St. Louis Blues: Kelly Chase Has Been A Broadcaster Twice As Long
By Todd Panula
Kelly Chase was a fan favorite as a player with the St. Louis Blues. He has found a more viable career once his playing days were over.
The St. Louis Blues had a heck of a locker room guy when Kelly Chase was a player. To say he was a good player…well, not so much. Even he will say so.
He was still talented enough to get into the NHL. Say what you will about goons or fighters, Chase still had enough skill to fit into the role he was given at the highest level of professional hockey.
There are goons left and right at all levels during his time period. Not all of them made the NHL because they didn’t possess enough talent. Chase did.
Yes, he was a fighter. He was a grinder. He was a bruiser. He got in your face, either physically or verbally, and let you know what wasn’t going to be tolerated.
No, he wasn’t good at scoring goals. He only ended up with 53 career points, 40 of which came in a St. Louis uniform.
It was his spirit and personality (and perhaps his fists) that endeared him to the Blues crowd. He was the hockey representation of the little guy standing up for what is right. Some of that was figurative and some of it was literal since he was a bit small by today’s standards at 5’11 and 201 lbs.
However, he has become just as known as the color commentating voice of the St. Louis Blues’ radio broadcasts. In fact, he has now been with the Blues twice as long as a broadcaster than the length he played with the team.
Chase played with the Blues for eight seasons. You could say it was only parts of eight seasons, since he was regularly a scratch for some seasons and other seasons was taken out with the occasional injury. Nevertheless, he spent eight years in the Gateway city as a player and he loved it here.
He was one of Brett Hull‘s best friends. He made connections, he had personality and charm, he even moved his junior hockey team to the area. It would not have been beyond reason for him to slip into the background and simply be one of those ex-players you see interviewed during intermissions.
Instead, he was brought back by the team immediately.
Instead of sitting on his laurels and soaking up retirement, he went right back to work. Perhaps it was that Midwest farmboy in him. Maybe it was just the Blues offered him the spot and he didn’t want to hope it would be available later.
Whatever the reason, he is now synonymous with the Blues. Perhaps not as much as some of the big names, but he’s up there.
He’s become one of the better color commentators in the league as well. Some might say he’s a bit of a homer, but he’s on the Blues’ radio network. If you can’t support your own team on their own broadcast, especially being a player that actually played for the team, then what’s the point.
He’s quite fair as well, and honest. If he thinks a terrible call was made, he will say so, even if it benefited the Blues. That’s what good broadcasters do.
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The amusing thing, not to make him feel old, is there are now fans of high school age that have only ever known him as a broadcaster. It almost makes me feel old to have been able to see him live during his playing days when you consider that notion.
However you want to think of Chase, whether it be tough guy, fighter, funny man or broadcaster, he’s been good to the team. He wasn’t a superstar, but he ended up one of sorts in this city. He’s continued finding ways to help the team. He doesn’t get to drop the gloves any more, but he can verbally and that’s just as good.