Puck Watching
A hockey podcast centered around the St. Louis Blues. Two brothers host your premier talk show featuring prominent guests and thought-provoking discussion.
Puck Watching
St. Louis Blues Broadcasting Legend - John Kelly
Ever wondered what it takes to become a legendary sports broadcaster? Join us as we explore the illustrious careers of John Kelly and his father, Dan Kelly, whose voices have become synonymous with hockey. From Dan's pioneering days in Ottawa to his iconic call of Bobby Orr's goal, to John's own journey from a Kansas radio station to the NHL, this episode offers a poignant glimpse into the world of sports broadcasting through the lens of a celebrated family legacy.
Get ready for an eye-opening insight into John Kelly's career path, highlighting his transition between teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche. We'll recount the challenges he faced, including the tricky balance of splitting games in St. Louis, and the pivotal advice from his father that shaped his choices. Plus, we'll prepare you for a fascinating story involving a notable encounter with the legendary Herb Brooks, which promises to captivate listeners.
And as the spotlight shifts to the strategic evolution of the St. Louis Blues, we'll dissect the tactics that led to their 2019 Stanley Cup triumph. Discover how smart asset management played a crucial role in their success, as well as an evaluation of their young core's potential for future glory. Despite recent struggles, there's a glimmer of hope for the Blues, as they rebuild with promising prospects and a plan to enhance their performance in the seasons ahead. Join us as we celebrate the Kelly legacy and the ongoing saga of the St. Louis Blues.
well, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to puck watching stl, as we are entering a little bit of a break here in the nhl hockey season, with the four nations tournament starting tonight. Should be fun, but we thought no better way, with the blues break, to fill the time than talking with the voice behind mine, nick's and, I know, many other Blues fans' childhood. This man we're about to speak to needs no introduction at all. He's the son of a Blues broadcasting legend, dan Kelly, former play-by-play broadcaster for the St Catherine Saints and Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL, a former broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche, and now holds the position of the play-by-play broadcaster for the St Louis Blues since 2004. It is our honor to welcome John Kelly as the first guest to Puck Watching STL JK. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2:Thank you, luke, thanks Nick. Thanks for having me. That's quite the introduction. I appreciate it very much. You've done your homework. Yeah, those are my past posts in the NHL and the American Hockey League, so you're on your game, luke. That was good.
Speaker 1:Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:Well, I think to kick it off here, I know that you have a family legacy of this and I think you get the question a lot about the influence of your father Dan and how you kind of continued his legacy here in St Louis. But I don't think many know kind of how he really got into hockey, because when he initially started broadcasting with St Louis this was before I feel like hockey became a really big thing in the sports world, and especially in St Louis, with the expansion. So I almost kind of want to go way back before even your time about like how even your father Dan got into the industry, because I feel like people a lot of the times know like how he's such a legendary voice for the blues, but I don't think many know about his background necessarily. So, jk, if you want to elaborate a little bit on that, just to give our viewers a sense of where your father came from, so that we can get into you a little bit, yeah, luke, you know it really is a very incredible story.
Speaker 2:My dad was born in Ottawa, ontario, and his father died when my dad was three years old. So he grew up in a one-parent household and he got the broadcasting bug from his older brother, hal, who was 16 years older than my father and Hal was. He became a very prominent broadcaster in Canada. For most of his career he broadcast in Toronto. He did a lot of baseball and at the end of the career actually he did a lot of hockey and did some games in St Louis with my father and then did some other teams in the NHL. But he got the bug from his older brother and he didn't go to college radio station in a small town in Ontario, smith Falls, ontario, worked there for a couple of years, made his way back to Ottawa in the early 60s and then made his way up to Hockey Unit in Canada, which is obviously the preeminent broadcasting outlet for National Hockey League games. But he was the host on Hockey United in Canada and his dream, his lifetime dream, was to be a play-by-play announcer.
Speaker 2:And of course, the NHL expanded in 1967 to 12 teams. So after the Blues' first year not many people know this, luke and Nick. But Jack Buck was the voice of the Blues the first year, along with Jay Randolph. Jack Buck was the voice of the Blues the first year along with Jay Randolph. So those two guys were the broadcasters but for whatever reason, they wanted to get a full-time hockey guy. And you know, of course Mr Buck was a baseball guy and Jay Rand of KMOX Radio went to the Blues to see if they knew anybody who would want the job or would be up for the job. And Scotty Bowman, who was of course the coach at the time, recommended my father. He knew my father from Ottawa and he recommended my dad for the job and he got the job in 1968-69.
Speaker 2:So you know again, coming from a background where he didn't have a lot of money, his dad died when he was young and then his career really took off when he got to St Louis because in his second year CBS got the television rights for the NHL and he became the network broadcaster on US TV and of course that's what led him to call that famous Bobby Orr goal against the Blues in 1970. And he had a 21-year career in St Louis. He did all kinds of sports football, baseball. Of course hockey was the top announcer for the NHL and on ustv for mainly his entire 21 year career in st louis. So you know, that's the background of my dad, um, coming from very little and, uh, as you guys said, he became just an institution and a legendary hockey broadcaster yeah, I mean, you talked about a little bit there, like you know, starting little, and I think a lot of broadcasters do start that way.
Speaker 1:And I will say, though, with the whole family connection, you still started in a in a pretty low level position, although not extremely low considering you were. You were in the AHL for a little bit. But I guess, talking about with the development there, with that uh, the AHL affiliate for the red wings and the and the saint catherine saints, and like how did you use those, that those years of a little bit development there, um, to kind of eventually spring in to the nhl sphere and I know you did a broadcast with with your dad, right?
Speaker 2:yeah, that was. That was farther down the road, uh, but going back a few years before that, luke, when I got out of college in January of 83, I went to work at a small radio station in Pratt, kansas, which is a tiny little town I mean tiny town about two hours west of Wichita and I broadcast basketball there and I was going to broadcast football in the fall. But after eight months there I got the job in St Catharines, ontario. And a big reason I got the job was because my father recommended me and he knew some people who had the rights. So my kids like to kid me and joke with me that I'm a nepo baby. And you know what? I can't disagree. You know nepotism can be good, but you know you get your foot in the door and I got my foot in the door because of my father.
Speaker 2:I got the job in the American League, which is a big step up, but you know you have to work and you have to succeed. My dad can get me in the door and other people, but once you're in the door you got to make the best of it. So I got the job. I worked three years in St Catharines and then that team moved to Newmarket, which is north of Toronto, and I wanted to get back to the States for a lot of different reasons and I got the job in Adirondack, which was the Red Wings farm team, and worked a total of three more years.
Speaker 2:So I did six years in the American League and you know, look to me, that's where I really grew so much as a broadcaster, because you know you go to college and you do the games on the, you know the website or the radio station, whatever you do, and you all of those games and get the reps. Then you don't really evolve as a broadcaster and improve. So you know, when I did those games in American League, I was the play-by-play guy, I was the color guy and I was the engineer. So it's a lot. And you know you do a three-hour game and you hope that the Zamboni doesn't break or the lights go out or something like that, because you're on your own and you know you got to record an interview between periods if you want to. You know, get a bathroom break, things like that. So you know I felt like I really did pay my dues and it really set me up well when I did get into the NHL.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure no, that's great, jk. It's a fun story and I was going to ask too, but you kind of answered it there when you were in Kansas doing the broadcast for basketball and potentially football, did you ever want to come back to other sports and perform and try to do play-by-play for them?
Speaker 2:I'm sorry you cut out for one second there. Nick, go ahead with the question. Can you hear me? Yeah, I can hear you. Go ahead.
Speaker 3:I was just wondering if there were other sports. You answered it a bit, but did you want to ever go back to basketball or football, baseball, whatever it may be?
Speaker 2:No, not really I. I always felt that I could be a good hockey broadcaster because I played hockey as a kid and you know I was a rink rat. And then I followed my father around when he became a broadcaster, in terms of going to the games and sitting with him. So you know, even though I had very little experience announcing hockey when I got the job in St Catherine's in the American League, I felt that I could do the job because I just knew the game so well.
Speaker 2:But there was a time I remember when I was in Pratt and my boss came to me and said I was doing the sports and he said well, I want you to also do the news and be the news director. And I said, well, what's my pay increase, my raise? And he said, well, you're not going to get a raise. And I was like what do you mean? I'm not going to get a raise, Like you want me to do more work and get a different title and whatever.
Speaker 2:And I was so mad that I called my father and I said I'm going to quit because he's not treating me fairly. And my father said it was great advice. He said you know, I don't think you should quit. As a matter of fact, don't ever quit a job until you get another job, and it was really good advice. I mean, it's simple, I know, but um, so I stuck it out and a few months later I got that job in the American League. But to answer your question, Nick, no, I didn't want to be a basketball announcer or a football announcer. My dream was to be a hockey announcer. So that's what I did.
Speaker 3:No, it's cool. Yeah, and your dad's advice is sound.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think so it turned out all right. You know, Nick, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I'm a little curious too. I know, jk, we've talked a good amount your your prep and broadcast itself other. They just got to experience one of them a month ago. That was unbelievable. But I wasn't necessarily totally certain about your time with the abs and the lightning and I know you entered tampa in a really bad time when they were like I think, last, at least in their division a couple of times. And I know the abs were a completely different story, uh, in the late nineties with Sackick um and Patrick Waugh. So I'm curious to hear some stories and insights about how that part of your career was Cause that sounds like the lowest of the lows but also the highest of the highs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well, to go back a few years earlier, luke, after my father died I was doing the New York Rangers on radio. I was doing about 40 games as a backup to Marv Elbert, in addition to doing games in Adirondack. And then, when my father died, I came to St Louis full time but I was splitting the games with Ken Wilson and I had a job offer after the second year to go to Minnesota and then after my third year in St Louis, after the 91-92 season, the Tampa Bay Lightning offered me the job and they were an expansion team and I was getting frustrated splitting games. I was getting frustrated splitting games. It had nothing to do personally with Ken Wilson, but I just felt like I put in a lot of work and did a lot of time in the American League and riding buses. At that point I was 32 years old. I felt like I should do the whole game, like most announcers. It was a very unique situation in St Louis where they had guys split it. Quite honestly, I think it was stupid. The bottom line is I took the job in Tampa Bay.
Speaker 2:They were an expansion team and, as you said, they weren't very good. As you would expect, the expansion rules back then were a lot different than when Vegas came in and went to the final in 2018. So they got a bad team and I was there three years. And then Colorado got a team because Quebec sold their franchise to Denver-based Comstead Entertainment and I got the job in Colorado. So, as you said, a team that was a struggling team, an expansion team, and I knew that the Avalanche were going to be a good team because the year before Quebec was in first place in their division and they were upset in the first round by the Rangers.
Speaker 2:But it didn't take long for anyone with even modest hockey knowledge to realize that the likes of Sakic and Forsberg and Patrick Roy when they traded for him in December that they had the makings of a really good team. And, of course, they won the Stanley Cup that first year I was there and they won another cup in 2001. So I was there nine years total. My wife and I loved it there. My son was born in Tampa, but he was only a couple of months old when we moved and I had two daughters that were born in Denver. So we enjoyed it very much personally and professionally and, looking back, it was certainly nine of the best years of our lives going to Denver and covering the avalanche that's wonderful.
Speaker 3:No, that's great, JK. And I had a question here because we're approaching that timeline of when I was kind of thinking of so in 03, no, no, no, this is 2000. This is 2000. So I was reading up on Wikipedia and obviously everything on Wikipedia is not always true. So I would love to go straight to the source. How true is the interaction that one would read on Wikipedia with Herb Brooks.
Speaker 2:Oh man, you know what, nick, if you want to Google it and you Google John Kelly, herb Brooks, you'll see the entire video. Oh, yeah, you don't have to look on Wikipedia, the video is there, trust me. Yeah, you don't have to look on Wikipedia, the video is there, trust me. And for people that watch this podcast don't know what happened is that the Avalanche were playing Pittsburgh in a game in Denver and Herb Brooks was the coach, and late in the game the Avalanche were winning the game by a goal. Pittsburgh was really struggling and Matthew Barnaby of the Penguins cross-checked one of the ass players in the back uh, alexei guserov, I believe it was and or no, the other way around, I'm sorry. Guserov cross-checked barnaby and barnaby went down like he got shot and he was just flailing away and whatever. And I had seen barnaby play many times and it's no different than if a batter is in the batter's box and he acts like he got hit by a pitch. It's just, it's gamesmanship and that's what Barnaby was doing. He acted like Gusseroff, speared him in the gut and cross-checked him in the mouth, and all that when in fact, he wasn't really hurt, but he was trying to draw a penalty. So, anyways, I said on the air. I said Barnaby has been known to embellish, although I qualified it by saying I'm not sure if that's the case here. So what happened was our broadcast feed was in the Pittsburgh Penguin locker room and I guess some of the trainers who weren't on the bench were watching our feed and they told Brooks what I said and I guess they just said hey, this announcer for Colorado said that Barnaby was embellishing and and Herb was incensed they lost the game. He was mad.
Speaker 2:So I came down after the game and I was about to leave and a security guy said hey, um, and the Pittsburgh coach is really pissed at you. I said why? I had no idea. Like I called the game and I didn't think I said anything wrong or and my head was spinning, so I wasn't going to duck out of the building without, you know, being a man and confronting him and seeing why he was upset with me.
Speaker 2:So I walked down the hall and and he, he right away attacked me verbally. You know, did you say that about Barnaby? Blah, blah. And then he threatened to kick me out of the building and I said you're not kicking me out of the building. And then he pushed me and at that point security guards intervened and broke it up. But there were all kinds of cameras there and that's why I said, if you Google that, you'll see the entire confrontation. The bottom line is that Herb was out of line entire confrontation. The bottom line is that herb was out of line, he overreacted. I think he was trying to to in some way, you know, fire up his team by saying you know, I'm going to stick up for you, even though he's picking on a 40 year old tv broadcaster who controls nothing. Um, and herb got suspended for two games for that, for for what he did. So that's the story with her brooks.
Speaker 3:So was that the scariest interaction you've had with a coach like that? Like, has that ever happened before for you?
Speaker 2:well, you know it's. It's the only time that a coach or a player has ever been upset with something I've said. I don't I don't think I'm controversial and I still don't think what I said was out of line. But you know when, when we were standing there and he was yelling at me, you know I knew that he was trying to just do it for show and even though he pushed me I mean, a guy knows that another guy's going to hit you and I knew he wasn't going to punch me and I wasn't afraid of that. So now the bottom line is that I knew he was just trying to, for whatever reason, rally his troops and, like I said, pick on an old tv announcer. So it didn't really work. Pittsburgh didn't do well that year, um, and you know, as I said, he got suspended for two games. Yeah, again gooey, you'll see, you'll see the whole video. So I need to see it now.
Speaker 1:That'll be what I'll do after this yeah, exactly um, I think what's in first of all here.
Speaker 1:Brooks is, I feel like, known for firing people up, so I guess that makes sense, but, uh, still, uh, very interesting there. Um, so I'm curious though when you moved on with the blues and I think 2004, right, you took the job, job again. I wanted to kind of get into that because I think 2004 and that till 2010,. You know, you have Joel Quenville coaching with St Louis and some interesting times for the Blues, but I think what was the point where I think 2010 and onward, or maybe even before that, where you thought that this was a Blues development? I guess that was starting to pick up and, as the program you know, with Quenville and then Ken Hitchcock, there was one before then, I think.
Speaker 2:Well, Quenville was actually fired at the end of the 03-04 season.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you didn't even see him.
Speaker 2:No, I knew him, though, because he was an assistant coach in Colorado before he came to St Louis. So when I came to St Louis back in 04, of course we had the lockout. We missed the entire year. Mike Kitchen was the coach at that time. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:Interesting, okay. So then I guess, onward from that cause I I'm I'm not old enough really to be experiencing those that oh five to probably the most I remember is maybe 2013. We'll say when the Blackhawks were ruling the league with the Blues and covering them and some of your favorite moments all throughout, that sort of era of Blues hockey, which was different than now, obviously.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know it was a tough time, luke, especially for me personally because I had come from Colorado where they had so much success. You know, again, they won two cups in my nine years. They went to the Western Conference final, or farther, six times in nine years and then my first year out of the lockout, they finished in last place overall. That's how they got eric johnson, uh, as their first pick. So that was in 0506. And but to get to your the answer, your question is that you know the blues missed the playoffs and it's the only time in their history they've missed three in a row. That was out of the 05 lockout.
Speaker 2:So they got a lot of really good picks and they picked Eric Johnson. They should have picked Tabes, obviously in hindsight, but hindsight is 20-20. But then they picked the likes of TJ Oshie and you know, david Backus, david Perron, patrick Berglund the list goes on and on, and then Tarasenko, of course, and they built up this wealth of really high draft choices and they made the playoffs in 2009, but then didn't make it again, I believe, in 2012-13. So again they were picking in the top 10. Again they picked Petrangelo, fourth overall in 08, who obviously was a pillar of their Stanley Cup team in 19.
Speaker 2:So the bottom line is they just kept picking up really good players, good young players, and they moved some of those players later on to get other players who led them to the Stanley Cup. But that's how you build championship teams. Even though it is a salary cap era and there are tons of free agents every year, you still to me, even in 2025, you still have to build with the draft. And that's what the Blues did over the course, really, from the time they picked Eric Johnson in 06 until they won the cup. They just kept picking really good players and finally the mix worked and they won the cup in 19.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that is a really interesting trajectory there and I don't want to fast forward too much, JK, but that does kind of feed into sort of where the Blues are now and not to go there yet. But do you ever think that there's a case for an NHL team, despite how bad it can be for the fan base and for the players? Do you ever think there is an incentive, Not incentive? Of course there's an incentive. Think there is an incentive, not incentive? Of course there's an incentive. But can you make the case to actually lose games, trade off assets so you can acquire Tarasenko, Petrangelo, Berglund, those guys that you mentioned? Because when you're middle tier you're not going to get the best and the brightest, a top five, even a top 10 pick. So I'm curious to know your thoughts on that.
Speaker 2:So are you asking me if you think teams should tank I mean it's kind of a bad way to put it, but sort of because you know teams do it yeah well, I think there's a difference between you know, tanking for a generational player like a conor mcdavid or a maria lemieux or a Sidney Crosby those guys come around, whatever once every 10 years. So if you were a really bad team and one of those generational players was available, then I think tanking probably would be fairly smart, but remember we have the draft lottery. Fairly smart, but remember we have the draft lottery. So even though you tank, I believe the percentage is the worst team only has about a 25% chance of winning the lottery. So there are no guarantees if you do tank. But I do think what Doug Armstrong has done and what other teams have done over the last really three, four or five years is once you hit trade deadline or a few weeks before that, most teams know if they're either going to be in the playoffs or not in the playoffs. So if you're a team on the outside, why not trade players like a Tarasenko or an O'Reilly that are UFAs, that are going to have some value and bring you back first round picks in return? And that's what the Blues have done. So I think it is smart to do that, because at some point you do have to rebuild Now.
Speaker 2:I don't believe, nick and Luke, in the blow it up philosophy where you just go nuclear like Chicago has done and San Jose has done, and look at Buffalo they haven't made the playoffs in like 14 years. So to me, if you're going to blow it up and just totally blow it up, it's a long way back to not only respectability, it's a long way back to the playoffs. So I don't agree with that. I don't think under most circumstances that's the way to go and I like what the blues have done.
Speaker 2:I think the blues last year in training camp they had 12 former first round picks either on the ice in camp or in their system that were 25 or younger. So you know that's. That's a nice supply of young players. Now, not all of them are going to make it, not all are going to be stars, but if you just do the math, if eight of the 12 make it and are really good players, that's a pretty good makings of a good team. So I think that's the way to go is, when you are out of it, make the best trades you can and try to get assets back young players or first round picks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think the tanking thing and how it can really backfire on you, I think has definitely shown in the past couple seasons, in the past couple years, because I know the blackhawks obviously the recent example, but almost like, even like the red wings who kind of blew it all up, and the sharks and the ducks, they're all very either you know, low tier or just starting to get middle tier teams, that it has taken incredibly long and all their guys are developed and now you're just kind of in this like feeling out stage and whether or not you have to blow it up again.
Speaker 1:Yeah exactly it's. It's terrible and actually that's kind of disrupted the fabric of this Blackhawks-Blues rivalry, because I don't remember a time in recent probably since 2016, when Brower scored on that crazy little backhand that he fanned on a couple times and then put it home past Crawford. It was like that was the highlight of that rivalry for me when I look at it. But then I feel like nothing has happened since then with Blues, blackhawks Well, as a matter of fact, the cup they won in 15, the year before that series.
Speaker 2:I believe that's the last time they won a playoff series. So you know, again, they held on to some of their top players probably too long, and then they didn't get any value for them. But you know I'm not going to sit here and criticize them, even though I don't like the hawks. They won three stanley cups in in a span of five years. So whatever they did, you know I think would take three cups in five years here.
Speaker 2:Um, but you know you mentioned buffalo. Um, they've missed for 14 years in a row. They have two former first overall picks, darlene and Power on defense, two former first overall picks. And and they have other top players up front. Um, you know, when the Blues won the cup, the highest pick they had was Petrangelo, who was fourth overall. That was the highest pick they had. So, um, again, just because you pick top five every year for a bunch of years, that doesn't mean that you are going to be a top team. And you know, conor Bedard is a young player, he's only 19. He's leading the Hawks in scoring. He will be a good player, but I don't see him as a Nathan McKinnon or McDavid. He's not at that level. So even though the Hawks finished in last and they won the Bedard sweepstakes, he alone is certainly not going to bring Chicago back to not just respectability but he's not going to bring that team back in the playoffs in the next couple of years.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I totally agree with you, and they got lucky on that lottery too that he went to Chicago. I don't even think they had the best odds that year, if I'm not mistaken, when they did end up getting Bedard. But besides the point, I had a question for you, jk, too. When you're talking about, you were talking about the training camp last year for the Blues and how everyone is super young 25 or younger, do you? How do you feel about the prospect pool right now? I think a lot of people are super excited about it. You have Dvorsky and the AHL right now, and then you have players like Lindstein Stenberg and then Snuggerud, who's still in college, enjoying his time at Minnesota on a heater and we were talking about it last week. So of those people that I guess I mentioned, who do you see as making the next step up to the NHL the quickest and who can adjust to the playing style of the NHL? I guess playing style of the NHL?
Speaker 2:I guess you know, nick, it's a hard question because the players that you mentioned the Swedes one of them just did come over and joined Springfield. But Dvorsky's been in Springfield all year and Snuggerud is at Minnesota, of course, and he's going to come out this year. He'll join the Blues at the very end of their season, but he probably will make the biggest impact, first because he's older, even though I'm not sure. Snuggerud's probably 21, if I had to guess, but Dvorsky's 19, and the Swedes that you mentioned that were picked two years ago are 19. So there's a big difference, obviously, between a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old in terms of physical differences, experience etc.
Speaker 2:To answer your question, I would think that Snuggerud has a good chance to come in when he does come in and impact the team quicker than, say, a Dvorsky. But I think Dvorsky is a top prospect. I've seen him at prospect camp the last couple of years and, talking to Blues people, I think they feel that he'll be ready at some point next year, whether it's to start the year or, you know, middle of the year, whatever, but he's probably another six to nine months away, or, say, you know, 40, 50 games away in the American League level, but he looks to me, from what I've seen, when he gets the puck around the net. He's dynamic and he's got incredible hands and vision. He's really smart Hockey smarts just really really high. So but I think Snuggerud can come in.
Speaker 2:You know he's scoring basically in two thirds of all games. This year I think he had 21 goals in 30 games last time I looked in Minnesota. He's a shooter and the Blues need shooters. You know they have a lot of playmakers. You know Thomas Kairou are their top players right now, obviously, but those guys are really more playmakers than shooters. So Snugger is going to come in and they need a shooter and a goal scorer. So I think he could have the biggest impact early on among those guys you mentioned.
Speaker 3:Do you think it's a problem at all that he's not going to play in the AHL Like, is there any type of drop off that you could see, maybe expectations not being quite there?
Speaker 2:Well, you never know, Nick, that he won't. I mean, you know, I can never assume anything, but I do think that there's obviously a really good chance that when he comes out of Minnesota that he'll come. But the Blues, if they don't make the playoffs, will only have a few games left, because the Frozen Four is in early April and the Blues' last game is, I believe, April 15th this year. So you know what, if hypothetically he comes in and they feel that maybe next year he needs some games in the American hockey league and he needs to get up to speed to the pro level? You know pros is it's a lot different than than college hockey, but I would be surprised if he needs some seasoning in the american league. But you just never know until he gets here yeah yeah, I, I think it's interesting.
Speaker 1:I know, jk, the last time I was with you it was for that January 9th game against the Ducks and that was a 6-2 win. And that was a couple games after that. Cam Fowler, two-goal winner, classic it was when he got all the little memorabilia for the 1,000th game from the Ducks and all that. But I think a lot has happened since then in the blue season and I think, a lot of negative parts of that. And so I guess I want to hear your evaluation of kind of where we're at as a franchise right now and, in terms of foreseeable future, what you can see happening with the overall team, because I think at this very point in time the odds are that we're not going to be in the playoffs for the third straight season, which again hasn't happened in a very long time, as you said a little bit earlier. So I think we're at risk of that. But what are your thoughts? What do you think?
Speaker 2:well, I think they're certainly in trouble. I'm not going to sit here and you know, lie, you know give people false hope because they're eight points out and Vancouver has a game in hand. So you know, with 27 games to go and you're eight points out, that's a big deficit. And they also have to climb over Calgary so, and Utah's right there as well. So it's going to be tough for them to make the playoffs. I wouldn't rule it out entirely, but you know, I think it's still part. You know they're still trying to stay the course with their plan and that is to rebuild on the fly and accumulate those young players that we've talked about. And the Blues do have a first roundround pick this year and who knows what happens at the deadline if they fall out even further and Doug Armstrong feels at the trade deadline, which is in early March, that they're out of it and he makes some other trades Maybe they pick up another first-round pick. So I don't think that their status right now here on February 12th, has really changed a whole lot than from the start of the year. I think that they felt they could be contenders and they have been.
Speaker 2:I think they've been a little disappointing this year because I really feel that on paper they have a better team than last year's team, and last year's team had 92 points and, I believe, missed by five points or so, five or six, and right now the Blues are, you know, I think, a game under 500.
Speaker 2:So record-wise they're not as good as they were a year ago, but there are some reasons for that. Last year they had very few injuries number one, um and this year they've had a lot more injuries and their special teams have not been nearly as good as they were last year. So, you know, you factor in those two things, um, that could be a reason why their point total is down, but I don't think that, you know, even if they do miss that it's it's. It's, you know, the end of the world. Obviously, fans want them to make it, I want them to make it, but they still have so many good young players and I think that those young players are going to start helping this team as soon as late this year and certainly into next year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, quick follow-up there, jk. I'm always curious because I know we're not encouraging tanking. We don't want any of that mentality to percolate throughout the Blues organization. I think it's bad for the fan base. I echo all the sentiment there. But when you think about the core, with Kairou, robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, you would say those are your three guys that are going to probably lead you to the playoffs and you're going to rely on them heavily. How do you feel about those three in particular? Those performances Like that's our top line, that's where we need goals, that's where we need assists, we need playmaking. How do you feel they performed this year and is it at expectations above, below? What do you think?
Speaker 2:I think that, especially since the coaching change from Bannister to Montgomery, I think Kyrou has been a better player and I think Kyrou's had a pretty good season overall and I've liked his game and I've liked his improvement in his game. He's taken out the East-West game that he's played with a lot over the years and you know, at times he's been prone to turnovers and, you know, maybe not the hardest working player when it comes to defense, but I think that he's become a more complete player and I really like his game and I like the way he's going. Thomas and Bucinavich, to me, have both had, I don't want to say, disappointing years. I think that's too strong a word, but I think they've underperformed a little bit. Uh, robert had a really good December and not so good January and Bucinavich, for whatever reason, has not really found his traction and I think he's only scored one goal in his last 13 games, something like that, and that's just not good enough when you're playing on the top line and you're playing on the top power play and that's what he's been doing most of the year.
Speaker 2:So I think that those two have had slightly underperforming years, not terrible years, but you know the old adage is a team is only as good in its particular game or week or a season. If you're good players, you know it's based on how your top players play. So you can't expect your third and fourth liners obviously to lead you to the promised land or get you in the playoffs. It's got to be the top players. So I think that the Blues do need some more from some of their top players and, coupled with, I said, the injuries and the special teams, that's probably why they are where they are right now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, a quick last thing too, jk. Do you think goaltending has been a problem at all this year? Because last year was fantastic and would love to know your thoughts on this year at all this year, because last year was fantastic and would love to know your thoughts on this year yeah, I think that last year they were really good and and both Holford and Binnington um had excellent seasons.
Speaker 2:I think that they have dropped off a little bit this year, um, so that's my answer. I would say, you know, maybe a 10 drop off, but again, last year they were excellent. So it's not like they've been bad this year, but just not quite as good as they were a year ago. And if you know you look at the blues defense now you know, picking up cam fowler and they got nick letty back um, the defense has over 5,300 games of experience. They have three guys that have played over a thousand games. So you know they have a really good group in front of their goaltenders on a nightly basis. So, especially penalty killing wise, they should be a lot better than they have been and that's cost them a lot of games. So but to answer your question, I think it's been a slight drop off from a year ago. Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think we'll end with this JK, because I know that again, born in Ottawa lived there for a few years. And what are we thinking for Four Nations? Are you cheering for Jordan Bennington in Canada?
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely, absolutely Well yeah, I'll be honest with you, luke and Nick. I was born in Canada, but about 20 years ago I got my US citizenship. I married an American girl, jennifer. We have three kids born here. So I'm an American. I'd be happy either way if Canada or us wins Um, and I think they will play in the championship game, um, but it should be a really good tournament and I'm I'm pulling for. I'm obviously pulling for Bennington and Parakeel because those two are the um two representatives from the blues team this year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you heard it first JK pulling for the, for Canadians, but or?
Speaker 2:the U? S or the U? S? Yes Well, you heard it first JK Pullen for Canadians or the US or the US. Yes Well.
Speaker 1:JK, it was a pleasure having you on, Really appreciate your insights and, I think, a lot of insights shared but also some good professional insight that we on this podcast don't really get and don't get to see the practices and all of the games in person like you do. But we appreciate all of your insight and hopefully we look forward to maybe seeing a little bit of Blues improvement, but it may just be the same continual trend. We just don't know. But so excited for you to get that insight for us and we really appreciate you coming on.
Speaker 2:All right, luke and Nick, thanks for having me. I enjoyed it very much and good luck with your podcast best of luck guys.
Speaker 3:Thanks JK.
