Hockey at Busch: Blues vs. Blackhawks on Jan. 2 – STLtoday.com

In the aftermath of the Rams’ departure for Los Angeles in January, the Blues and Cardinals came together for a show of solidarity to the city’s fans.

On Jan. 15, three days after the NFL approved the Rams’ relocation, Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III and Blues owner Tom Stillman dropped a ceremonial puck before a game at Scottrade Center. In a strong sign of support, the two friends walked to center ice that night wearing the jackets of the other’s team.

It was received enthusiastically by the fans on hand and throughout the city and also apparently made a mark with the NHL.

The NHL announced Wednesday that the Blues would host the 2017 Winter Classic, the league’s annual outdoor game that has become its marquee regular-season event, at Busch Stadium on Jan. 2. The team was expecting to get one of the league’s other outdoor games, but when the Rams departed, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called an audible.

“I can tell you for a fact that Gary in making this decision had the situation in St. Louis and what’s happened in the last few months in mind,” Stillman said Wednesday night, “and truly was thinking about St. Louis and our fan base and the greater area.

“It changed late in the game and I think a lot of that had to do with Gary’s thoughts about St. Louis.”

The Blues will host the Chicago Blackhawks in the game, traditionally played on Jan. 1 but moved to Jan. 2 next season because New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday. The news got a roaring ovation when Blues Hall of Famer Brett Hull announced it to the crowd at Scottrade Center prior to the Blues game with the Blackhawks.

“You heard it,” Hull said. “The Winter Classic is coming to St. Louis.”

The awarding of the NHL’s ninth Winter Classic is a major coup for St. Louis, considering that the 2016-17 season will mark the 100th anniversary of the league and it will be the 50th year of existence for the Blues, an expansion franchise in 1967-68.

The game, which could seat as many as 50,000 fans at Busch Stadium, will be the crown jewel in a season-long calendar of events commemorating the franchise’s half-century celebration. An alumni game and a youth tournament will be part of the festivities aimed at attracting a large local audience and galvanizing the hockey community.

“I think the whole area, even fans who are marginal St. Louis fans or fans of St. Louis in general are going to see what a big event this is,” Stillman said. “It’s going to be great for the whole city. … I’ve never talked to anybody who’s been to one who didn’t say that was the greatest sports event I’ve ever been to.”

“This is obviously going to be a great hockey game and a great experience for St. Louis hockey fans,” said Chris Zimmerman, the Blues’ CEO of business operations. “Beyond that, I think it’s a great platform for the city and the region to really show our love of the game and our love of sports. I think we have the opportunity to make this, without question, one of the greatest sporting events our city has ever had – certainly single-day sporting even ever. That’s going to be our objective.”

“Since ’67, these fans have been with us through thick and thin and this city deserves this,” Hull said. “I’m sure there are other teams that think they’re our archrivals, but I’m not sure anybody is a bigger archrival of the St. Louis Blues than the Chicago Blackhawks.”

The Blues have long considered Busch Stadium an ideal setting for the league’s most prestigious outdoor game. The Cardinals have been more than willing to host the event, and the bond that the city’s two professional sports teams share hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“It’s something we’ve been looking to try to do for a long time,” DeWitt said. “The Blues have wanted it, we’ve wanted it. I think Busch Stadium will be a great venue for it, and just a great showcase of the Blues and the great Midwest hockey tradition here. But also the partnership that we have as friendly franchises.”

“It was important for us to do everything we could to get them focused on bringing a game to Busch Stadium,” Zimmerman said. “Obviously we’re thrilled that we’re getting the chance to have the premier game. I’m biased but I’d like to think that we deserve it. What a great setting! One of Major League Baseball’s certainly iconic parks framed by the Arch. Every time I look at our layouts and design of dropping the rink in there and look out to centerfield, it’s like this is going to be pretty magical.”

Blues forward Troy Brouwer has played in two Winter Classics – one with Chicago in 2009 and another with Washington in 2015. In fact, he scored the game-winning goal for the Capitals against the Blackhawks at Nationals Park last season.

“It’s a big spectacle …” Brouwer said. “The NHL and the teams that I’ve been on have done a phenomenal job promoting the game, making good hype for the game, hype for the cities, then the games themselves are always a lot of fun to play in. You bring your families in, you get to play outdoors. I know players love to do them and it’s good to see that hopefully they’ll expand to see that every team gets to do an outdoor game.”

“We’ve had concerts,” DeWitt said, “we’ve had football, we’ve had soccer and now we’ll be able to put the feather in our cap with hockey. It’s going to be a special day. Just the feeling and the look of the place will be so different. To see the whole place in blue will be a little bit of a shock at first, but all for the right reason.”

Blues’ season-ticket holders will receive renewal forms for the 2016-17 season on Thursday, ensuring themselves a chance to have tickets to the game.