Welcome to the new guy: Stefan Della Rovere

by gallagher on Dec 7, 2010 10:00 AM CST

Surely Della Rovere didn't mean to run into Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, right? Mmm, yeah, right.

Sometimes shit gets hectic around the ol' GT HQ, which I know sounds surprising since everyone pretty much assumes it's a frat house here (I wish), but we have been remiss in welcoming one of the new youngsters to the big team. Stefan Della Rovere, who could be destined for who was that one guy status if he doesn't make a name for himself in St. Louis after being traded for fan fav D.J. King, has now suited up for three NHL games and posted virtually not one stat worth speaking about, though he did fight Colin Fraser and managed to pull his jersey over his head, which almost never happens anymore.

However, that doesn't mean that he won't fit into this lineup and become yet another fan fav (Step One: get into a shared condo with at least one other youngster) much like King before him and Cam Janssen has as well. The one facet to his game/personality that he does have working for him above and beyond the ability to punch dudes? He's a leader too. In fact he was captain of his Barrie Colts team, a squad that had Alex Pietrangelo in the lineup. Clearly he plays hard, hits hard, punches hard and has the qualities to lead that hockey players respect.

Check out this video of Alex Pietrangelo stepping up for a teammate, getting fed a mouthful of fists and then Della Rovere throwing down with another guy in response to the lost fight to get the home crowd back into the game.

I'm not sure I'm convinced that a healthy Blues lineup needs two fighters in the lineup at the same time, but every locker room needs leadership, and the kid seems to be known for that.

Either way, welcome kid, wear that number 19 with pride.

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Just for the record: 19 is a very cool nummer. If Della Rovere can be mean and smart at the same time, welcome aboard.

St. Louis Game Time

by Marcus E Pettersson on Dec 7, 2010 10:52 AM CST via mobile reply actions

I know my Caps friends were

unhappy with the trade so that’s a good sign…

Yea ≠ Yeah

by labbadabba on Dec 7, 2010 12:04 PM CST reply actions

19 has been worn by some of my favorite Blues of all time...

Derek Sanderson, Blake Dunlop, Perry Turnbull, Rod Brind’Amour, Scott Mellanby.

Yes, I’m leaving out the obvious wearer of #19. Aside from the fact that signing him cost us Scott Stevens, the guy became better known for his play with the goddamn Red Wings than with the Blues. Not to mention that he stole his best friend’s wife. So screw him.

Welcome to The Show, SDR.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Dec 7, 2010 12:22 PM CST reply actions

I thought SuperMel was the obvious one.

I couldn’t have remembered the wife-stealer’s number on a bet. Yay, mental block of the whole BS era!

by BleedBlue42 on Dec 7, 2010 7:55 PM CST up reply actions

Aw man

How could you like the Turk after he took out Bobby Plager’s knee? That was an assault on the King hisself.

Wash you hands off with soap after typing that.

Just a chew toy for the hockey gods

by spectr17 on Dec 7, 2010 8:02 PM CST up reply actions

Bobby forgave him for it, and The Turk has always been one of my faves...

I loved the way he played, and how good he was on faceoffs. I wish the Blues would hire him just to teach our centers how to win faceoffs.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Dec 7, 2010 9:46 PM CST up reply actions

I hear ya

Boston was my 2nd fave team and I liked the Turk right up to when he cheapshotted Plager. Bobby may have forgiven him but I never did.

Just a chew toy for the hockey gods

by spectr17 on Dec 8, 2010 2:40 AM CST up reply actions

What is this "healthy Blues lineup" of which you speak?

The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. But that's the way to bet. - Damon Runyon

by baroose on Dec 7, 2010 2:29 PM CST reply actions

We had one at the beginning of the year... let me look and see where I put it.

by Paperwork Ninja on Dec 7, 2010 4:21 PM CST up reply actions

The fact that he was called up a bit early does not seem to faze this kid.

I’m gonna like this SDR fella.

St. Louis Game Time . . . I need another beer.
And I can also write things in 140 characters or fewer.

by Donut King on Dec 7, 2010 3:02 PM CST reply actions

He looks like

he’s crying or sobbing in that picture.

Hockey players wear numbers because you can't always identify the body with dental records.

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. Laura Ingalls Wilder

by luvhockey on Dec 7, 2010 4:38 PM CST reply actions

You'd be crying too...

…if you had to stand that close to Luongo’s rancid ass.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Dec 7, 2010 11:25 PM CST up reply actions

Can he do more than fight?

I mean I’m sure I could look it up myself but it’s Tuesday.

I don’t mind another fighter on this team but if he back checks like a demon out of hell and turns the lamp on every once in awhile he would be a welcome edition.

by Ad Hominem on Dec 7, 2010 4:41 PM CST reply actions

He seems like a young Crombeen

With a higher ceiling. He can scrap, play d, and maybe pot a few goals. He’s not a top-6 guy, but could be a useful bottom-6 piece.

St. Louis Game Time Fact: Morning links are part of a well-balanced meal.

SBNSTL Writing about the Blues in more than one line is tough.

by averagejoe on Dec 7, 2010 5:02 PM CST up reply actions

Thank you

But basically right now his role is on the grind line?

by Ad Hominem on Dec 7, 2010 8:54 PM CST up reply actions

Joe pretty much hit the nail on the head with his description of SDR here...

I couldn’t add anything.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Dec 7, 2010 9:47 PM CST up reply actions

If he can score more than 0.028 points per game...

… Cam Janssen should start watching his back. The team (when healthy) doesn’t need two agitators, and Cammie’s on a one-year contract.

SDR needs to score all of two points in the remainder of this season to put himself ahead of Janssen’s career scoring average.

by BleedBlue42 on Dec 7, 2010 8:02 PM CST reply actions

they couldn't possibly ditch both King and Cam for him

great player, but there’s a certain level of fan favoritism that Cam has that I don’t think anyone can really match. Sure, people always want to see Osh, Perron, Backes and Johnson, but everyone loves our #55.
I’ve heard a lot of speculation that JD only got Cam as a publicity move, and if that’s true, than he did a really good job with that mission!
Not to mention SDR better be able to score more than Cam. and get more ice time. and draw more penalties. and basically be more useful. He’s got much better potential than CJ, but dont go, Cam!

"What's the use of being Irish if you can't be thick?" Billy Conn

Sextus: You can break a man's skull, you can arrest him, you can throw him into a dungeon. But how do you control what's up here?
[taps his head]
How do you fight an idea?

by Crapchesterian on Dec 7, 2010 10:52 PM CST up reply actions

you won't hear louder boobirds

than when CamSmash is announced as a scratch

#SilentJay4Selke
@ProdigiousOne - twitter
Halak to Move it Move it

by ilikeboyes on Dec 8, 2010 12:32 AM CST up reply actions

All three of the Barrie guys involved in those two fights...

…Pietrangeo, Della Rovere, and Alex Burmistrov…

…are all playing in the NHL today.

The guy that got in Burmistrov’s face, and who Pietrangelo ended up taking an ass-whoopin’ from, is Rob Flick (6’ 2, 208), who was Mississauga’s leading PIM guy last year with 157, and who can score a little bit (28 points in 28 games this year). Unfortunately, the Bleak Hoax drafted him 120th overall last year…

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Dec 7, 2010 9:53 PM CST reply actions

when i heard we traded kingkong, i did my research on SDR

and since then, i had been anxiously awaiting his call-up. i’m excited about this kid, hopefully something clicks for him and he goes all David Backes on everyone’s ass.

#SilentJay4Selke
@ProdigiousOne - twitter
Halak to Move it Move it

by ilikeboyes on Dec 8, 2010 12:35 AM CST reply actions

CapsNation – still in more than a little shock over the whole trade thing. But if he was still in our organization, he would prolly never get a sniff of a Caps’ sweater this year. He would most likely be in Hershey or possibly down in the E with the Stingrays.

That being said, we love his fire. Here’s some posts I wrote about Delly and the Barrie Colts last year:

Um, the Barrie Colts are kind of good.

Delly celebrates his birthday the best way he knows how.

On why it’s good to be a Della Rovere.

BTW, you should check Wikipedia for the family Della Rovere. Kid’s got some interesting ancestors. We’ll just say it’s not surprising he’s a natural leader.

One more: “Then came Stefan Della Rovere…”

Miss you Delly!

You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!

by EmilyB on Dec 8, 2010 1:13 AM CST reply actions