Chasen Pucks with Panger

Over the past 20 years, many have wondered what could have been. What if Wayne Gretzky had finished his career as a member of the St. Louis Blues? What if we were able to see Gretzky on the same line with Brett Hull for three more years, instead of just 31 games? For years, many had written off Gretzky as nothing more than a footnote in Blues history. Others went as far as to say he was not a “True Blue”.

Over this past weekend at Busch Stadium, Wayne Gretzky reappeared as a member of the St. Louis Blues Alumni in a historic game against the Chicago Blackhawks Alumni. Not only was this a magical game for everyone in St. Louis, it was the most attended alumni game since the inception of the Winter Classic. The return of Gretzky seemed to welcome him back into the St. Louis Blues family. Fans wanted to see “The Great One”, and the Blues organization delivered.

On the most recent episode of Chasen Pucks with Panger, Darren Pang was able to catch up with Gretzky after the alumni game and asked his thoughts on what is taking place in St. Louis. “To come here and see the number of people at the alumni game, and not to see one empty seat,” Gretzky said. “They've (fans) really rallied around this event. It just shows you how far hockey has come in this city, how big the sport has gotten, and how popular it can be.”

Apparently, Gretzky's ties to St. Louis went even deeper than his short tenure with the Blues in 1996. “I grew up a huge Cardinals fan,” said Gretzky. “In those days, we'd get the Cardinals games on the radio. So, I used to listen to Jack Buck and kinda fall asleep listening to Cardinal games.”

An avid baseball fan, Gretzky dreamed of playing baseball, not hockey, at Busch Stadium. “I wish I could've played third base or pitched one game here for the Cardinals in professional baseball, but that's obviously not gonna happen,” Gretzky said of his Cardinals fandom. “Maybe it's only fitting my last game was played at a baseball stadium. I can combine the two sports, hockey and baseball.”

Gretzky has also seen the growth of hockey in St. Louis. A lot of things have changed in the past twenty years since he was a Blue, and he was quick to point it out. “The youth hockey programs here have been so strong,” noted Gretzky. “Five boys were selected in the first round of the NHL draft from St. Louis. I don't care if you're St. Louis, or Edmonton, or Winnipeg, or Saskatoon…you get five boys drafted in the first round, that's pretty special. It shows you how far hockey has come in this area, and it's only going to get more and more popular. And, it's only going to get bigger.”

Wayne Gretzky is forever a member of the St. Louis Blues. He very well may have donned a Blues sweater for his final trip around the rink. I think it is okay now to look back with fondness on Gretzky's limited days as a member of this treasured organization. We might not have seen it for long, but at least we did see it. Remember, Wayne Gretzky did not have to play in the alumni game. He didn't do it for himself, he did it for the fans of the St. Louis Blues. He is a “True Blue”.

“I'm voting you guys the MVP of podcasts.” – Wayne Gretzky

Two cities that are having a lot of fun are St. Louis and San Jose because both teams have great players and have finally managed to get over the hump this year.

Blues winger Jaden Schwartz recorded 4 goals and 10 assists during the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Jaden Schwartz joins Chasen Pucks. He is excited for his matchup with the Sharks on Sunday. Schwartz says he watched game seven between the Sharks and Predators to see who. his Blues would be facing off with in the final. Schwartz has been through two game sevens and says his team just tries to carry the momentum forward into each round. “[Game seven] is different than any other game, “according to Schwartz. ”As you play in a few more, you get a little more comfortable.”

Schwartz and his Blues are excited that all of their hard work has paid off this season. Schwartz credits the focus of Brian Elliott for a lot of the goalie’s success and says it is a lot of fun to watch. Jaden admits he is comfortable playing with any of the forwards on his team, and playing with skilled guys like Steen and Lehtera “makes things a little bit easier” on him.

St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott posted a record of 23-8-6 in 2015-16, and a 9-9 mark in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Brian Elliott joins Kelly Chase on the program, and he is feeling excited for the city of St. Louis. “The buzz around the city is so huge.” Elliott admits, “[he] has never seen it like this before.” He plans to play the Blues’ game and let the Sharks react to them. After the interview, Darren Pang explains how glad he was to sit with Brian because he shared a lot about his personal life after the interview. The most impressive thing about Brian Elliott is the fact that he “stayed resilient every year,” according to Pang.

Matt Murray has been impressive enough in the net to replace longtime starter Marc Andre Fleury for the time being for the Penguins. He’s mentally tough, which is more important than anything for a goalkeeper.

The goaltending matchups for the conference finals are Brian Elliott of the Blues facing Matt Jones of the Sharks in the Western Conference Finals, and Ben Bishop of the Lightning facing Matt Murray of the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final.

None of these goalies has won the Stanley Cup, but Bishop may have the edge. Bishop and the Lightning went to the finals last year. Pittsburgh might be the team to beat, but it’s not easy to choose a winner this year. Tampa Bay is going to be a tough matchup for all of these teams.

Things are looking up for both the Blues and Sharks. The Sharks made a couple of changes over the last year and look to win this series and make it back to the Cup. There is a similar feeling in St. Louis. The veteran Blues and Ken Hitchcock are feeling very positive after finally winning a playoff series. This playoff run seems even sweeter since the Blues took out the Blackhawks in the opening round.

Chase and Pang have been very impressed by the power play of the Sharks this year. It’s going to be a task for the Blues to stop the Sharks’ power play in the series, but the leadership of assistant coach Brad Shaw might be the key to killing penalties. Chase thinks the key to opening up the Sharks defense is to “go from the goal line to stuff it or go from the goal line to the middle of the ice” to find the gaps between defenders. Another high point for the Blues has been their defense as they have “combined for six goals, twenty-five assists, and thirty points, lead by Shattenkirk,” according to Pang. Chase and Pang finish up the segment by giving their conference finals picks, and both pick the Blues to win in seven games. Pang commends the Blues for their depth and believes they can “sustain injuries more so” than the Sharks.

Chase and Pang come back with the “Dude Really” segment, and Kelly Chase digs into social media users who criticize foreign players, namely Kuznetsov and Ovechkin, who left the United States to return home and play for their national teams the day after a series loss. Chase laments, “[They] are not living in the nice quiet freedom of the United States of America or Canada. [They] don’t have that luxury. They’re hosting the World Cup.” Chase goes on to explain that these players have an obligation to their country. Chase added, ”Playing for your national team “gives you credibility to what you’re about,” and “it can only help you in the future and give you the ability to make more money and play longer.”