Going To Sweden: Are The Blues Making A Mistake?

by gallagher on Sep 24, 2009 10:00 AM CDT

When the Blues announced that they had officially been tapped as one of the NHL's four choices to start their seasons in Scandinavia, management was predictably excited. And why not? For starters, the team gets to double-up on dollars for the game, as they'll receive a nice payment from the NHL to offset their lost home game dollars, plus season ticket holders were also charged for the 'home' game that will be played in Sweden. (Of course, season ticket holders were appeased with extra tickets to two games to offset the lost home game, but, strangely, I didn't see any weekend games against the Red Wings on the list of available dates... guess the Panthers on Halloween will have to suffice. Maybe I'll clone myself and my kid and we can sit in both sets of seats I now own for that game.)

Nhl_premiere_medium_medium

If it's got a fancy logo, it must be worthwhile.

But beyond that, the Blues get to take their young, exciting team to Sweden and hopefully make a whole wave of new fans. Fans who will, you know, go online and buy new Blues shirts and hats and jerseys and who will then continue to follow the Blues for the rest of their lives, continuing to buy more hats and shirts and jerseys.

But the best part, management must think, is that it raises the level of awareness and (hopefully) respect for the team among the existing fans of the NHL. The team will obviously get a lot of play on the NHL Network and the NHL website and among the various websites and whatnot that cover the sport as they are playing in an exotic locale. Clearly, a lot of dollars and marketing genius brainpower have been poured into this event. The franchise can only grow and gain from this event, right?

Not so fast.

First of all, this is the third year in a row that the NHL has started their season with a few teams overseas in games that actually count. Do you remember any of the four that started last year in Stockholm and Prague? The only one that we could remember before firing up the magic system of tubes known as "Google The Wizard" was the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately, the only reason we remembered that is because the Lightning owners openly admitted that they wouldn't do it again and that their team was still complaining about their European start as their season thudded to a finish.

Is that really the raised level of awareness that we're going for? We'd consider ourselves to be fairly ridiculous as fans. We'll watch almost any live NHL game on TV. We've traveled to watch our team. We've bought the gear and spent way too much company time looking at stories and stats and fake fantasy hockey teams. Other people have accused us of joining a cult.

And we didn't give two shits about who played in Europe last year.

For the record, it was Pittsburgh and Ottawa in Stockholm and Tampa and the New York Rangers in Prague. Which brings us to our next point. Any idea on how those four teams faired in the standings upon their return stateside? It isn't pretty.

The Lightning started the season 5-7-4, at which point head coach Barry Melrose was fired. The team finished the season 24-40-18, good for second-worst in the whole league.
The Rangers, despite their two early wins against the Lightning, wound up struggling later in the season, eventually firing head coach Tom Renney as the team underachieved. They did manage to slip into the seventh seed in the playoffs even with a talented and expensive lineup, falling in the first round.
The Senators, even with the remaining parts of a once-dominant roster intact, struggled to a 17-24-7 start, at which point head coach Craig Hartsburg was fired. The Sens finished 36-35-11 and out of the playoffs for the first time since 1997.
The Penguins, of course, won the Stanley Cup last year, but only after dealing with turmoil of their own. The Stanley Cup finalists started the season 5-4-2 and continued to underachieve, going 27-25-5 before firing head coach Michel Therrien. The Pens managed to nail down the fourth seed in the Conference, doing so with one of the most-talented teams in the league.

In other words, of the first six NHL head coaches fired last season, four had started the year with their team in Europe and all four of those teams were out of the playoff picture when the coach was canned.

The Blues, we might remind management, are not exactly a talented, Cup-winning squad like last year's Penguins were. Or even a potential Cup-contender like the Rangers were at that point. Or even a fading but still potent playoff team like Ottawa could have been. In fact, this year's Blues team, chock full of youthful exuberance and potential, resembles the Lightning more so than any of the four teams listed. (Minus, of course, the clearly insane ownership group, lack of defense and shaky-at-best goaltending duo.)

Our point is this. The Blues are a young, exciting group of players who either

1. overachieved

2. showed the NHL exactly what they are becoming

with their unreal run at the end of last season. We can argue whether or not they were truly a sixth seed or not over as many beers as you'd care to drink. But whether you think they overachieved or finished right where they deserved to finish, we have to ask, Why should the team jeopardize what has been built over the last few painful years with a shitty PR scheme like a meaningless trip overseas?

This franchise is at a precarious point of the rebuilding. Whenever a potential trade burbles up in the NHL community now the Blues are mentioned as a potential destination (Heatley, Kessel). And every time it happens the fans and management are in agreement about what to do: Nothing. The team is too fragile right now, the balance too precise, the potential to fracture what we have too great to mess with anything that extreme.

Then why, exactly, is it then a good idea to take this team overseas, travel them all over the countryside for beyond-meaningless exhibition games against European squads, have them play back-to-back games against a tough divisional team that they really need to get points against and then fly them home to try to de-jetlag themselves in time for two home games that they really need to win against Atlanta and Los Angeles?

The potential to derail a season early is very high. The only potential gain is monetary. What, exactly, is more important to this franchise?

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Comments

Not to be the devil's advocate or anything . . .

but if a crazy man waved money bags in front of me, I’d be jumping out of my chair to grab ‘em from him (if it really were Bettman, following the cash grab I’d coldcock the sonofabitch . . . I’m a terrible first date). Then again, I’m not Super Dave Checketts, so who knows on that one.

All of this could happen as you suspect, Juan, and I will say that I understand where you’re coming from here, while also saying that I hope you’re wrong about it (you probably hope the same). Yet I also think that this could work out to be a team-building exercise. Let’s face it . . . with most of the team members being from North America and some of them possibly having never left the continent before, they’ll probably hang out together while overseas and make tours and trips out of the hotel into team events. That wouldn’t hurt. They could also use TechnoViking as a tour guide. Photoshop that picture how you will.

Also a factor . . . . What about Detroit? Same thing goes for them. And I sure wouldn’t be crying for them if they finished, say, 12th this year, fell flat on their faces and ended up having to fire ~~Hunter Hearst Helmsley’s long-lost Canadian brother~~ Mike Babcock. The problem is trying to figure out which of the four categories they fit here. It’d be too easy to lump them with Pittsburgh, but while they’re talented . . . they sure as fuck aren’t young.

One day, David Backes and Albert Pujols will combine forces to become the most awesome piece of violent force known to man.

by Donut King on Sep 24, 2009 10:29 AM CDT reply actions

Couple thoughts

1. It’s exposure. How many times this year will the spotlight be on the Blues on the national level? Can’t remember the last time they played on Hockey Night In Canada. So from that standpoint, it’s a good thing.

2. If they’re charging for FanFest, they need the cash flow.

3. Herring will help them score goals. And think about all the Ikea furniture they’ll be lounging on. Very ergonomic. Why do you think the Iceberg is so tall and yet skilled? It’s the Ikea.

4. Man I hope I don’t get sick next Friday afternoon.

5. Anything that will get me drinking beer at two in the afternoon is a good thing.

6. If anyone gets hurt or the team lays an egg after coming back, we need to tie Gallagher up, attach him to a stone and throw him in the river to confirm he’s a witch. If he floats, we burn him at the stake.

www.stlouisgametime.com

by Brad Lee on Sep 24, 2009 11:01 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Juan, you are the perennial pessimist.

While you do make some valid points, I disagree to an extent.
I had the opposite reaction when hearing the Blues were opening in Stockholm as you.
“Oh fuck.” TB hated it, and several of the other teams never recovered the last few years.

Of course, I may be a bit biased now that I am part of the NHL Premiere, Sweden style… as
I am going with my wife and w/o the kid.

In looking at the schedule of the Sweden “Premiere Sports Travel” plan, it does look busy for not only the travelers, but the team as well. They have the preseason game against the Sweden local club (can’t remember right now, and too lazy to google), the practice for the “regular” season game, and then the meet and greet lunch with the folks that paid the 10 mortgage payments for the chance to travel to Sweden to be part of the “NHL Premiere” experience.

The Blues have from Sunday to Thursday to de-jetlag to play a subpar team (sorry hildy) for the home opener.
Then follow up vs another sub par team (LA). At least we aren’t coming back to play Chicago/SJ/Ana type teams…right?….

Of course, it doesn’t help the St. Louis Blues fans as the Cardinals (not Arizona, I had to check), are playing their final home games of the regular season. One of them WHILE the Blues are playing their 2nd Regular season game.

by DanGNR on Sep 24, 2009 11:14 AM CDT reply actions

It's complete fucking bullshit

“Hey Ryan, guess what? There’s the Blues first home game is on your birthday!”
“No way! Against who?”
“The redwings”
“Double No way! Can we get tickets?”
“Sure but youre also gonna need a plane ticket because it’s in Sweeden”
“FUUUUCK!!!”(days later, michael jackson, billy mays, and Farrah Fawcett are all dead)

Look I'm sure youre a nice person and everything but that Redwings jersey you're wearing makes me want to cave your face in with my fist...it's not you it's me and the fact that you're a fucking Redwings fan

by RFJCC on Sep 24, 2009 11:18 AM CDT reply actions

So what you're saying is

the Sweden trip killed Billy Mays. Interesting. Maybe cocaine isn’t a helluva drug.

www.stlouisgametime.com

by Brad Lee on Sep 24, 2009 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions

We all know

Billy paid the hooker off to make the deal go wrong and get vince busted. Sham wow took his revenge too far and dirtied up Billys snow. I was making a joke that this would happen a fucking week after Vince got busted.(yeah next billys gonna have a drug deal go bad and we will see vince drive off in the background during the news)

Nothing you say now can convince me this isnt what happened.

by Icion on Sep 24, 2009 2:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Vince: we better call now cos you know we can’t do this all day

Hooker: the hitman is born in Germany, you know the Germans always make good kills.

Vince: if he does it right away, tell him i’ll throw in a graty

hooker: what if he don’t want a graty?

vince: then tell him he’s gonna love my nuts

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Sep 24, 2009 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Now that's some funny shit.

Used to be Aaron, but some douchebag Celtics fan has that one already.

by Fuck Detroit on Sep 25, 2009 5:27 AM CDT up reply actions

After looking

At nhl.com for the season opening in Europe, here is what I saw.
3 articles listed on a rotating “area” towards the bottom of the website.
All three fucking articles were about Helsinki or Finland.
FUCKERS ! ! !

by DanGNR on Sep 24, 2009 12:14 PM CDT reply actions

STUPID FUCKING IDEA

Beyond my hatred for all things euro, this is fucking stupid. Why? Because the Blues fans located in St. Louis deserve to see this team play, not some mamby pamby euros (Sorry Marcus, you are a solid dude but this is business)

They don’t deserve it and there is just so much risk in the travel. Yeah the beloved Blues get the exposure but you know what else gets you exposure? Winning a lot of games in a regular old NHL rink.

I could go on and on but Answer Mom needs the PC to check in with her bookie.

Fuck Europe and their weird looking money and silly languages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL-BA86UhoE

North Co! North Co! North Co!

by Answer Man on Sep 24, 2009 1:00 PM CDT reply actions

LOL

Obviously “Euro” doesn’t refer to me…I’m British and would rather walk for 10 miles over hot coals than call myself “European”….

BLUE SKIES - new St Louis Blues hockey blog.

"If you prick me, do I not...leak?"
"I could be chasing an untamed ornithoid without cause."
"I am programmed in multiple techniques, a broad...variety of pleasuring..."
RIP Lt Commander Data

by drfrankentweed on Sep 24, 2009 5:17 PM CDT up reply actions

pah

its an excuse to start slow. jet lag, swedish bordello creeping sickness, yadda yadda yada, and any potential excuse= more people keep jobs longer.

the thing i don’t understad has nothing to do with sweden but with this money making extra thing…

Meet the Blues Packages

Want the best Blues hockey experience available? The following packages is available for $500 at most Thursday and Saturday home games at Scottrade Center. For more details or to order your Meet the Blues Package, call 314.622.BLUE. A limited amount of packages are available.

Each Meet the Blues Package includes:

4 Club Seats

2 Autographed Hockey Sticks

Meet & Greet with a Blues Star

ok. i’d be somewhat interested 1.25 per ticket. eh but what we doing with the sticks, halving them or playing quarters?

now what day. hmmmm

Saturday February 6 Chicago Barret Jackman & Eric Brewer

quick sign me up!!limited availablitly. will be the only time i see eric this season!!!! siiiiign me upppppp!!

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Sep 24, 2009 1:20 PM CDT reply actions

I couldn't resist this offer...

Meeting “The Mayor” and “The King”

by DanGNR on Sep 24, 2009 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Does this mean that the Red Wings will suck this year?!!?!?!!?!?!?

by hisTALLness on Sep 24, 2009 4:38 PM CDT reply actions

“I don’t care what you say about me, as long as you say something about me, and as long as you spell my name right.”

George M. Cohan

The league picked the Blues because they consider St. Louis an up and coming team, and because ownership showed interest.

Look at the teams that have been getting top billing lately for NHL events-
’07 European Games- Los Angeles and Anaheim
’08 Winter Classic- Pittsburgh at Buffalo
’08 European Games- Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Rangers, Tampa
’09 Winter Classic- Detroit at Chicago
’09 European Games- St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, Florida
’10 Winter Classic- Philadelphia at Boston

Tampa was everybody’s pick for a bounceback team last year, and Ottawa was supposed to be decent.

The Blues are now on the league’s radar. It is a good sign for the team.

They have four games in 17 days after they play in Sweden and before they go to Pittsburgh on the 20th, three of those four are against non-playoff teams (home for Atlanta, and LA, and at Phoenix), they should be fine by then.

St. Louis Game Time- The Game Day Guide to St. Louis Blues Hockey- www.stlouisgametime.com

by Chris Gift on Sep 24, 2009 4:40 PM CDT reply actions

Hmmm

Wasn’t one of the aims of the “overseas” games to raise the profile of hockey in the particular country they were visiting?

Well, I tell you…when the Kings and Ducks played in London, what press coverage was there over here in the UK? Zip. Or as next to zip as makes no odds. No television coverage or even mentions on any of the mainstream tv channels, nothing in the newspapers apart from the occasional 2 sentence byline somewhere. It was atrocious. The games sold out – but there were a hell of a lot of people from all over Europe making the trip.

It was here then it was gone. And it didn’t make a blind bit of difference over here because there was no support system in place to promote it to “newbies”. Only idiots like me in the UK who stayed up till the wee small hours watching games on a minority channel even knew it was happening.

Sweden will probably be different because of the larger hockey scene – it’s just a shame the NHL didn’t promote that event the way the NFL did when they came to London. Hell, everyone knew that was going on.

BLUE SKIES - new St Louis Blues hockey blog.

"If you prick me, do I not...leak?"
"I could be chasing an untamed ornithoid without cause."
"I am programmed in multiple techniques, a broad...variety of pleasuring..."
RIP Lt Commander Data

by drfrankentweed on Sep 24, 2009 5:22 PM CDT reply actions

bein pessimistic

although london does literally make no sense no matter what the plan is/was i always thought part of the issue was to remind PRO HOCKEY PLAYERS in europe that the nhl is the bomb, they kinda did for a while but with the kap, and the russian situation, eh

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Sep 25, 2009 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions