Hockey

[roadman]

It ain't over yet.

The series will go to seven games.  If Boston wins, the obligatory ego fest - excuse me - victory parade will actually be held on a weekend for once.  If Boston loses, we won't have to deal with the nonsense of having a parade at all.

I hope not,  I'd like to see a victory parade near the Gateway Arch and going on Market and Broadway Streets.

If the Blues win their first Stanley Cup, a victory parade in St. Louis would be very appropriate.  Here in Boston, however, it's become more of a cliché than an honor.  And it's very disruptive to the normal routines of people just trying to go to work or school or whatever.  Especially when it's the League and not the City - who has to provide the police and other public resources required to oversee such things - that dictates when and how the parade is held (usually no more than three days after the winning game),

[1995hoo]

What? The NHL doesn't "dictate" anything about a parade. That's up to the team and the city. Ours last year was on June 12, five days after the final game.

[Henry]

Wednesday night, the championship will be decided once and for all! St. Louis already has 11 World Series championships (all with the Cardinals), a Super Bowl champion (Rams, who have since moved back to L.A.) and NBA championship (Hawks, before they moved to Atlanta), so a Stanley Cup would certainly be the icing on the cake.

IIRC, the last time a city completed its championship "grand slam" was Philadelphia, whose Eagles had not won a Super Bowl until February of 2018. The Phillies, 76ers and Flyers already had titles (with the A's and Warriors also winning when they were located there), but winning the Super Bowl surely had to be the greatest feeling that a Philly sports fan could ever have.

[Rothman]

Wednesday night, the championship will be decided once and for all! St. Louis already has 11 World Series championships (all with the Cardinals), a Super Bowl champion (Rams, who have since moved back to L.A.) and NBA championship (Hawks, before they moved to Atlanta), so a Stanley Cup would certainly be the icing on the cake.

Boston says, "How cute."  Time to rack up another Stanley Cup victory!

[1995hoo]

Wednesday night, the championship will be decided once and for all! St. Louis already has 11 World Series championships (all with the Cardinals), a Super Bowl champion (Rams, who have since moved back to L.A.) and NBA championship (Hawks, before they moved to Atlanta), so a Stanley Cup would certainly be the icing on the cake.

IIRC, the last time a city completed its championship "grand slam" was Philadelphia, whose Eagles had not won a Super Bowl until February of 2018. The Phillies, 76ers and Flyers already had titles (with the A's and Warriors also winning when they were located there), but winning the Super Bowl surely had to be the greatest feeling that a Philly sports fan could ever have.

Arguably the most recent was Washington with the Stanley Cup last year. The city has three Super Bowls (XVII, XXII, and XXVI) and two pre—Super Bowl NFL championships (1937 and 1942), an NBA championship (1978), and a World Series (1924), and last year's Stanley Cup completed the "big four" sports. I suppose you might discount the World Series on the basis that it's not the current franchise that won it–the Senators franchise that won the 1924 World Series is now the Minnesota Twins.

[Stephane Dumas]

Wednesday night, the championship will be decided once and for all! St. Louis already has 11 World Series championships (all with the Cardinals), a Super Bowl champion (Rams, who have since moved back to L.A.) and NBA championship (Hawks, before they moved to Atlanta), so a Stanley Cup would certainly be the icing on the cake.

IIRC, the last time a city completed its championship "grand slam" was Philadelphia, whose Eagles had not won a Super Bowl until February of 2018. The Phillies, 76ers and Flyers already had titles (with the A's and Warriors also winning when they were located there), but winning the Super Bowl surely had to be the greatest feeling that a Philly sports fan could ever have.

Arguably the most recent was Washington with the Stanley Cup last year. The city has three Super Bowls (XVII, XXII, and XXVI) and two pre—Super Bowl NFL championships (1937 and 1942), an NBA championship (1978), and a World Series (1924), and last year's Stanley Cup completed the "big four" sports. I suppose you might discount the World Series on the basis that it's not the current franchise that won it–the Senators franchise that won the 1924 World Series is now the Minnesota Twins.

If the MLS gain more and more in popularity, could we talk soon of a "Big Five"?

I could said then when (yes, I said when not if) the Toronto Raptors will win the NBA championship, it'll have a distinct "Big Four" with the Stanley Cup (last won in 1967), the 1992 and 1993 World Series with the Blue Jays and the Grey Cup (more recent championship by the Toronto Argonauts, 2017) and "Big Five" if we include the 2017 Toronto FC MLS championship.

[Buck87]

IIRC, the last time a city completed its championship "grand slam" was Philadelphia, whose Eagles had not won a Super Bowl until February of 2018.

I would say Philadelphia completed their grand slam in 1974 when the Flyers won the Stanley Cup.

[Stephane Dumas]

IIRC, the last time a city completed its championship "grand slam" was Philadelphia, whose Eagles had not won a Super Bowl until February of 2018.

I would say Philadelphia completed their grand slam in 1974 when the Flyers won the Stanley Cup.

I guess Henry might refer the Eagles to the post NFL-AFL merger who gived us the Super Bowl.

[Henry]

IIRC, the last time a city completed its championship "grand slam" was Philadelphia, whose Eagles had not won a Super Bowl until February of 2018.

I would say Philadelphia completed their grand slam in 1974 when the Flyers won the Stanley Cup.

I guess Henry might refer the Eagles to the post NFL-AFL merger who gived us the Super Bowl.

Yes, I did, and I am aware that the last Eagles championship before the Super Bowl was in 1960.

FWIW, Chicago's grand slam came in 1991, when the Bulls won their first-ever NBA championship (the Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks and Bears had already won titles by that point, but the first three teams were mired in droughts that were eventually broken within eleven years of each other).

[Rothman]

This Grand Slam thing is a strange measure, come to think of it, especially since Super Bowls weren't around until 1967.

Just looking at Boston:  Red Sox won their first World Series in 1903, Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 1929, Celtics won their first NBA Championship in 1957...but then Boston had to wait until 2002 for the Patriots to win their first Super Bowl (and the team didn't exist until 1960 anyway).

[roadman]

What? The NHL doesn't "dictate" anything about a parade. That's up to the team and the city. Ours last year was on June 12, five days after the final game.

Every time Boston has had a victory parade - which the City refuses to discuss at all before we have the final win (for fear of jinxing it), the parade is inevitably held within two days of the win, and no announcements about the route or preparations (such as road closures, additional trains, etc.) are made until the morning before the parade.  The City's response to the many comments and questions about the inevitable inconvenience commuters and others will endure are usually met with the response "We have no choice in the matter.  Per the League (be it MLB, NFL, NHL, or NBA), the parade has to be held on (X) date."

If your City was actually able to stipulate that the parade be held on a specific date, more power to them.  Perhaps they should talk to the Boston officials.

[1995hoo]

Boston's full of crap, then. The leagues are always pretty clear that parades are a matter between the team and the city.

[Buck87]

I guess Henry might refer the Eagles to the post NFL-AFL merger who gived us the Super Bowl.

Yes, I did, and I am aware that the last Eagles championship before the Super Bowl was in 1960.

FWIW, Chicago's grand slam came in 1991, when the Bulls won their first-ever NBA championship (the Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks and Bears had already won titles by that point, but the first three teams were mired in droughts that were eventually broken within eleven years of each other).

I realize you're only counting Super Bowls. I just disagree with the idea that pre-Super Bowl titles are to be ignored solely because the name of the championship game changed. Had the name simply reverted to "NFL Championship game" in 1970 we wouldn't be having this discussion, and old timey titles from football would count just as much as old timey titles in the other 3 major sports still do.

Yes, I realize the merger and the sudden 62.5% jump in the number of teams contending for the same title will be used as reason for the Super Bowl's counting more than NFL titles. But if that sort of thing really mattered that much, you wouldn't have said Chicago's grand slam was completed by the Bulls first NBA Championship in 1991.....you would have said it was completed by the Blackhawks first post expansion Stanley Cup in 2010. I mean, if the football's 62.5% jump is such a big deal, then surely hockey's 100% jump the very next year should be an even bigger deal right?

But no, the reason it's not a bigger deal is simple: the name of the championship never changed. A Stanley Cup is a Stanley Cup and counts just the same, regardless of whether it was won in a league with 30 teams or 20 or 6. Motherfucking six. The World Series and NBA Championship also get the same courtesy, despite also having eras where significantly fewer teams competed for them compared the modern era, with the most significant changes to their leagues also taking place in the late 1960's.

[ilpt4u]

Congrats to the Blues

Your 2019 Stanley Cup Champions!

[kevinb1994]

Congrats to the Blues

Your 2019 Stanley Cup Champions!

-cues the W.C. Handy classic of the same name-

[ET21]

Onto the Draft!

[Henry]

From a die-hard Blackhawks fan, congrats to the Blues! Now St. Louis is the latest city to complete its grand slam.

[Ben114]

play Gloria.

[PAHighways]

play Gloria.

I am surprised no one posted it yet.  So here it is:  https://youtu.be/3HGaJHhUJR4

SM-G965U

[MisterSG1]

Wednesday night, the championship will be decided once and for all! St. Louis already has 11 World Series championships (all with the Cardinals), a Super Bowl champion (Rams, who have since moved back to L.A.) and NBA championship (Hawks, before they moved to Atlanta), so a Stanley Cup would certainly be the icing on the cake.

IIRC, the last time a city completed its championship "grand slam" was Philadelphia, whose Eagles had not won a Super Bowl until February of 2018. The Phillies, 76ers and Flyers already had titles (with the A's and Warriors also winning when they were located there), but winning the Super Bowl surely had to be the greatest feeling that a Philly sports fan could ever have.

Arguably the most recent was Washington with the Stanley Cup last year. The city has three Super Bowls (XVII, XXII, and XXVI) and two pre—Super Bowl NFL championships (1937 and 1942), an NBA championship (1978), and a World Series (1924), and last year's Stanley Cup completed the "big four" sports. I suppose you might discount the World Series on the basis that it's not the current franchise that won it–the Senators franchise that won the 1924 World Series is now the Minnesota Twins.

If the MLS gain more and more in popularity, could we talk soon of a "Big Five"?

I could said then when (yes, I said when not if) the Toronto Raptors will win the NBA championship, it'll have a distinct "Big Four" with the Stanley Cup (last won in 1967), the 1992 and 1993 World Series with the Blue Jays and the Grey Cup (more recent championship by the Toronto Argonauts, 2017) and "Big Five" if we include the 2017 Toronto FC MLS championship.

Did you seriously just consider the CFL to be Big Four.....the CFL in Toronto has a following more similar to the Toronto Marlies. Mind you, I have seen the Rock, Argos, and Marlies win a championship in person, but as for prices of the Raptors, forget it.

MLS won't be a "fifth sport"  possibly for quite some time. Remember, soccer is more like football in that games are generally weekly, hence each game is a big event and should be easier to draw crowds.

[Stephane Dumas]

I saw this article from ESPN who tell how the Blues' Stanley Cup run had revitalized St. Louis. https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/26922942/how-blues-stanley-cup-run-revitalized-st-louis

ST. LOUIS -- From exploring the football practice facility formerly known as Rams Park on a humid June afternoon, an outsider would never know that it is the place an NFL team once called home.

Now used for youth soccer, the home of the St. Louis Rams for more than two decades has been wiped clean. The weight room is now home to AstroTurf carpet with nary a dumbbell. The locker room has been remade, and there are no lockers to be found.

To find any reminder that the Rams were ever here, you have to find the one sign that can't easily be replaced. In the lobby of the building, a glass wall is still embossed with the words "St. Louis Rams" and the team logo's horns surrounding it.

But even that is hard to make out because, fittingly, the word Rams has been covered up by a small sign.

That poster reads, in clear, bold letters, "Let's Go Blues."

It's as much a sign of the times as it is a show of support for the local hockey team that just so happens to be one win away from its first Stanley Cup championship.

[Stephane Dumas]

Little bump by mentionning then some folks wants to revive the roller hockey, including a revival of the St. Louis Vipers. 
http://thenationalrollerhockeyleague.com/index.html

[ET21]

Draft day!

[Stephane Dumas]

I hope the Canadiens will be more lucky with that draft compared to previous years.

Then, some guys who aren't drafted end with some luck when the club organazition give a chance like Martin St. Louis. http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2015/07/martin-st-louis-retires.html

Back to the Blues, there was a time when they was called "Montreal B" or "Montreal Annex" due to lots of Montreal Canadiens alumnis who did a journey with the Blues. Here a old blog post from 2010. https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2010/1/20/1261273/many-years-ago-the-canadiens

The Canadiens host the St. Louis tonight, in one of the ever too rare cross conference games. Often when the two teams meet, I think back to all the players who have shared both jerseys over the years.

The Blues were once a sort of Montreal Canadiens Annex, thanks in no small part to Scotty Bowman, who coached the team in their first three seasons starting in 1967 and brought over many players he had known through his years as a scout and coach in the Montreal system in the 1960's.

When the NHL expanded by six teams that year, the Blues, on Bowman's advice, picked apart the Canadiens minor league teams and built a fairly solid roster very quickly. Bowman knew his stuff, and the Blues made three straight trips to the Stanley Cup final.

With a team solidified with former Habs, the Blues lost to the Canadiens in 1968 and 1969. The following year, St. Louis fell to the heavily favoured Bruins in four games. In fact, when Bobby Orr scored the Cup winner flying through the air, it was a former Hab - Noel Picard - who tripped him!

[Stephane Dumas]

The Stanley cup did a little visit to Sherbrooke and Montmagny, where David Perron and Samuel Blais came from.
https://www.journaldequebec.com/2019/07/31/la-coupe-stanley-est-arrivee-a-montmagny
https://twitter.com/StLouisBlues/status/1156313511070523392