IMAGE INFORMATION
EditJames Wilfred "Jimmy" Roberts - Born April 9, 1940 in Toronto, Ontario – Died October 23, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri was a Canadian/American ice Hockey defenceman, forward and coach.
- J. Ross Robertson Cup Champion 1959 with Peterborough Petes.
Memorial Cup finalist 1959 with Peterborough Petes.
- Tom Foley Memorial Trophy Champion as playoff winners of the Eastern Professional Hockey League / EPHL 1960 with Montreal Royals and 1962 with Hull-Ottawa Canadiens.
- Stanley Cup Champion 1965, 1966, 1973, 1976, 1977 with Montreal Canadiens.
Stanley Cup finalist 1968, 1969, 1970 with St. Louis Blues.
Roberts made his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens on February 20, 1963 vs Boston Bruins at The Forum in Montreal in a 3-2 Canadiens win.
Roberts scored his 1st NHL goal vs Jacques Plante of the New York Rangers on November 29, 1964 at Madison Square Garden in a 5-2 Canadiens win.
Roberts was the original Blue, the first player taken by St. Louis in the main segment of the 1967 NHL expansion draft. He was handed No. 6 and became Hockey's original “sixth man,” alternating between defense and forward, sometimes between shifts.
Roberts scored the 1st playoff goal for the Blues on April 4, 1967 vs Bernie Parent of the Philadelphia Flyers at 14:13 of the 3rd period in a 1-0 St. Louis win.
In the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals. Scotty Bowman gave Roberts the job of checking 21-year old Bobby Orr.
“I want you to stick with that guy everywhere he goes,” Bowman told Roberts. “I want you right next to him, in his face, so close you can tell me what kind of gum he's chewing.”
Toward the end of the first game, Roberts returned to the bench, exhausted from shadowing the mercurial Orr. He looked at Bowman, eager to tell him something, trying to catch his breath. Bowman looked back, impatient for the vital piece of information Roberts was about to share.
“Well?” the anxious coach finally asked. “What?”
“Juicy Fruit,” Roberts said.
Roberts played in three NHL All-Star Games in 1965, 1969 and 1970.
Scotty Bowman coached Roberts with Peterborough Petes, St. Louis Blues and traded for him when coaching the Montreal Canadiens. He knew what kind of player Roberts was and wanted him on his teams.
Roberts played in 1006 regular season NHL games, scoring 126 goals, 194 assists and 153 NHL playoff games, scoring 20 goals, 16 assists.
- Calder Cup Champion 1990, 1991 as coach of the Springfield Indians.