Hello & greetings everyone. First of all, I'm glad to be a part of the site here, I'm surprised I didn't find out about this place sooner, but I am glad I did. I thougt I'd share my thoughts as to why I'm a Blues fan, especially considering I'm from Baltimore, a town that has gone through 3 minor-league hockey teams in my lifetime, and has no other connection to the Blues.

When I was a kid I used to go to Baltimore Skipjacks games frequently (still know the fight song word for word), and at one game against the Moncton Golden Flames I got a puck from a player on the Flames in 1986 (I was 10 at the time)...that player happened to be Brett Hull, and I instantly became a fan of his. After Hull was traded to the Blues, I naturally became a fan of the team as well, but a funny thing happened, I started rooting for the Blues more and more, and after Hull left, I was a fan of his....but my loyalties remained with the Blues. I remember how pumped I was when i heard the Blues got Gretzky and the year that he and Hull were going to lead the team in the playoffs...and they would have, damn you Steve Yzerman...

I've been a fan through the highs, the President's Trophy win, the run of playoff appearances every year that almost seemed like a rite of spring, Hull winning the Hart Trophy, seeing MacInnis and Pronger playing on a monster blue line....and the lows, the 1st round flame out the year the Blues won the President's Trophy, the aforementioned Yzerman slapshot, and more recently the slide down to the worst team in hockey.

Through all of those years, I've never been as excited though as I have been for this year's team. To see a young, hungry team playing every night like the next loss could end their season, to see the whole roster playing for each other, not just for individual stats, the sheer determination of this team and what could be building for the next few years with the Kid Line and Mason in goal, it's a hell of a time to be a Blues fan.

As I write this, I'm in my office, proudly wearing my Blues cap & t-shirt (even with a few Wings fan in the office, and believe me I hear it from them), and already looking forward to tomorrow's game with the damn Blackhawks. I've been to every game the Blues have had in DC over the past 8 years, and in 2004 was able to scratch off one of my sports "bucket list" items in attending a game in St. Louis (Blues won 4-2 over Phoenix for the record). I've been asked what would I want to see more as a sports fan, and my answer is always the same....I've been able to see the Orioles win a World Series, the Ravens won a Super Bowl, the Blast win many championships...but the one thing I want to see more than anything else is the Blues hoisting the Stanley Cup. At that point, as a sports fan at least, everything is gravy, THAT would be my sports dream come true.

Anyway, sorry for the long rambling post, but I wanted to say hello and LET'S GO BLUES!