Robinson revisits Stanley Cup win by Blues during season pause

Larry Robinson lived the Stanley Cup Final experience last June as senior consultant of hockey operations and assistant coach of the St. Louis Blues, from high up in both Enterprise Center in St. Louis and TD Garden in Boston.

So this month, with time on his hands during the pause in the NHL season due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, Robinson put his feet up in front of the TV at home in Bradenton, Florida, and watched two Blues victories on NHL Network -- 4-2 on home ice in Game 4, and the 4-1 Game 7 Cup clincher on the road.
"Holy mackerel, that was unbelievable hockey," Robinson said Tuesday. "I remember it was a good series but boy oh boy, I didn't realize how good. Those were great, great games. They weren't for the faint of heart."
A little easier to watch, as it turned out, knowing that the Blues came out on the long end of the scores. St. Louis was bound for its first Stanley Cup championship, Robinson headed for his 10th as a player, coach or in management.

Larry Robinson with his wife, Jeannette, on TD Garden ice on June 12 in the moments following the St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup victory
"In the buildings, you're on the edge of your seat, your stomach is in knots and you're playing every shift and making every pass," he said. "It was extremely stressful, that I remember. You're up so high in the arenas. You see some of the stuff but sometimes you'll miss the little things, so it's nice to sit back and enjoy a nice hockey game on TV."
With his wife, Jeannette, Robinson enjoyed the Blues celebration on TD Garden ice on June 12, the parties and the championship parade that followed it, and spent his day with the Stanley Cup.
By the time he had the Cup in Florida in mid-November, he was back at work. When the NHL paused its season on March 12, the Blues were atop the Western Conference standings, and were second in the NHL behind the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins.
Robinson was at home when the decision came to suspend play, having returned from St. Louis where he'd been for a three-game homestand. His plan, until the virus changed everything, was to head back up to St. Louis in late March and stay through the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Larry Robinson in his 1972-73 rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens, and in his 1978 NHL All-Star jersey
He says he was impressed with the play of Blues defenseman Marco Scandella, who was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 18 for two draft picks.
"The way we were playing at the pause, I thought we had a chance to repeat [as Stanley Cup champion]," Robinson said. "I thought Scandella made a big difference in our defense."
For now, the 68-year-old Hall of Famer is quite unplugged from hockey, updated like everyone in the game. He's been in touch with Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, coach Craig Berube and fellow assistant coaches Steve Ott and Mike Van Ryn.
"There's a lot more going on now that's more important than hockey or sports," Robinson said. "About 10 days ago, Craig and I were texting back and forth, asking how each other was. I spoke with Doug and my wife speaks with Doug's wife, finding out how everybody is. How many times can you ask each other, 'How's your house?' but you call to make sure people are still healthy.
"I have friends in Montreal who have had to close their restaurant. If this thing doesn't turn around, people are going to lose their jobs and their businesses. It's catastrophic, to be honest. It's really scary. I feel bad for everybody.

Larry Robinson hoists the Stanley Cup after the Montreal Canadiens' 1986 victory in Calgary. With him, from left: captain Bob Gainey, athletic therapist Gaetan Lefebvre and Mats Naslund. Photo © Bob Fisher, Montreal Canadiens
"And it's not just the games themselves. What about the people who are taking the tickets, selling popcorn? This is a huge loss for everybody. Baseball, basketball, everybody. A lot of the same people who work in a hockey arena also work in basketball. My son-in-law has a sports store in Los Angeles and they've been closed for two weeks. Just before the pandemic hit, everybody was buying workout stuff. They cleaned the store out of the weights, bicycles, workout equipment, they couldn't keep it in stock."
Meanwhile, life goes on in Bradenton for Robinson and Jeannette, who live alongside a club for both golfers and boaters that now restricts golfers one to a cart, the pins not to be lifted on the greens.
"Jeannette can go out for groceries, walking down aisles that are designated one way, and I can go to my farm and ride the horses. I carry wipes and sanitizer wherever I go but really, I haven't done too much. There's no place to go, nothing's open. We can order some takeout food, but you've got to be diligent, this is nothing you fool around with. It's frightening."
Robinson's mood brightened when he considered an April 14 anniversary that was run by him -- on that day in 1992 that he played the 1,384th and final regular-season game of his 20-year NHL career, scoring his 208th and final goal, coming as a member of the Los Angeles Kings.

Larry Robinson with the Los Angeles Kings in April 1992, the final month of his NHL career
Robinson never missed the playoffs, and his plus-722 remains by far the NHL record in the category, 140 clear of second-ranked Bobby Orr.
"That was the game I wore a different sweater for each period to have something from my final game, the idea of our equipment manager, Peter Millar," he said. "My son-in-law has one at his home in Los Angeles, another might be on a hanger here, and the third, I have no idea."
From the background, Jeannette reminded her husband that the one he thought he had in a closet is in fact in the home of their son, Jeff.
"Right, it's in Jeff's man-cave," Robinson said
Then, with a laugh: "The third one? I still have no idea."