didn’t see this rivalry at its peak.

The Blackhawks were instrumental in the NHL coming to St. Louis. They owned the old St. Louis Arena and would play games there as their “secondary market” during the Original 6 days. Their farm team, the St. Louis Braves, played there from 1963 until 1967. When the NHL was looking to expand in 1967, the Blackhawks lobbied hard for St. Louis to get a team. Since they had a lot of clout with the NHL, the Blues were born, and they were able to sell the St. Louis Arena to Sid Salomon Jr.

Outside of the COVID season of 2020-21, the Blackhawks and Blues have been in the same division since 197. The formation of the storied Norris Division in 1981 ramped things up as the Blackhawks or Blues made it all but one Norris Division Final between 1982 and 1993. One fun fact I love about this rivalry is that all six Sutter brothers played for either team, with Brian coaching both teams.

The 1990-91 season saw this rivalry take on a whole new form as the Blackhawks and Blues battled not only for the Norris Division crown, but for the Presidents’ Trophy as well. The Blackhawks eventually won both by a single point, with the Blues finishing second in the NHL with 105 points. We never got the Norris Division Final many had expected, as the Minnesota North Stars upset the Blackhawks and Blues in the first two rounds on their improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Powder Keg Explodes

The season-long battle reached its tipping point at the Chicago Stadium on March 17. The Blackhawks’ young star, Jeremy Roenick, had been a thorn in the side of the Blues all season long. So much so that St. Louis general manager Ron Caron labeled him a dirty player. In a game in St. Louis the night before, Roenick was nailed by Blues captain Scott Stevens while celebrating a goal. Blackhawks captain Dirk Graham responded by unloading a few punches to Stevens’ face.

With both teams already on edge, and with every point in the standings becoming critical, it was no surprise that Sunday night’s rematch exploded as it did. Roenick got his revenge and started the chain reaction at 5:52 of the first period when he drilled veteran tough guy Harold Snepsts. The ensuing brawl resulted in the first of five game misconducts. Darin Kimble earned his by putting Blackhawks defenseman Trent Yawny into a chokehold, while Gino Cavallini tried to rip off Steve Larmer’s jersey. When the dust settled, 117 penalty minutes were dished out. Oh, and there were still 54 minutes of hockey to play.

Later on in the opening frame, Steve Thomas rammed his stick into Garth Butcher’s midsection, earning an unsportsmanlike penalty and a double-minor for spearing. In the second period, two legendary tough guys, Stevens and Dave Manson, squared off at center ice in a heavyweight fight that had both teams watching and cheering. The Blackhawks won the game 6-4, sweeping the huge late-season home-and-home series. But the aftermath affected both squads.

The two teams combined for 278 total penalty minutes, with six players from each squad being told to hit the showers early. Seventeen 10-minute misconduct penalties were given out, while 12 major penalties were earned. NHL President John Ziegler handed out some severe punishments after reviewing the insanity. Steven received a two-game suspension for his actions, while Blackhawks forward Mike Peluso and Blues tough guy Kelly Chase were given the next 10 games off and fined $10,000 each for leaving the bench during an altercation.

Blackhawks head coach Mike Keenan said he was “embarrassed” to have been a part of such a messy scene. Blues head coach Brian Sutter had a different approach to his postgame comments.

"When you have two teams competing like they are, emotions are going to run wild,” he said. “I've never sent anybody out to fight or wanted anything like that to happen. It shouldn't be a part of the game. Both teams have to take the blame."

Ray Sons couldn’t have summed up the events better in his postgame story for the Chicago Sun-Times:

“If it were boxing, what happened in Chicago Stadium on Sunday might get the sport outlawed. If it had been an altercation between street gangs, a dozen punks would be in the pokey. But it was only the Blackhawks against the St. Louis Blues, another chapter in what is becoming the most fiercely passionate rivalry in hockey.”

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