St. Louis Blues: A Family’s Dream Becomes Reality

Growing up in a small Southern Illinois town meant there wasn’t much hockey around, but the first time I watched a St. Louis Blues game on TV I was hooked!

When I was growing up the St. Louis Blues were on a local St. Louis cable station, and very few people in my hometown even knew what hockey was. Heck, I was one of those people.

But I remember my dad and uncle always talking about the Blues.  So my uncle started recording the games for us on VHS, and after the games were over my dad and I would watch the games together.

Back then you didn’t have to worry about spoilers, so it may have been the next day before we could watch.  Other times, myself, my dad, and both of my uncles would get together at my uncles’ house and watch the games.

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It was always so much fun watching these games together.  We would all cheer and yell at the TV.  Win or lose, it was always a great time.

I still remember sitting down and watching a game between the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis.

It was a cold January night in 1993, and if you don’t know what night I’m talking about, it was the night Curtis Joseph and Tim Cheveldae squared off at center ice.

I can still hear Ken Wilson’s call “Here comes Cheveldae, he is going to get thrown out of the game, Cheveldae, now Joseph grabs Cheveldae”  just like it happened yesterday.  I still get chills anytime I watch the video.  If you haven’t ever watched the video, I highly recommend it.

In the summer of 1993, my father was diagnosed with cancer.  So we all decided shortly after it was time for all of us to see a game in person.

On March 12, 1994, all of us went to see our first hockey game in person.  That night I was able to see the New York Islanders vs. the Blues.  Over the years I have gone to a lot of Blues games, but this one will always be the best.

There were a lot of firsts that night, saw my first live fight, witnessed Peter Nedved and Peter Stastny score their first goals for St. Louis, and witnessed my first of many goals from the Golden Brett Hull.

We even got to watch some free hockey that night as the game ended in a 5-5 tie.  Yes for you younger fans, games could end in a tie back then.

I can still close my eyes and hear the organ playing the “Saints Go Marching In” and how loud the old arena was that night.  If you never got to experience a game at the old barn, you really missed out.  I have never experienced an atmosphere like that.

I was lucky enough to be able to see a Blues game there, but the greatest thing about that night was getting to experience it with my dad and my uncles, Clark and Jimmy.  It is a memory I will always have, and because of this memory, I have created many with my own family.

Later that summer, my father passed away.  Although we haven’t gone to any more games together, my uncles and I would still talk about the Blues and how they were doing.

The night St. Louis won the Stanley Cup, my uncle Jimmy immediately ordered his Championship merchandise.  He was so excited and thrilled he witnessed the Blues winning the Stanley Cup.

The one dream we all had years ago while watching those games together, finally, became a reality.  And even though my dad didn’t get to experience that reality, my uncle did.  Later this week, my uncle will be laid to rest wearing that championship t-shirt.  And I know he wouldn’t want it any other way.

This article is dedicated to my dad Brent and my Uncle Jimmy.  Without them, my passion for the Blues would not have developed as deep as it has.  Also, this is dedicated to all those fans like my father that never got see St. Louis win the Stanley Cup.