St. Louis Blues 2017-18 Schedule Released; NHL Loves/Hates Us

The St. Louis Blues had their 2017-18 schedule released. It proved two things. The NHL doesn’t care for the team, but also realizes they have a following and bring ratings.

The St. Louis Blues now know all the teams they will be playing in 2017-18 and when. We were given more reasons to think the NHL has it in for St. Louis, but we also have to realize the league knows the Blues do bring eyes and butts.

Starting with the good points, the league is clearly starting to realize that the Blues bring ratings and put butts in seats – at home anyway. The Blues have had one of the best local ratings out of any of the league’s teams over the past few years.

The NHL is not blind to that fact even if sports leagues in general usually turn the other cheek when it comes to cities in the middle of the country outside of Chicago. Whether league officials like it or not, the Blues fan base tunes in.

So, for the second season in a row, the Blues will be playing on the league’s opening night in one of their primetime games. Interestingly enough, for the second year in a row, they’ll be playing a team fans perceive as one of the league’s darlings.

St. Louis opened the season in Chicago in 2016 and came out with a big win. They’ll need a similar effort to open 2017.

The Blues are going to be playing the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh to start the new season. Not only will St. Louis have to watch the Pens raise the banner, but they’ll need to get used to being on the road.

Seven of the Blues first nine and eight of the first 11 will be away from home. That’s the part where you wonder what the schedule makers had against the Blues. That’s pretty rough to have that many away games before you really settle in.

On the flip side, the preseason makes you think the league does like the Blues. St. Louis will be playing in the Kraft Hockeyville game against the Penguins in Belle Vernon on September 24.

People might argue that was just a roll of the dice. I don’t think so. Those games are usually planned out well in advance, so the NHL must think people in Pennsylvania will want to see the Blues face off against the Pens. The Blues will also be used to spread the popularity of the game as they play against Minnesota in Kansas City in the preseason.

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Swapping back to wondering what the schedule makers are thinking, the Blues have 17 back-to-back games. That’s not a league high – 19 is the most in the league – but that seems more than our fair share.

Yes, much of those decisions have to do with building availability. Even so, the Blues seem to always be near the top of the NHL in back-to-backs and not all of them are at home or home and away.

In the end, it’s all just stuff the team will have to overcome. If you want to win, you cannot have excuses. You have to overcome.

Other than that, it’s just another schedule with interesting parts and stretches of stuff nobody cares about.

The Blues won’t have to wait long to see Vegas for the first time. They’ll play the Golden Knights out west on October 21. Vegas will make the return visit on January 4. The two face off two more times after that.

Speaking of Vegas, you can blame them for seeing the Blackhawks less. The Blues only face Chicago four times in 2017-18. It’ll be October 18 and April 4 at home, then March 18 and April 6 on the road.

Also not lost is the league’s storytelling ability. It is no coincidence that the Blues home opener will be against the Dallas Stars.

Ken Hitchcock is returning to the team he led to a Stanley Cup. His second game back in Dallas will be against the team he led for parts of six seasons.

There is no accident in that scheduling. The Blues opening up against the champs might have just happened, but the league had to have planned out bringing Hitch back to St. Louis so quickly. You have to think they were hoping the dates would work as soon as Hitchcock made the move.

The Blues will have to endure the grueling western Canada swing right before Christmas and then face the Predators right after. They’ll also end the season against Colorado for what feels like the tenth straight year (not actually ten straight years).

Ultimately, it’s just another schedule. You have home stands and road trips. Every team has stretches they feel are not fair and portions other fans point to and ask why they can’t have it as good.

The Blues will have it a bit rough to open the year. They won’t have time to gel or get off to a slow start. Other than that, it’s just go out and play.

Let us know your thoughts on the schedule in the comments or on social media.

2017-18 ST. LOUIS BLUES SCHEDULE via Lou Korac
PRESEASON
SEPTEMBER
19 — at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
20 — COLUMBUS, 7 p.m.
22 — at Washington, 6 p.m.
23 — DALLAS, 7 p.m.
24 — vs. Pittsburgh at Belle Vernon, Pa., TBA
26 — at Columbus, 6 p.m.
28 — vs. Minnesota at Kansas City, 7 p.m.
OCTOBER
1 — WASHINGTON, 2 p.m.

REGULAR SEASON
4 — at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
7 — DALLAS, 7 p.m.
9 — at NY Islanders, Noon
10 — at NY Rangers, 6 p.m.
12 — at Florida, 6:30 p.m.
14 — at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m.
18 — CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
19 — at Colorado, 8 p.m.
21 — at Vegas, 9:30 p.m.
25 — CALGARY, 7 p.m.
27 — at Carolina, 6:30 p.m.
28 — COLUMBUS, 7 p.m.
30 — LOS ANGELES, 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER
2 — PHILADELPHIA, 7 p.m.
4 — TORONTO, 7 p.m.
7 — at New Jersey, 6 p.m.
9 — ARIZONA, 7 p.m.
11 — N.Y. ISLANDERS, 7 p.m.
13 — at Calgary, 8 p.m.
16 — at Edmonton, 8 p.m.
18 — at Vancouver, 9 p.m.
21 — EDMONTON, 7 p.m.
24 — NASHVILLE, 7 p.m.
25 — MINNESOTA, 7 p.m.
29 — ANAHEIM, 8 p.m.

DECEMBER
1 — LOS ANGELES, 7 p.m.
2 — at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
5 — at Montreal, 6:30 p.m.
7 — DALLAS, 7 p.m.
9 — at Detroit, – 6 p.m.
10 — BUFFALO, 6 p.m.
12 — TAMPA BAY, 7 p.m.
14 — ANAHEIM, 7 p.m.
16 — WINNIPEG, 6 p.m.
17 — at Winnipeg, 5 p.m.
20 — at Calgary, 8:30 p.m.
21 — at Edmonton, 8 p.m.
23 — at Vancouver, 9 p.m.
27 — NASHVILLE, 7 p.m.
29 — at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
30 — CAROLINA, 7 p.m.

JANUARY
2 — NEW JERSEY, 7 p.m.
4 — VEGAS, 7 p.m.
6 — at Philadelphia, Noon
7 — at Washington – 2 p.m.
9 — FLORIDA, 7 p.m.
16 — at Toronto, 6 p.m.
18 — at Ottawa, 6:30 p.m.
20 — ARIZONA, 7 p.m.
23 — OTTAWA, 7 p.m.
25 — COLORADO, 7 p.m.
30 — MONTREAL, 7 p.m.

FEBRUARY
1 — at Boston, 6 p.m.
3 — at Buffalo, 6 p.m.
6 — MINNESOTA, 7 p.m.
8 — COLORADO, 7 p.m.
9 — at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
11 — PITTSBURGH, 2 p.m.
13 — at Nashville, 7 p.m.
16 — at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
20 — SAN JOSE, 7 p.m.
23 — WINNIPEG, 7 p.m.
25 — at Nashville, 5 p.m.
27 — at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
28 — DETROIT, 7 p.m.

MARCH
3 — at Dallas, 1 p.m.
8 — at San Jose, 9:30 p.m.
10 — at Los Angeles, 3 p.m.
12 — at Anaheim, 9 p.m.
15 — vs. COLORADO, 7 p.m.
17 — vs. N.Y. RANGERS, 7 p.m.
18 — at Chicago, 6:30 p.m.
21 — BOSTON, 7 p.m.
23 — VANCOUVER, 7 p.m.
24 — at Columbus, 6 p.m.
27 — SAN JOSE, 7 p.m.
30 — at Vegas, 9:30 p.m.
31 — at Arizona, 7 p.m.

APRIL
2 — WASHINGTON, 7 p.m.
4 — CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
6 — at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
7 — at Colorado, 8 p.m.

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