![Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada defenseman Colton Parayko (55) plays the puck and Team United States forward Brock Nelson (29) defends in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_192,w_3600,h_2025/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/104/01jme5t4j8n5c3qrjmm2.jpg "Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada defenseman Colton Parayko (55) plays the puck and Team United States forward Brock Nelson (29) defends in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images")
During most St. Louis Blues seasons, the All-Star break is just a brief pause to the season and then you get right back at it. So, the 10-day layoff for the 4 Nations Tournament presented a decent change of pace.
It couldn't have come at a better time for the Blues. They had lost four of their last six games and only had a total of five wins since the calendar switched to 2025.
Clearly, the players were frustrated. Brayden Schenn often looked at a loss to how to properly lead a team that wouldn't provide consistent effort shift to shift, much less game to game. Robert Thomas was staring up at the rafters far too often, unable to break what felt like a jinx of worrying proportions. Even the goaltending, which had bailed the team out of countless games, had taken a slide for both Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer.
Things were clearly frustrating in the team locker room. The Jim Montgomery magic had worn off and even Doug Armstrong was trying to put out fires by having an impromptu press conference.
The Blues fanbase, which is often seen as pretty loyal and patient, had also lost their cool. You always have vocal dissent on social media, but even the casual fan on the street had grown tired of the team's mediocrity.
So, for both sides, the break was not only welcome but a near necessity. It has provided a nice respite for the players and a chance to push the reset button for fans too.
Even I found myself getting aggitated at the Blues and the constant negativity surrounding the franchise. We were quickly approaching the point where it wasn't even fun to watch or even attend games.
So, what's the big deal about this break compared to others other than a few extra days?
For the players, it's just a time away from the rink and a time to heal. Hockey, like other sports and perhaps even more so, is a game where almost nobody is at 100% after the first day of the season. So, getting a little time to completely rest is most welcome.
For fans, it's actually even more important given how much the tide had turned against the team. This tournament has provided a great way to cleanse the pallet.
One could argue that you could watch any other NHL games on national television or ESPN+ and just see a slightly higher level of hockey, but this has been better. Not only are we seeing stars playing at their personal highest level, but we can have a strong rooting interest.
Despite the large political divisiveness that exists in both the United States and Canada, the average sports fan is still very patriotic. You put the world's best players in the right jersey and even the most die-hard fan will cheer for their mortal enemy.
Where else but international hockey could you get a Blues fan to pull for Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, Patrick Kane or Dylan Larkin? Where else but international hockey could you see Montreal fans mercilessly boo any foreign-born Maple Leaf, but have to cheer for Mitch Marner?
It's been endlessly fun to watch. Seeing the USA and Canada engage in playoff-style hockey in their round-robin game, in February, was amazing to see.
As a fan, I feel refreshed. Of course, that could all change if the wrong team wins the 4 Nations Tournament championship, but we will cross that bridge when it happens.
The reality is that this tournament has refreshed our passion for the game. I'm ready for the Blues to get back to action now.
I don't have any illusions that this team will make a miraculous run to the playoffs like 2008 or 2019, but I still think they are at least capable of playing a more fun style. There is talent on this current St. Louis roster, but they all became headcases and too frustrated both with themselves and their teammates.
The players can treat it like the start of a new season and just get back to work and having fun. The fans will hopefully have a little post-tournament hangover and just enjoy when the regular season starts up again.
It's been nice to have a reprieve from the insanity of the normal social media feed. When the worst I've seen has been the odd person complaining that Colton Parayko doesn't drop the mitts for the Blues, we're on the right track.
People are allowed their opinions, but the incessant "blow this team up" chatter was maddening. Too many have short memories that the same whining went on before and during the 2018-19 season and all it took was a few tweaks and the team went where they wanted to be.
I'm not even saying this team is a move or two from being a champion, but they're closer to that than they are to starting all over and trying to tank for draft picks. No thank you.
What's been great about this break was we didn't have a break from hockey, but we got a break from the noise that builds up around the franchise when they're not doing well. We've been able to see hard-fought, passionate games where fans have been able to either cheer for their home nation or just be happy if their local player was doing well on another team.
When the 22nd of February rolls around, perhaps we will all be slapped in the face and reality will return with a vengeance. For now, this break has refreshed me and I'm looking forward to the next couple of months where the Blues will hopefully at least make things interesting.