The Blues are the Perfect Hockey Team for St. Louis
Just like their loyal fan base, the St. Louis Hockey Club fits the city like a glove
By Ryan Boman | Oct 7, 2025
It’s time to hit the ice, drop the pucks, and crash the boards. The St. Louis Blues are entering their 59th season with a whole lot of hometown hope. The team has seemingly made all the right moves to be a contender when the Stanley Cup playoffs come rolling around.
The Boys in Blue will open the season this week against the Minnesota Wild with a lot of anticipation. Like many Autumns in my lifetime, the team already has my attention, and they haven’t even scored a regular-season goal yet.
This time of year is a time of celebration for all hockey fans in the area out there that have an endless supply of blue and yellow gear. Some even still have those ridiculous throwbacks from the '90s with all the red in them. (To think — the greatest player of all time, Wayne Gretzky, was forced to play in those garish things.)
And somewhere near the back of the closet, there’s probably an old, stretched-out Sergio Momesso sweater barely clinging to the hanger.
This time of year, the St. Louis Hockey Club has a legitimate shot to make the playoffs, lift The Cup, and sing their guts out to ‘Gloria’ once again. However, as much as hope springs eternal every fall for fans of the ‘Note, there have been plenty of seasons of letdowns and disappointments.
The Blues have the most playoff appearances for teams that joined the league after 1967. Unfortunately, they have managed only one Stanley Cup in their history. There have been plenty of talented players in their decades of existence, and a handful of great coaches. But until 2019, the team never seemed to break through. Anyone who witnessed the team’s collapse in the 2000 Playoffs can attest to that.
Still, there’s a love for the team because they somewhat embody their fans. No matter how many times they are drilled by disappointment, the franchise always reloads and rebounds. Much like the people from the St. Louis area, the Blues are used to having the odds stacked against them, much like their loyal following. So, when the ‘Note wins, it’s not just a victory for the team. It’s a victory for all the people who used to fill ‘The Old Barn’ now help to pack the Enterprise Center.. Their children and their grandchildren are probably there with them, and all rocking Blues apparel, too.
The fans’ loyalty goes far beyond sticking by the team, despite some lean years, bad personnel moves, and living under the evil spectre of Mike Keenan. None of that erases the fondest of fond memories that we Bloosiers have for our local team.
For any setback, there are plenty of magical memories. We got the Plager brothers, Bernie Federko, and ‘the Monday Night Miracle. We saw poetry in motion with the pairing of Hull & Oates, and later, the deft skill of Brendan Shanahan.
There was also the joy of watching Chris Pronger develop into one of the best defensemen of his era. Recently, we’ve witnessed the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium, and of course, the Stanley Cup victory that seemed to finally get a huge albatross off everyone’s back.
And don’t forget all the beer. Lots and lots of beer.
As another season of hope approaches, it’s no wonder that Blues fans have clung to their team. The resilience, toughness, and never-say-die attitude are the kind of things St. Louis stands for. I’m ready for the season, just like I’m sure thousands of my fellow fans are as well.
So, pass the nachos, drop the puck… and Skate, Boys, Skate.
Ryan Boman is a contributing writer for On SI at Sports Illustrated and the author of the 2023 book, Pop Music & Peanut Butter, a Collection of Essays Looking at Life with Laughter & Love. His previous work has appeared at MSN, Heavy, the Miami Herald, Screen Rant, and Yardbarker. Follow him on social media @RyanKBoman