The St. Patrick’s Day Massacre

St Louis at Chicago March 17, 1991

Adam Oates on the 2nd period brawl – “It was weird. I was pretty scared, I’ll tell you that. Let me rephrase that. Terrified. Grimson, Manson and Peluso and they had 10 bodies on the ice, too." Taken from The Hockey News.

This game is known in Chicago and St. Louis as the "St. Patrick's Day Massacre."
This was a classic Norris Division battle amongst two teams fighting for the President's Trophy. It was expected to be an intense game, but it quickly turned into a very chippy affair early.

A line brawl, started when Featherstone took exception to Jeremy Roenick's hard hit on Snepsts. Featherstone shoved Roenick, Keith Brown shoved Featherstone, and the fight was on.
With Featherstone and Brown fighting, another scuffle broke out when Roenick shoved Chase, called up from Peoria by the Blues in case something like this happened.
Goulet tackled Chase, then Kimble, acquired by the Blues to beef up the lineup, came into the fray, apparently leaving the bench to do so. Kimble yanked Roenick off the pile, and pummeled Roenick while Rod Brind'Amour held onto Roenick. Kimble broke Roenick's tooth and cut Roenick's lip.

''They had something against me and they wanted me to feel the pain,'' Roenick said. ''They did.''

The brawl started with Larmer high-sticking Gino Cavallini on the face, drawing a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct, then escalated into an ugly altercation in which the Blues had eight players on the ice and Chicago nine.
The Blues players, among them Brett Hull and Oates, were sent onto the ice for the power play, but hostilities increased and Keenan sent out the enforcers.
Featherstone got into a fight with Peluso, who received a double game misconduct, but the main attraction was Stevens and Manson, renewing acquaintances after an ugly incident last year in which both were suspended.
Stevens, the $1 million defenseman, and Manson skated away from the melee to get into a fight at center ice. Everyone else stopped fighting to watch the fight.

Melees in the first and second period resulted in 278 penalty minutes, including 24 minor, 12 major and 17 misconduct penalties.
The Hawks won 6-4 in the game that best defines the phrase, "That's hockey, baby."