It appears that once again the St. Louis Blues will be snubbed out of any outdoor games despite the success of the franchise over the last couple seasons and the history behind the team.  Many hockey fans forget that the Blues were established in 1967 as part of the NHL’s original expansion.  While the Blues are the only expansion team from ’67 yet to win a Stanley Cup, they did reach the finals in each of their first three seasons.  Perhaps the drought of not reaching the Cup Finals for the last 41 years has the NHL looking to other teams, but what are all of the reasons that the Blues should not get an outdoor game, from the perspective of the NHL and its fans:

• The Blues have spent the last 44 years trying to raise the cup and never have
• The Blues lack a true superstar forward
• The St. Louis market is not nearly as large as other hockey markets, especially those included in the upcoming Stadium Series
• The Blues are a very young team that has yet to prove themselves
• The weather in St. Louis is unpredictable

For fans of the St. Louis Blues though, there is a very different perception.  In 2009, the NHL held their annual Winter Classic in the windy city at the famous Wrigley Field.  When Blues fans heard the news that the Hawks would be hosting, many fans hoped that it would not be long before the classic was held at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.  So why do the Blues deserve to host an outdoor game at Busch?

• The Blues have a strong fanbase that deserves attention
• Young and rising players keep St. Louis Blues games exciting
• Players like Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko are bringing the Blues more attention
• The Blues are close to a team that could compete for the cup.  The NHL should want to highlight rising teams
• Busch Stadium is part of the St. Louis culture.  The Blues often highlight the Cardinals and vice versa.  It is a strong community.
• If the weather in Los Angeles is not a fear, St. Louis should be much easier

It was well known that Arnott’s knee was giving him troubles, but after an off season surgery, many thought that he would be ready to go this season.

While Jason Arnott was busy working out, practicing with the Dallas Stars, and hearing rumors of teams that might have interest, we were all just waiting to see where he would be calling home.

On Saturday night, we finally thought that we could answer that question as Jason Arnott inked a one-year deal with the New York Rangers for $1.2 million base and $400,000 in incentives.  Arnott had to be thrilled, finally finding a new place that he could call home and not having to hang up the skates just yet, but his hopes came to an end yesterday.

Late Saturday night, the 38-year-old center failed the New York Rangers physical conducted by the team’s doctors at Madison Square Garden.

According to some reports, it was not just Arnott’s knee that caused him to fail the physical.  It looks like his shoulder was also a source of trouble.

Stay tuned to see if Arnott can get in better shape and find a place to play, but with the clock ticking, it looks like Arnott may have played his last game in the NHL.

That’s all for now Blues fans, as always, LET’S GO BLUES!

-Alex Hodschayan