After 52 years of waiting, a ranking of 31st place in early January, and a tug-of-war style round of playoffs, the St. Louis Blues brought home the franchise’s first Stanley Cup on June 12th this year. With incredible performances by the team’s goalie, Jordan Binnington (dubbed “Winnington” by fans for his 91.4% save rate), and Missouri native Patrick Maroon, the level of excitement that buzzed throughout the city in the playoffs exploded after the final win. With many legendary hockey names – such as Gretsky, Pronger, and Tkachuk – having once called St. Louis home, our city has deep roots in the sport. Yet the Blues are still often overshadowed by the Cardinals – to which Blues’ center, Brayden Schenn responded, “The fans have been unbelievable from the ‘Gloria’ song to people getting behind us. It’s a baseball town, but now it’s a hockey town.” The local support was no secret, either. An estimated 500,000 fans watched the team parade down Market Street on June 16th, celebrating their new best friend, “Stanley.”

     Fans gathered in downtown St. Louis and saw the cup hoisted into the air after a half-century-long wait. People were packed so closely that some took to climbing trees or sitting on one another’s shoulders for a better view of the teammates basking in the glory of their victory. The team’s 2019 anthem, “Gloria” by Laura Branigan, blasted throughout the streets, while the familiar chant of “Let’s Go Blues” was heard echoing on every downtown block. St. Louisans stood merely a handful of feet away from their beloved team, and while some asked if they could put their baby in the cup, others admired their favorite players up close. Many screamed as players like defenseman Colton Parayko allowed themselves to be drenched in the city’s drink of choice, Bud Light (a reported “thousands” of cans were cleaned up in the aftermath), and others tried to get a look at the beaming Laila Anderson, an eleven-year-old girl whose battle against a rare immune disorder inspired the city.

     The type of energy shown by STL was par for the course, as the city displayed its love for the team for weeks prior to the final win. Thousands gathered in Busch Stadium and the Enterprise Center to rally support for their team on the big screens during the playoffs, and a figure reminiscent of the 2011 Cardinals “Rally Squirrel” appeared: Boris the Dancing Chinchilla.  Covered by news sites such as Barstool Sports, Boris and his owner, Whitfield graduate Ben Friedman, went viral after Friedman posted videos of them dancing to “Gloria.”  Additionally, fans watched the playoff games from all over the world. Members of the JBS Spain Trip who were staying in a Madrid Hostel at the time of game 7, fought through feelings of exhaustion and remained awake until 4:30 am watching the game and its accompanying celebrations on various iPads, computers, and phones (exhausting all “free 45 minutes of coverage” per device on NBC.com). “We did it, we did it!” Sra. Cohen shouted when the team clinched victory, leading a hotel manager to reprimand the group for their volume.

     Just as Blues Fever spread throughout St. Louis, the Stanley Cup itself seems to have traveled all over the city in the brief time since the Blues earned it. From high schools, to country clubs, and even private parties – many people have gotten the chance to hold, kiss, and hug the Cup throughout his travel from place to place. KSDK reports that it will reach “seven states, eight Canadian provinces, five countries, three continents and 28,830 miles…as it spends one day with every Blues player, coach, hockey operations executive, trainer and equipment manager.”

     Charles Martin (‘22), a Blues fanatic and rising Burroughs sophomore, stated his excitement when he was able to see and touch the Cup himself at a private party. “It was an unreal experience to touch one of the most storied trophies in all of sports,” he said. “To know that so many hockey legends have held it, it was something I’ll never forget.”