PEORIA - Just a few months ago, Ed Belfour still wanted to play.

At age 44, though, the fiery, great goaltender of 18 NHL seasons realized he was likely closer to the Hockey Hall of Fame than he was to his playing days.

And so while enshrinement surely awaits, Eddie the Eagle has landed with the St. Louis Blues organization as a goaltending coach for the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen for the 2009-10 season.

The Blues believe Belfour’s resume is the kind that will make their young goaltending prospects, Ben Bishop and Jake Allen, and young veteran Hannu Toivonen, take notice.

His 484 wins were third-most by a goaltender in NHL history. He won the Vezina Trophy twice (1991 and 1993), appeared in five NHL All-Star games, led the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup finals in 1991-92 and won the Cup with Dallas in 1998-99. All told, he played 963 regular-season NHL games — and another 161 postseason — in a career that touched three decades.

Throughout, he was a sometimes-combative, always ultra-competitive star in the net.

“I’m 44 now, and there’s not much interest in a 44-year-old goaltender,” Belfour said, as he prepared for his first Rivermen practice at Carver Arena in late September. “I think I could still play, and I still have that drive. But (Blues vice-president of player personnel) Doug Armstrong mentioned to me over the summer that this coaching possibility would be available.

“I gave it some thought. No acceptable playing offers came across the table, so I was glad to have this chance and I took it. You don’t know when coaching opportunities will be there again, so those are hard to pass up. And the Blues have always been a great, competitive organization and I’m proud to be part of them.”