I was a kid from Colorado from the 1980s to the 1990s. My home state had no hockey team until the Avalanche moved to Denver. I never really liked the Avs, and secretly rooted for the Red Wings in their legendary battles.
When you talk about Denver Broncos football, that’s another story. I’m a John Elway guy, and two teams were my arch-enemies: the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders.
Sports are more fun with rivalries.
The rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues is epic
The story is like the Autobots vs. the Decepticons. The Chicago Blackhawks helped form the St. Louis Blues and became the arch-nemesis fairly soon after the Blues entered the league in 1967.
In the beginning, the Blues had immediate success, making it to three Stanley Cup Finals, but were unable to secure a victory in any of them.
The Blackhawks, on the other hand, have 13 appearances and 6 wins. They are similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL; they know how to put a good team together on the ice.
It’s not saying St. Louis hasn’t been competitive; they have. They now have a Cup win and have some of the richest history in the NHL.
The distance between the two cities is around 300 miles, or about a 4-hour car drive.
Both cities represent the Midwest or the halfway point to the West.
Both cities boast success in major league baseball and have a longstanding rivalry: the Chicago Cubs versus the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Blackhawks hold the record for wins with a 155-130-35-11 lead over the Blues.
But this isn’t entirely unexpected. The Blackhawks are an original six-team, having a substantial advantage there. Likewise, the Blackhawks have remained one of the most elite teams in NHL play for the last several decades.
St. Louis Blues: The rivalry will continue for the years to come
Although the Blackhawks may not stand out currently, keep an eye on a potential future with Connor Bedard and maybe even their 2024 draft pick.
Blues fans wouldn’t have the rivalry any other way. Fans like me may dislike the Avs, Wild, Stars, and others, but our disdain for the Blackhawks is unique. Blues fans can’t stand them.
It could be the Midwest connection or how the Blues came to life under the previous ownership of the Blackhawks. Whatever the case, the rivalry makes sense and stands as one of the most exciting in all of professional sports.
It’s a rivalry that is good for hockey and will continue for the ages. In fact, Blues fans probably love it when Darren Pang, Zach Sanford, and Brandon Saad-type faces switch sides, it brings even more intensity to an already hostile rivalry.
And while Bedard is filled with talent and inarguably is set to be a force to be reckoned with, Blues fans welcome his rise to greatness, making the games even more enjoyable, especially when you beat the best.
Here’s to hoping for a Blues success in the years to come: St. Louis beat Chicago.