Check Out the New Renovations To The Scottrade Center

Tuesday night the St. Louis Blues hosted a little soiree at the Drink Scotch Center. It was the first chance for Blues fans to check out the renovations that had been made over the summer.

Luckily I was able to secure an pass to this invitation only event. And by that I mean that I begged a season ticket holder to let me tag along. It’s almost like I work for the Post-Dispatch. Almost.

Since I know this is what everyone is waiting to see, we might as well go ahead and address the elephant in the room. And believe me, that elephant is a big son of a bitch.

Really the picture doesn’t do it justice but I don’t think there is a picture that would. You are just going to have to take my word for it.

When you walk into the arena from the concourse this thing is all you see. No matter were you sit, this thing is in your face. Not in an annoying, drunk guy in your face kind of way but in the same way that a big, beautiful flatscreen T.V. that you didn’t have to pay for is in your face. It’s just nice.

We watched the Blues play the Dallas Stars on it and I must say that the video quality is outstanding. I realize that it is probably just par for the course around the rest of the NHL but sitting in your seat it’s nice to finally feel like you didn’t just take a time machine back to the 1990’s.

The next thing that most Blues fans will probably notice are the new seats that are at the attack twice end of the ice.

This is actually where I sat the first year that I had season tickets with the club. However, it is also where I will never sit again because there is no way that I will pay that much money to watch a hockey game but I am sure there are plenty of people who will. It probably comes with really cool perks like in seat service and drinks and stuff. I don’t really know for sure because I didn’t ask. Mostly because I don’t care but also because I SUCK AT MY FAKE JOB.

After those two little upgrades I didn’t really notice anything else that would improve the game day experience for the majority of fans. This is only the first wave of renovations to be made to the Scott and it is pretty clear, and understandably so, that the Blues took care of themselves first.

Apparently the ice surface had become pretty horrid. In fact it was so bad that the players had begun to complain about it. So the Blues removed the old floor and put down a new surface that was perfectly level. Which in turn allows them to lay an almost perfect sheet of ice.

There isn’t really much to see in this picture because it’s basically just a flat sheet of ice but I am told that it is one of the flattest and iciest sheets in the NHL, so I guess there’s that.

The Blues also improved the lighting inside the arena but to be honest I didn’t really notice. Not that it’s bad or anything but mostly because I really don’t remember what it is like before. The club will probably tell you they did that to improve the in game experience but I am sure the fact that these lights are a million times more efficient than the last ones played a factor as well. Again, it’s not that it’s a bad thing it’s just not something I really noticed until it was pointed out to me.

The bathrooms on the other hand were somewhat of a disappointment.

Basically all they did was give them a fresh coat of paint and put dividers between the urinals.

I understand that space is a factor but man, I was really hoping they were going to make them bigger. The bathrooms that is, not the urinals.

I don’t know if you guys ever go to the bathroom during intermission but it freaking sucks. There are lines a mile long at every bathroom and the ones on the upper bowl are even worse.

However, they did make one noticeable improvement.

That’s right ladies and gentlemen (well, mostly gentlemen) we have shelves above the urinals. And they ain’t just for looks. That right there are fully functional beer holders.

Well, that about wraps it up. The team store and most of the concourse haven’t changed. Yeah they might have put in some new food stands or made some minor upgrades here and there but I didn’t really notice.

I understand this is a process and it is going to take some time. I also understand the Blues took care of the most important things first, as well they should have.

I guess what I am saying is it was like I was 12 years old again and it was Christmas morning. I entered the doors at Scottrade hoping that I got everything that I wished for.

Instead I got one thing that I really wanted and a couple things that I really needed and that was all. Nobody likes getting things they need, not even 30 year old me.