Flyboys: In the end, the deal that transplanted the original Ottawa Senators to St. Louis in 1934 didn’t work out for either city: both were out of the NHL by the fall of ’35. An erstwhile legend of the Senators’ defence started off steering the St. Louis Eagles in their only NHL campaign, but Eddie Gerard was gone before Christmas that 1934-35 season, replaced by an old Ottawa teammate, Buck Boucher. The Eagles’ struggles continued and by the end of the season they were mired at the bottom of the NHL standings, five points adrift of the New York Americans, who also avoided the playoffs. Doubts about the future of the St. Louis franchise continued through the summer of 1935. When a new owner couldn’t be found, the NHL took over the operation, scuttling the ship in October, and dispersing the players. Pictured above on a brighter day in the fall of ’34, some of them were (back row, left to right) coach Gerard, Earl Roche, Jeff Kalbfleisch, Gerry Shannon, Max Kaminsky, Irv Frew, Burr Williams, Vern Ayers, Scotty Bowman, Bill Beveride. Front: Abbie Cox, Frank Finnigan, Glenn Brydson, Carl Voss, Bud Cook, Syd Howe, Des Roche, Bill Cowley, Mickey Blake.