Blues raise Stanley Cup banner during pregame ceremony - NHL.com

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues relived their memorable run to their first Stanley Cup championship, raising their Stanley Cup banner before the season opener at Enterprise Center on Wednesday.

A 20-minute ceremony was held prior to playing the Washington Capitals, the previous Cup champions.

"It's a great moment," Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. "I think we'll have a couple days here to kind of reflect on it, but it was good. It was obviously tough when you're trying to flip the switch and get ready for the game, but obviously a pretty special moment."

The Stanley Cup sat on a table in the Zamboni entrance while the Blues walked past it on the way to the ice during player introductions. Ryan O'Reilly, the next-to-last player introduced, carried the Conn Smythe Trophy, which he won voted as most valuable player of the playoffs. He was followed by Pietrangello, who picked up the Cup from the table and carried it onto the ice to begin a procession around the rink.

Video: The Blues reminisce on their Stanley Cup Championship

The Blues lost 3-2 in overtime after leading 2-0 7:55 into the first period.

"It's not an easy day," St. Louis coach Craig Berube said. "It's a lot of emotions. I thought we started off well in the game, but it certainly died off."

The Blues clinched the first championship in their 51-season history with a 4-1 win against the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden, so this was the first time they skated with the Cup at home.

The Blues stood arm-in-arm inside the blue line while the banner was raised. It was paused briefly for the Blues to take a photo and completed its climb to the playing of "Gloria," Laura Branigan's 1982 pop hit that became their victory anthem last season.

The ceremony began with a video that included highlights from Stanley Cup Playoff series wins against the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and Bruins.

"It was pretty special," Blues goalie Jordan Binnington said. "I think it was a good job all around. I think the boys were really ready for puck drop and we had a great start, but it was a great show."

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October 03, 2019 at 07:57AM