St. Louis Blues: Pat Maroon, "The Big Rig" Returns Home

The St. Louis Blues welcome back Pat Maroon tonight at 7 pm (CST) and his new team the Tampa Bay Lightning. The welcome will be warm and the ovation loud, but when the puck drops and the game ends I hope Maroon and his mates are sent home crying.

The St. Louis Blues fans and St. Louis sports fans, in general, have always been welcoming to returning players who have moved on to other teams. It’s one thing our fanbase and community has always done well and has prided itself in. Pat Maroon is one of us and knows all about it.

The moment will be made even sweeter for Pat Maroon, “The Big Rig, Hometown Hero”, and fans as Doug Armstrong presents the big fella with his Stanley Cup Championship Ring.

It’s a moment every young hockey player dreams of when he is lacing them up and going out to play a pickup game with his friends, or heading out to play a game for his pee-wee club. That dream for Maroon will come to complete fruition tonight at Enterprise Center.

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I’m sure the fellas on the St. Louis Blues will have lots of congrats and welcome backs for Maroon. I’m sure it will be as good for them to see Maroon as it is for the fans.

Handshakes will be given, some embraces shared. Taps on the chins and backsides with sticks, but one thing is certain when the puck drops so do the niceties. The Blues better come out ready to battle.

In hockey, there is no better way to welcome back a buddy than to get some good body contact on him in my opinion. Maybe find him in a scrum and give him a good old face wash with your stinkin’ mitt!

I can guarantee you that Maroon is going to be chirping the Blues bench. Working on making good body contact and trying to get into some scrums to show his new teammates that he’s a Lightning and he’s here to win.

I don’t believe that the Blues will have any different of an approach towards him and the rest of his new team tonight either. Trips down memory lane will have to wait until after the game. If Tampa is in town long enough I wouldn’t be surprised to see the guys out sharing some memories and good times over a couple of post-game cocktails.

I believe the St. Louis Blues miss having Maroon in the locker room and on the bench. He’s a character guy who when he is playing his game can drag an entire team into the fight. Tampa Bay has been off to a bumpy start so far this season.

We can be certain Maroon is going to do everything he can to get his new team engaged and going early. Maroon isn’t a flashy goal scorer or an offensive powerhouse. He is something that can’t always be measured by today’s analytics.

We all got to witness his value the second half of last season and Tamp Bay is getting glimpses of it now. Analytics be danged! Maroon brings an element that can’t be measured and it’s an element the Blues are looking to find today.

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Welcome home, Pat Maroon! Enjoy the presentation, the ovation, the warmth from the crowd. You deserve every bit of it! After the puck drops though, I hope there’s a scrum and face wash waiting for you! It’s hockey! Let’s make sure he gets the true hockey player’s welcome back!

Drop the puck!

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