Editing Craig Conroy (section)

===Montreal and St. Louis===
Conroy was selected in the sixth round, 123rd overall, at the [[1990 NHL Entry Draft]] by the [[Montreal Canadiens]].<ref name="LOH" /> He turned professional in 1994 upon completing his college career at Clarkson. At his first day of his first training camp with Montreal, he got into a fight with the team's star goaltender, [[Patrick Roy]], after striking the latter with a [[slap shot]] in practice.<ref name="GMUnlikelyMilestone">{{cite web |last=Duhatschek |first=Eric |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/conroy-reaches-unlikely-milestone/article1775591/ |title=Conroy reaches unlikely milestone |work=Globe and Mail |date=2010-10-28 |access-date=2010-10-29 |archive-date=2010-10-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028051943/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/conroy-reaches-unlikely-milestone/article1775591/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He spent the majority of the [[1994–95 AHL season|1994–95 season]] in the [[American Hockey League]] (AHL) with the [[Fredericton Canadiens]], scoring 26 goals and 44 points in 55 games.<ref name="LOH" /> He appeared in six games for Montreal that year. He played his first NHL game on February 15, 1995, against the [[Hartford Whalers]], and scored his first goal one night later against the [[New York Rangers]].<ref name="0910MediaGuide" />  Though he was an offensive star at Clarkson and Fredericton, the Canadiens sought to convert him to a defensive specialist in the NHL.<ref name="GMUnlikelyMilestone" />

While he averaged over one point per game with Fredericton in [[1995–96 AHL season|1995–96]], Conroy again played only a handful of games with Montreal.<ref name="0910MediaGuide" /> He again began [[1996–97 AHL season|1996–97]] in the AHL, but was traded along with [[Pierre Turgeon]] and [[Rory Fitzpatrick]] to the [[St. Louis Blues]] in exchange for [[Murray Baron]], [[Shayne Corson]] and a draft pick on October 29, 1996.<ref name="LOH" /> Conroy appeared in five games with the [[Worcester IceCats]] in the AHL, but after earning a recall to St. Louis, established himself as a regular in the NHL and appeared in 61 games with the Blues that season.<ref name="CBCBio" />  Head Coach [[Joel Quenneville]] worked to develop Conroy's abilities as a defensive forward and top [[faceoff]] specialist.<ref name="GMUnlikelyMilestone" />  Conroy responded in [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98]] by improving to 43 points and a career-high [[Plus-minus (ice hockey)|plus-minus]] rating of +20.<ref name="0910MediaGuide" /> In recognition of his season, he was named a finalist for both the [[Frank J. Selke Trophy]] as the NHL's top defensive forward and the [[Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]] as its most gentlemanly player.<ref name="LOH" />

Conroy remained one of the League's top defensive forwards in [[1998–99 NHL season|1998–99]]. While he missed several games with a high ankle sprain,<ref>{{cite news |last=Luecking |first=Dave |title=Conroy leads Blues to win but suffers ankle injury |work=St. Louis Post Dispatch |date=1999-03-14 |page=F1}}</ref> he scored his first career [[hat-trick]] on February 26, 1999, against the [[Calgary Flames]] and finished sixth in Selke Trophy voting that season.<ref name="0910MediaGuide" /> He faced a difficult season in [[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000]], however, as Joel Quenneville adopted a new strategy that abandoned the concept of a checking line.  Conroy struggled at both ends of the ice, and frequently found his ice time limited as a result.<ref>{{cite news |last=Luecking |first=Dave |title=Struggling to find role with Blues, Conroy vents frustration on Stars |work=St. Louis Post Dispatch |date=1999-12-13 |page=C6}}</ref> He finished the season with just 27 points.<ref name="LOH" />

Looking to improve their team for a playoff run in [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01]], the Blues dealt Conroy, along with a draft pick, to the Calgary Flames for [[Cory Stillman]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/blues-carry-the-day-at-nhl-trade-deadline-1.279330 |title=Blues carry the day at NHL trade deadline |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2001-03-14 |access-date=2010-10-31 |archive-date=2012-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103170523/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2001/03/13/nhl010313.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The trade was initially unpopular in Calgary, as the Flames had given up their leading scorer for Conroy, who noted that that was when he "learned not to read the papers or watch TV."<ref name="AOLIcy">{{cite web |last=Mingo |first=Rita |url=http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/10/28/craig-conroy-recalls-icy-welcome-in-calgary-as-1-000th-game-loom/ |title=Craig Conroy recalls icy welcome in Calgary as 1,000th game looms |publisher=AOL Fanhouse |date=2010-10-28 |access-date=2010-10-31 |archive-date=2010-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030023428/http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/10/28/craig-conroy-recalls-icy-welcome-in-calgary-as-1-000th-game-loom/ |url-status=live }}</ref>