St. Louis Blues Finish Unbelievable Year: Zach Sanford

The 2018-19 St. Louis Blues season was supposed to be a coming out party for Zach Sanford. However, it started about as bad as it could and ended about as well as anyone could imagine.

The St. Louis Blues certainly had their ups and downs in 2018-19. You have all heard the story by now, worst to first and counted out in just about every playoff round they faced only to become Stanley Cup Champions.

Somewhat mirroring that roller coaster ride was Zach Sanford. Sanford was impressive in a small sample when the Blues acquired Sanford as part of the Kevin Shattenkirk trade in 2016-17.

He was set to be a big part of their plans for 2017-18, but an injury kept him out the entire season for the Blues. He only ended up playing 20 games with the San Antonio Rampage that season and registering 7 points.

Despite the setback, Sanford was still penciled in to, at least, make the Blues team to start 2018-19. Then tragedy struck.

Sanford’s father suffered a heart attack during training camp. Zach was forced to make a decision whether to leave camp to go home or stay.

Knowing his father would want him to make the team, he stayed for the day’s practice and Michael Sanford passed away during the day. Sanford was crushed, but knew it was what his father would have wanted and that he was at peace.

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“I never remember any of mine, but the day after my dad died, I had a dream that I remember very well,” Sanford wrote in an NHL.com piece. “It was just me and dad, driving in his car listening to his old rock ’n’ roll music. Nothing major, but it was just him and me, and he was happy. It was almost like he was telling me that he’s resting easy and he’s happy where he is now.”

Making matters even harder, Michael was never able to see Zach in an NHL game live. When he came on the dad’s trip in 2017-18, Zach was hurt. When Zach played a handful of games with the Washington Capitals, his father’s schedule never quite lined up right to get to a game.

Even so, Zach knew his dad would have wanted him to continue chasing his dream. In spite of the personal loss, Sanford featured in a career high 60 games.

He might not have had the offensive output he wanted, but Sanford finished 2018-19 with eight goals and 20 points. That’s not bad for someone that bounced around from the second line to the fourth and in between.

The playoffs were even more of a test, mentally and spiritually. After playing in four playoff games with the Blues in 2016-17 and not registering a point, Sanford started for the Note against Winnipeg in the first round.

He played three games against the Jets with no points and a minus-1. Sanford had to spend the rest of the first round and the next two rounds after that watching from the rafters.

He was starting to lose hope and those closest to him could sense it. His friend, Chris Calnan, knew how down Sanford was getting, but did his best to cheer him up after Game 4 of the Winnipeg series.

"“I said, ‘Dude, keep your head up,’” Calnan recalls. “I told him, ‘Be ready, because you’re going to get in. You’re going to be playing the Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals. And you’re going to dangle Zdeno Chara for the Game 7 winner in Boston.” – Chris Calnan in Sports Illustrated"

It would take awhile for that prophetic promise to come true, but it did. Well sort of.

Sanford might not have had the game winner or done a dangle on Zdeno Chara, but he scored in Game 7 and that is probably close enough. For Sanford, his friend’s words were no doubt comforting, especially when he got to actually play against the Boston Bruins in Game 3.

Still, his mind was on his father.

“He always dreamed of this for me,” Sanford said in the Post-Dispatch, reported by Tom Timmermann. “I wish I could share it with him. He’s definitely watching up there and definitely smiling ear to ear. . . . I think he had a lot to do with this year. It’s pretty awesome.

“I just wish he could be here. But he’s definitely watching. He’s proud. He sacrificed so much over the years, along with my mom, to make me the person and player I am. They dedicated their lives to this. This is the ultimate goal — it’s nice to have it pay off, and it’s nice to have it pay off and be able to share this with them.”

The interesting thing for Sanford too, as pointed out by Timmermann, is that he might not have ever gotten his chance. Oskar Sundqvist’s questionable suspension was really the only reason he got into the lineup, unless you believe in fate or other forces at work.

Regardless, Sanford made the most once he got in there. He played well enough with the fourth line that when Sundqvist came back, Sanford got promoted to his former spot with the second line.

He picked up an assist in his first three games back and ended the playoffs with that Game 7 goal and four points. That might not be everything he dreamed it to be, but when you score to further solidify your team’s Stanley Cup win, it can’t get much better.

“I owe it all to my teammates and coaches and family for the support and giving me the confidence to come in,” Sanford continued in the Post-Dispatch article. “I was pretty nervous at first, but they backed me up and believed in me and I owe it to them.”

Next. Jordan Binnington's Unbelievable Year. dark

It’s just another unbelievable story that makes up this incredible Stanley Cup run for the Blues. It all just makes you shake your head at how this all came together.

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