It’s that time of year again. The St. Louis Blues are 19 games into the 2024-2025 season and are back in action. Do they have what it takes to earn a playoff spot?
The Blues have always been a fan favorite, and this season update will give you all the information needed to follow along throughout the season.
South High is home to many St. Louis Blues fans, ranging from teachers to students. People are always excited for the beginning of a new season, and this year seems promising to many fans. Due to the new players added to the team, some fans like junior Kaylee Thompson believe this will bring new energy and skills on the ice.
“They have a lot of new players, so I think they’ll be able to bring some new things to the team,” said Thompson.
The Blues have failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the last two seasons. In hopes of changing their fate this season, they have added 6 big additions to their roster. They signed free agents Ryan Suter and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. They also received Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from the Oilers, Radek Faksa from the Stars, and Mathieu Joseph from the Senators via trade. Dylan Holloway, a 6’1 forward signed the Blues offer sheet – which are very rare in the NHL – forcing him to part ways with the Oilers. Because the Oilers have very strong star power, like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Holloway felt that he would receive more playing time with a different team and he is very excited for the opportunity to be a part of the Blues organization. The situation for Philip Broberg, a 6’4 defenseman who also signed an offer sheet from the Blues, was a little different. He had the potential of having three offer sheets presented to him and he chose to sign with the Blues. He is a very strong skater, as well as a fast-paced player, and he likes to involve himself in every play. Both Holloway and Broberg are huge additions to the Blues this season.
In addition to the new players, the Blues received a new head coach. During the offseason, the Blues removed the intermediate tag from Drew Bannister, naming him their 27th head coach in franchise history. Following Craig Berube’s release during the 2023-2024 season, Bannister led the Blues to a record of 30-19-5 (65 points) during his tenure. He was not new to the Blues organization, serving 3 years as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.
“I think Bannister is better than Berube, and he offers more to the team,” junior Blues fan Tyler Fesenmeyer said.
Following the Blues win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 5, three of their best players were out with injuries. Robert Thomas suffered a fractured right ankle, Broberg went down with a lower-body injury, and Holloway escaped a very serious injury after he was struck in the neck by a puck. The Blues have tried to fight through adversity, but losing their top players caused them to fall below the skill level of their opponents. The Blues have lost 8-1 two times this season, against the Senators and Jets. They are hoping for a speedy recovery of some of their best players to push them back into playoff contention.
At press time, the Blues sport a record of 8-10-1. Along with their regular season schedule, the Blues have an upcoming rival match against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 31–the 2025 NHL Winter Classic at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. Their schedule has made some slight changes this season, such as adjusting the Saturday night home game times to 6 p.m. By moving the time up by an hour, there is hope that more families and fans will stay for the entire game.
History teacher Carrie Steele is a die-hard Blues fan. She has season tickets in the lower bowl, just 15 rows off the ice.
“Some of my favorite players are Oskar Sundquvist, Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Faulk. They’re all super scrappy, fly under the radar, and stick up for their teammates,” Steele said.
Overall, the St Louis Blues intend to have a successful 2024-2025 season, and both teachers and students at Parkway South will continue to support them throughout the year.
“I’ll be watching them all season long and I think they have a shot at making the playoffs,” said science teacher Brad Zerman.
