Pietrangelo is the 21st player in Blues’ History to Wear the “C”

A void that was left when former St. Louis Blues’ captain, David Backes, signed with the Boston Bruins this off-season. That void has now been filled with a competent and charismatic defenseman. General manager Doug Armstrong and head coach Ken Hitchcock officially named Alex Pietrangelo as the new team captain for the 2016-2017 season.

Alex Pietrangelo has become a cornerstone for the Blues both on and off the ice. His leadership within the team was somewhat thwarted by the affable – I really should have said laughable -- leadership style of David Backes. Many will argue that Backes was a great team captain, but one has to wonder if this changing of the guard, sort of speak, will be the boost that Blues need to slay their playoff demons once and for all.

It will be exciting to see how Pietrangelo’s influence, without Backes there, affects his teammates individually as well as a whole team. His steady presence the past few years has impacted younger players and made them strive to meet his stringent standards. 

Now he has the opportunity to embrace his captaincy and mold this new St. Louis Blues team into the playoff powerhouse that the city has dreamed they could become.

The only major hindrance I can foresee within Pietrangelo’s future is outgoing head coach Ken Hitchcock and head coach-elect Mike Yeo. There will be a power struggle happening this year behind the Blues bench and it is a shame that Pietrangelo’s first season as team captain will be marred by this unusual situation.

Is He or Isn’t He? Vladimir Sobotka to Return To St. Louis Blues

Vladimir Sobotka defected to the KHL two years ago; however, the St. Louis Blues still retain rights to his contract in the NHL. Last season Sobotka toyed with returning to the Blues but opted to remain in the KHL. The current off-season has been a game of is he or isn’t he coming back to the NHL and the St. Louis Blues.

Reports coming from “Camp Sobotka” have been conflicting, leaving Blues fans scratching their heads and coming to the point of just not caring anymore if he ever does rejoin the organization. Sobotka’s agent, Petr Svoboda has made remarks that Sobotka will be returning to the St. Louis Blues for the 2016-2017 season. The general manager of the Avangard Omsk, Victor Shalaev, has stated that Vladimir Sobotka will be returning to his KHL team, the Avangard Omsk, as soon as he is healthy for the 2016-2017 season.

While Sobotka was an exciting player to watch during his time with the St. Louis Blues, he really has not been missed. The hole that was expected to have been created with his departure was not as great as projected. Other players stepped up and filled the void, making his departure much less painful. I am a Sobotka fan, but even I have to admit that the Blues have become a better team in his absence.

Sobotka will be playing in the world cup for the Czech Republic beginning September 17^th in Toronto. After the World Cup, it is rumored that Sobotka will return to St. Louis to get ready for the Blues’ training camp.

Training camp is fast approaching. Only then will the rumors swirling around Sobotka’s eminent return will be laid to rest. Will it be great to see Sobotka back in a Blues’ sweater? Sure. However, I would not want to see him back at the expense of losing a younger player who has been dedicated to the team and working towards building a stronger, play-off contending team. Sobotka is an exciting player but he is also a player who seems a little selfish and not fully committed to the team.

St. Louis Blues Have Hired A Head Coach Elect in Mike Yeo

There have been some odd things happening in St. Louis this off-season. The Blues are boasting BIG changes within the organization and I have sat back and waited to see what BIG changes were coming down the pike. And I have waited and waited…nothing major has shaken the organization to its roots this off-season. Maybe I missed something but the only thing that I would consider major – and that is stretching it – is the fact that the Blues hired an assistant coach named Mike Yeo. Yeo should sound familiar to hockey fans since he has had his share of gigs around the league. Why is this major, you are wondering? Well, okay, you got me there. It is not really major except for the fact that general manager Doug Armstrong has proclaimed that Mike Yeo is the next head coach of the St. Louis Blues.

This interesting announcement came after signing a one year contract extension with current head coach Ken Hitchcock and announcing that Mike Yeo was simply an assistant coach. So, for the 2016-2017 season the Blues will have current head coach Ken Hitchcock and head coach elect for the 2017-2018 season Mike Yeo behind the bench. I think this might be just a bit confusing to the players, the media and the fans.

Ken Hitchcock has stated that after this upcoming season he will retire from coaching. This is one last hoorah for Hitch, one last chance for him to add another Stanley Cup ring to his collection of awards and accolades. Since Hitch is on record proclaiming retirement after one last season, is he grooming Yeo to take over the Blues and continue with his coaching style? I truly hope not. While I have been a champion of Hitchcock’s since he came to St. Louis, no two coaches have the same coaching style or approach to getting through to their team. Hitch is known for creating a cohesive team that lives and dies together during highs and slumps with little to no finger pointing. He is steady behind the bench and in the locker-room.

What will Mike Yeo bring to the St. Louis Blues as assistant coach? He will hopefully give support to Hitch and provide solid coaching to the younger players. Yeo needs to come in and prove that he is ready to work with the other assistant coaches and head coach towards building a winning franchise rather than settle for a playoff placement. But he is also walking the fine line of becoming the next head coach. He has to present that persona to the players, especially the players who will be with the team beyond this season.

While it has not been an off-season of BIG changes, it has been an off-season of interesting moves by the St. Louis Blues. The Ken Hitchcock/Mike Yeo saga could be an interesting sideshow as long as it does not have a negative effect on the players and the team as a whole.

So Long, Farewell….David Backes Leaves the Blues

So many of my readers sounded off, wondering why I did not post the most important St. Louis Blues update of the summer – captain David Backes signs with the Boston Bruins not the St. Louis Blues. Frankly, on a scale of one to ten this registered as a three in my book. I was never a huge fan of David Backes and I did not feel that he was a competent team leader.

Backes was always more concerned with the experience of being a professional hockey player and the perks it gave him and his family rather than the nitty-gritty get into the game and give everything kind of player that a team captain needs to be. Of course Backes could talk the talk with the media and gain their sympathy, therefore gaining the love and sympathy of the fans. But when crunch time came you could see the cracks in his façade and you began to realize that he was simply an average player without much leadership ability.

Did his leaving create a void within the team? Some would argue that yes, the team will not survive without the affable David Backes. I think the team has the ability to flourish without his narcissistic personality clouding the locker-room.

Even I can admit that Backes did do some good while in St. Louis. But does that make him an immortal leader that no future captain can live up to and therefore the Blues are doomed to mediocrity? I am laughing here because Backes contributed more to the city of St. Louis that he did to the actual hockey team that was paying him the big bucks.

The 21^st captain of the St. Louis Blues will step into Backes’ shoes and hopefully step right back out of them and forge his own path as team captain. The next captain of the St. Louis Blues is inheriting a legacy of emotional outbursts, media schmoozing and city flirting rather than a level-headed, team first, digging deep kind of player this team and city deserves.

Blues Fan

I saw this circulating around Facebook and I thought is was most appropriate for all the die hard Blues fans out there.

We all bleed blue and we all still love our St. Louis Blues!

Was Patrick Kane Set-Up or Did He Really Do the Unthinkable?

COMMENTARY | In early August, Patrick Kane of the 2015 Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks was out on the town enjoying his fame and fortune. He met two women who were interested in knowing him better so they took the party back to his home in Hamburg, NY. Then the stories get a little murky.

One of the women who willingly accompanied Kane to his home in the early morning hours of August 2, 2015 and went into a bedroom with him has made allegations that she was raped by the NHL superstar. There are no reports that her friend, who was present in the home at the time of the alleged rape, tried to help her friend or was even aware that the incident was occurring.

Being a woman, especially a woman who has experienced the terror of an assault, my heart went out to this victim and Kane was pure scum until more and more details began leaking out. Most rape victims are too stunned and horrified by what just happened to them that they either try to conceal it by going home and thoroughly washing themselves because they feel so dirty or they call the police to make a report. This woman did neither of these things. Instead, she goes straight to the emergency room and requests a rape kit be conducted and then the emergency room staff made the call to the police.

sportsmockery.com

There have been few details released in the case. Kane and his family have kept a low profile during this time, including a quiet celebration with the Stanley Cup at his home in Hamburg, NY instead of a large-scale, city-wide celebration. Kane’s lawyers are no doubt guiding his every move at this point even though no charges have officially been filed.

A date for the case to go before the Grand Jury was set. Evidence was gathered, witnesses subpoenaed and the lawyers were ready to battle it out in front of the Grand Jury. Then the big event was delayed because of settlement talks going on between the two parties. That left me scratching my head. A woman is raped and she is willing to take a settlement? That does not sound like a typical rape victim. A rape victim would want justice done and the perpetrator to be given a punishment that suits the crime.

The fact that both sides are willing to sit down and talk settlement makes me really question the validity of this allegation against Kane. Of course Kane would be willing to settle just to sweep this thing aside and get on with the new season. But the victim being willing to accept a cash settlement for an alleged rape just does not sit right. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that similar to prostitution? Accepting money in return for sexual favors is classified as prostitution.

Maybe that seems a little harsh to some, but the facts that have been leaked do not add up to a rape. It sounds like a gold-digger spotted Kane out on the town and saw an opportunity. She willingly went to his home and into his bedroom, her friend did not try to stop the incident, she went immediately to the hospital asking for a rape kit and now she is willing to settle for money. Yes, the victim claims that Kane bit her during the encounter, but let’s get real, a hyped up playboy millionaire gets a woman into bed. He likes it rough. How many of us have had a partner get a little out of hand and leave a scratch or a bite mark? That does not mean that the sex was not consensual.

The NHL feels that it is justified in pushing Kane aside and not allowing him on the press tour, sponsors feel just as justified in pulling Kane from their promotional items. But the fact still remains that Kane has still not been charged with a crime. Am I saying that the NHL should not hold its players to a higher standard? No, I am not saying that. I am simply saying that if the crime did happen and the player is charged and found guilty, like in Slava Voynov’s case, then of course action should be taken. If it turns out that charges are brought against Kane and he is found guilty, then yes, action by the NHL needs to be swift and harsh.

As of right now, the NHL and the Blackhawks are not justified in handing down any punishment to Kane. A woman made an accusation, seemingly for money or to hook a rich man, and now everyone is in an uproar demanding Kane be punished. Think about it Kane-haters, why would a woman go to a man’s house at 2:00 a.m. if not to enjoy some adult company and get to know him better? I am not a Kane fan myself, but everything about this case just seems weird and it does not add up to a traumatized woman who suffered a vicious assault. 

St. Louis Blues Youngest Fans Get Shafted: Coolest Club in Town is a Sham

The youngest fans for any sport are the most important fans. They are the future supporters of a team or a sport. So, what happens when a team treats them like second class citizens? They feel belittled and unimportant to the franchise. The St. Louis Blues have not been known for their child friendly environment and while they host various activities for kids, they do not cater to the young fan.

This season is especially worse for the young fans who desperately want to support their favorite players on the ice and dream of being in the arena when the Stanley Cup is finally hoisted by a player wearing a Blues jersey. But this season, parents better be prepared to shell out more money for their children to belong to the exclusive Blue Note Kids Club. A club that boasted in years past a small welcome pack of some type of cheap memorabilia, two tickets very cheap tickets to a select home game and a chance to take a shot on goal on the ice after a select home game. Wow! Impressive stuff here! The organization must have truly been proud of their offerings to the young fans.

Before training camp has even begun the Blues have been sending out promotional emails and proudly posting on their website that they have the “Coolest Club in Town” and encourage parents to sign their children up. Last season the price for such an exclusive club was $25.00. This year inflation must have finally caught up with the organization because parents can pay $35.00 and their children can be “All-Star Members”. This sounds pretty cool, except for the $10.00 price jump. But when you read what an All-Star Member really is, it does not sound so cool. As an All-Star Member, a child receives a Kid’s Club Membership Pack and access to all Kid’s Club events, but no events are listed. My question would be what are these amazing events that the kids have access to as an All-Star Member?

The kicker, however, was that if parents did not like the All-Star Member choice, they could fork out a whopping $65.00 and their child could then be a “Hall of Fame Member”. That sounds fantastic! Except in reality, it is the same exact deal that kids got last season for the $25.00 price. Hall of Fame Members will receive a Kid’s Club Membership Pack, access to all Kid’s Club events, have a chance to participate in an on ice shot on goal and will receive two tickets, Mezzanine Level, to a select home game. For those who want their membership pack mailed to them, it is an additional $15.00. Surely the United States Postal Service is not charging that much to ship a small package within the St. Louis area and surrounding counties.

To recap, the Blue Note Kids Club All-Star Member must pay $35.00 plus shipping, if desired. That is $50.00 total. Or they can be Hall of Fame Members for $65.00 plus shipping, if desired, for a grand total of $80.00!

The St. Louis Cardinals, who are ten time World Series Champions, do not even charge this much for their Cardinals Kids Club. For $30.00, young Cardinals fans receive two tickets to home game, one-of-a-kind promotional items, access to a members-only party at the stadium complete with games, autographs, snack and the mascot and they get special offers throughout the season. Shipping is available for their membership packs for an additional $5.00 which is much more believable!

How is it that a baseball team who is classified as one of Major League Baseball’s finest be able to offer so much more to their young fans? The Cardinal’s organization has figured out that the young fans are the future of the team. When the young fans feel valued, they will be loyal to the team as they grow and become paying fans. The St. Louis Blues have not figured out that making children feel unwelcome is detrimental to the team and to the sport. This is a team that has yet to bring its fans a Stanley Cup. It is a team that has been ousted ungracefully from the playoffs several years in a row. A team that in the off-season traded a fan favorite player and refused to re-sign another fan favorite player. This is a team that is not in a position to demand $35-$65 for a kids club.

The Blues need a reality check! How many working class parents are going to spend the money they are demanding for a subpar kids club? I wonder if they will ever figure out how to truly cater to the young fan and make them feel like a special part of the organization.