Blues fans Thomas O’Sullivan and Gary Anderson celebrate the Blues’ 5-1 victory over the Jets in Game 4 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at Enterprise Center.
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
The Blues guaranteed just one thing Sunday by defeating Winnipeg: the opportunity to host the Jets again on Friday.
There will be a Game 6 at Enterprise Center, and that’s very good news for the franchise.
Tom Stillman’s ownership group will welcome the additional revenue, of course. But the longer-term payoff for this team’s stunning charge into the postseason is greater than this near-term boost.
For instance, season-ticket holders have the opportunity to buy playoff tickets. Now that the Blues are back in the Stanley Cup chase with more room for growth, they should realize season-ticket gains.
The Blues have reenergized their fan base at critical juncture while giving the St. Louis sports scene a much-needed lift. They captured the imagination of fans with their remarkable late charge, then they validated that surge by extending their home-ice dominance into the postseason.
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The crowds for the team’s 7-2 and 5-1 playoff victories over the Jets were electric. The arena was filled to the brim.
Folks here have been waiting for a bandwagon to jump on. This team rose from the depths of the Western Conference to provide that. Fans want to get on board now. They are clamoring for seats.
The Cardinals are using the 2025 season to get ready for 2026 and the Chaim Bloom regime. Many fans are taking a wait-and-see approach — waiting to see if the team is better in ’26 before they return to Busch Stadium.
City SC has endured significant upheaval since its magical inaugural season. Last year’s inevitable reality check has been followed by this campaign’s early scoring slump.
Roster attrition undermined SLU basketball in its first season under coach Josh Schertz, and neither Missouri nor Illinois was able to make a deep NCAA Tournament run after showing early promise.
Thankfully, the Battlehawks took flight again this season, with wide receiver Hakeem Butler back to give quarterback Max Duggan a prime target. This region’s outsized support for the UFL is great, but St. Louisans need more to cheer.
The Blues have an opportunity to fill the vacuum and firm up their fan base.
To reach this happy place, they traveled a hard road back. Their 2022-23 campaign was a huge disappointment, one that led to the bailout trades that sent Stanley Cup champions Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko and Ivan Barbashev packing.
The sluggish start last season cost coach Craig Berube his job, as general manager Doug Armstrong wanted the team back in the playoff chase while it transitioned to a younger team nucleus.
The Blues finished the 2023-24 season on a better note under coach Drew Bannister, but they missed the playoffs again. So Armstrong kept working.
Acquiring Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from Edmonton via offer sheets made contending while retooling more possible. After the Blues suffered slowly this season, Armstrong jumped at the chance to hire coach Jim Montgomery after the Boston Bruins set him free.
That hiring completed the puzzle.
Armstrong already had long-term nucleus pieces in place with Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Jake Neighbours, Zack Bolduc, Holloway and Broberg. Armstrong put his management succession in place as well, with the appointment of Alexander Steen as the GM-in-training.
With Montgomery locked in as coach and more prospects coming — with Jimmy Snuggerud leading the charge — the retool came together nicely. The young talent added skill and fresh legs to the veteran group still in place.
By charging into the playoff bracket, the Blues completed their ambitious project. They are back, for real, and their expanding nucleus should keep them in the chase.
Instead of selling hope for the future, they can sell success. This team has planted its flag. This is not a one-off. The Blues are back among the upper-tier NHL teams.
Regardless of how far they go during this postseason, they will move forward with a compelling product. That’s important because this market couldn’t withstand the sustained failure the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings have inflicted on their fans.
Blues President and CEO of Business Operations Chris Zimmerman and Co. have done a remarkable job of growing the business. But smaller-market franchises face big challenges, such as rebuilding their local television business after the regional sports network industry crashed.
CNBC’s 2024 study of league finances placed the Blues 21st in the league with $189 million in revenue. This franchise must continue to earn strong corporate support and fan loyalty.
Overall NHL revenues are climbing, so the league’s salary cap will soar too. That will pressure smaller-market teams to generate revenues needed to support higher payrolls.
The Blues have spent up to the salary cap under Stillman’s ownership group, but continuing that trend will be challenging.
That’s why the Blues’ surge into postseason play and reaffirming first-round victories were so important. The roaring playoff crowds that spurred the players to skate harder will also propel the business forward.
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