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.

St. Louis Blues Lose Again: Early Exit from Playoffs Could Mean Big Changes

COMMENTARY | As heavy favorites to win the Stanley Cup the past two seasons, the St. Louis Blues have stumbled and once again made an ungraceful exit from the first round of the playoffs. Both years, the Blues have yet to win a series. Blues’ fans felt that this time the Blues actually had a chance to win against the Minnesota Wild. It would be a hard series, but it was predicted that the Blues would eventually come out on top.

Is Hitchcock to Blame?

Fans and commentators have been considering what the future of head coach Ken Hitchcock, who has been with the club for four seasons, holds. Hitchcock has transformed the St. Louis Blues from a team that was unexceptional to a team that is able to consistently win hockey games. Under the tutelage of Hitchcock, the Blues are able to be true contenders for the top spot within their division each season. The Blues and Hitchcock came to a one year contract agreement earlier this month. He will be behind the Blues bench for another season.

Hitchcock’s leadership throughout the season is strong and the players respond well. So, what is it about the playoffs that cause the Blues to lose leadership? Does Hitchcock change his type of coaching during a playoff series? It would be unlikely that his whole coaching approach changes once the playoffs begin. I think that Hitchcock has been a strong leader for the team, working with what he has been given. However, when a team earns a reputation for being unable to win a playoff series, the players go into the series with a little too much to prove and end up falling flat on their face.

Ken Hitchcock has experience that has proven effective during regular season play. He has been a rock-solid coach behind the Blues bench and has earned the respect of his players.  Fans are still sounding off about bringing Hitchcock back for another season. Personally, I think it was a solid move on the part of the Blues.

Forwards Not Producing

Many people are contemplating the potential dissection of the backbone of the team. David Backes, team captain, and TJ Oshie, Olympic hero, are both exceptional players during the regular season. When it comes to the playoffs though, they are not able to produce for their team.

Backes is a shrewd player who does have the ability to motivate his team and lead them through a successful season as their captain. But, once the playoffs begin, he begins to fade away and his lacking leadership ability becomes problematic. Backes has become a strong personality within the St. Louis community. Fans of every demographic love him and give him their devoted support. Many of those fans are now asking could it be time for him to part ways with the Blues.

Oshie is without a doubt a fan favorite, especially the female fans, and is very active within the St. Louis community. He won over the hearts of fans around the country during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He has been riding on that high ever since. Oshie is a player who has the know-how to set up plays and make things happen on the ice during the regular season. Oshie is a strong leader within the locker room and his many of his teammates look to him to lead them to the all-important win. Oshie, like Backes, fades away during the playoffs. You have to wonder if Oshie has grown as much as he can as a player while in St. Louis. Would he succeed on a different team under different leadership or with the Blues with a different head coach?

The Goaltending Question

Jake Allen, the Blues rookie goaltender, came into the playoffs with poise and had a team in front of him who protected him well. By the end of Game 5, his poise was shaken. There had been little offense and a defense that was no longer giving him the protection he had come to rely on. The blame of losing the first round has been placed on Allen’s shoulders. But that is not a fair assessment. While Allen showed big cracks in his confidence, it was his team that failed to produce offense. Then there were the empty-net goals that Allen could do nothing about.

Simply Outplayed

It is sometimes hard to face the fact that the Blues faced a better team. All the analyzing plays and second guessing decisions are not going to change that fact. There is no definitive way of saying which team is the better team. The better team is the one that was able to create offense while staying with a proven and effective defense. Not taking unnecessary or just plain stupid penalties is also key to becoming the better team.

The Blues had a great, winning season that allowed Hitchcock to showcase several of their young guns: Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Pietrangelo , Kevin Shattenkirk, and Jake Allen re a few of the younger players who will be the building blocks of the team in the future. The playoff series against the Minnesota Wild highlighted the Blues’ weaknesses; Steve Ott is a weak link while on the ice and has not contributed much to the team. The entire defense was a puzzling jumble most of the season. The Blues are in the process of evolving and building a Stanley Cup worthy team. 

St. Louis Blues Sticking With Jake Allen

COMMENTARY | St. Louis Blues’ head coach Ken Hitchcock has officially said that he is putting his trust in the young backup goaltender, Jake Allen, over Brian Elliott, the seasoned netminder. This is Allen’s first season as a regular back-up goaltender with the St. Louis Blues. At just 24 years old, Allen is showing that he does not buckle under pressure. Is this a wise move for the St. Louis Blues?

Experience

Brian Elliott has playoff experience, with that experience comes maturity and the ability to handle the pressures of a strong playoff run. Even though the Blues have been shaky at best during the playoffs the past couple of seasons, the goaltenders have gained valuable experience playing in the high intensity games. Allen has only had a taste of that intensity whereas Elliott has been thrown off the deep end and immersed in it.

Brian Elliott

Elliott is hungry for the chance to prove himself, as is Allen. But both are essentially backup goaltenders trying to be worthy of the number one position. Elliott has played in the NHL longer, but his mentality seems to still be stuck in the roll of backup. When he was given the number one spot at the beginning of the year, it was speculated that he would not be able to handle the everyday duty required for his new elevated position. He was out to prove them wrong and even ended his vacation early to appear in the All-Star game when he got the last minute call.

Jake Allen

Allen is just as hungry to prove that he deserves to be in the NHL. His role as the backup to Elliott, and for a short time during Elliott’s injury to Martin Brodeur, has given him time to grow and learn. Does he have the maturity, stamina and ability to carry a team that tends to fizzle in the first round of the playoffs? I think that given more time and conditioning Allen would be the best choice over Elliott. Right now, with Elliott wavering and having difficulty stopping the puck, I think Allen is right for the end of season games. Will he wear out early in the play offs and not be able to deliver?

I’m sure these are all the questions running through the coaching staff’s minds as they determine the best course of action. Should they stay with the backup who may not be able to deliver in the long run or go with the goaltender who earned the number one spot only to begin to fray as the playoffs approach? Blues fans are divided. There are those who believe that Elliott can rebound and carry the weight of the team. But then there are others who remember Elliott’s playoff flops and are pinning their hopes on the young Allen.

Either way, Hitchcock has stated that he is sticking with Jake Allen for game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Will that decision be a mistake since the Blues do not know yet who their opponent will be, we will have to sit back and watch it all unfold.