St. Louis Blues Are Number One! ...In Fan Misery

The St. Louis Blues have one of the best relationships with their community of any team in the NHL. That may never change, but fans are growing impatient waiting for a championship.

The St. Louis Blues might be number one in the hearts of their fans – perhaps not always the minds though. However, now they have been recognized as number one in another spot.

The Hockey News puts out a publication every year listing the fan bases based on their perceived misery levels. The Blues are now on top of that list.

On the one hand, this list is probably pretty accurate. Blues fans have gone into most offseasons with disappointment, but that positive attitude that one year will be our year.

Recent years have been different. Maybe it’s because the team came close in 2015-16 or maybe it’s because they can’t seem to get their core on the same page as the front offices. Whatever the reason, the bubbly sentiment is starting to turn sour.

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Fans are definitely getting tired of saying “maybe next year.” They’ve seen their equivalent in the baseball world, the Chicago Cubs, finally win. Expansion teams and old rivals have all won Stanley Cups before the Blues as well.

The dry spell is starting to affect even younger generations. People in their 20’s are already starting to wonder if they will ever see someone in the Note hoist the Cup over their head and that’s not the mentality you want seeping in.

The counter-balance to that argument is that the Blues have had some excellent seasons. Again, maybe that adds expectation, making early playoff losses sting even more. It cannot be forgotten that the Blues had an unparalleled run of success under Ken Hitchcock, with several 100-plus point seasons and challenging for the Presidents Trophy. Granted, nobody really wants that trophy, but it still shows a great season.

On top of the positive season argument, the focus of The Hockey News is tiring to Blues fans. Any time there is mention of the Blues making the finals in their first three seasons, people from “original six” cities like to say it would not have happened if the league was evenly split instead of divided into expansion and original conferences.

Those were the rules and the Blues did not make them. The NHL did. Blues fans are tired of hearing caveats. Also, though it is merely an opinion, I find it hard to believe a team with the talent of the original Blues could not have knocked off a couple of the “original” teams and still done well.

Regardless, it has the odor of a snooty Torontoite wanting to impose their perceived superiority in hockey knowledge, when it really makes no difference.

Next: Blues Canadian Players Get Chance To Keep Playing

The bottom line is the Blues have not won a Stanley Cup and continue to wait. Fans are upset, yearning for that tearful moment. It’s just the argument given for our misery that does not sit well.

Anyway, Blues fans can rest easy knowing they are number one in something. At this point, all we can do is grin and bear it.

Perhaps a Blues title is like the rapture. It will come like a thief in the night when we least expect it. One way or the other, I believe it will happen one day. Maybe that’s part of our misery – we keep believing.

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St. Louis Blues Are Number One! …In Fan Misery

By Todd Panula | Apr 16, 2018

The St. Louis Blues have one of the best relationships with their community of any team in the NHL. That may never change, but fans are growing impatient waiting for a championship.