ST. LOUIS -- Jimmy Roberts, a five-time Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens and an original member of the St. Louis Blues, died Friday. He was 75.
The Blues confirmed Roberts died after battling cancer. Roberts was scheduled to drop the ceremonial puck Saturday night before the Blues' Hockey Fights Cancer Night game against the New York Islanders.
Playing both defence and forward, Roberts had 126 goals and 194 assists in 1,006 regular-season games with Montreal and St. Louis. The longtime Scotty Bowman protege had 20 goals and 16 assists in 153 playoff games, helping the Canadiens win titles in 1965, 1966, 1973, 1976, 1977.
Roberts was the first player taken by St. Louis in the 1967 expansion draft and helped the Blues reach the Stanley Cup finals in each of their first three seasons. He was a three-time All-Star.
Roberts was an NHL head coach with Buffalo and Hartford, going 45-21-16 in 1981-82 with the Sabres and 26-41-13 in 1991-92 with the Whalers. He was 3-3-3 as St. Louis' interim head coach in 1996-97.
Roberts also was an assistant coach with the Sabres, Blues and Whalers, and led the Springfield Indians to Calder Cup titles in the American Hockey League in 1990 and 1991.
