Hey, St. Louis residents. Expect Gloria to be blaring throughout your streets very soon. The Blues secured their first-ever Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday, as they routed the Bruins 4-1 in Boston. The franchise that hadn’t even won a game in the Finals before took three at TD Garden to make history.
With a pair of goals from Ryan O’Reilly and Alex Pietrangelo in the final minutes of the first period, St. Louis relied on goalie Jordan Binnington the rest of the way. The 25-year old made 32 saves, as Braydon Schenn and Zach Stanford added one more score each. Matt Grzelcyk recorded the only goal for the Bruins.
The Blues also won a title for Laila Anderson, the 11-year old superfan who travelled from St. Louis for Game 7. She is suffering from HLH, but has survived the disease longer than most.
Nothing sweeter than this. 11-year-old Blues superfan Laila Anderson celebrates St. Louis’ 1st #StanleyCup ❤️
(via @NHL)
Another significant achievement was that Craig Berube is now the first NHL head coach of First Nations descent to win a Stanley Cup championship.
It denied Boston yet another championship parade after the Red Sox and Patriots both recently won titles. Here’s what we know about the Blues parade plans at this time.
Items that are TBD will be updated when made public.
Blues Victory Parade
The moment many have waited a lifetime to see happen!!! Celebrate, St. Louis!!!!!!!
Date: Saturday, June 15
Time: 12 p.m. CST
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
TV Information: TBD
According to a tweet from the Blues, the parade will start at noon at 18th St. & Market St., and end at Broadway & Market St. The rally will take place after at the Gateway Arch.
When Boston has won championships in the past, Mayor Marty Walsh gave statements about parade details. At this time, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson has not provided any statements.
Premature Championship Ads & Plans
@robheaton In preparation for the outcome of the Stanley Cup Final, some of our readers got a sneak peak at what our advertisers are hoping to say to the Blues, the fans and St. Louis. We apologize for the sneak peak and hope to share their messages with everyone very soon!
After the Blues took a 3-2 series lead, an ad celebrating a Stanley Cup title leaked in the e-version of the St. Louis Dispatch. Owner Tom Stillman wrote a letter that thanked fans for “the elation of breaking through and bringing St. Louis its first-ever Stanley Cup.”
“Winning the Stanley Cup was a dream come true for so many of you. All of us will remember where we were, what we did and how we felt when the Blues brought the Cup home,” wrote Stillman.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch quickly retracted the ad/letter, while issuing a followup statement. “In preparation for the outcome of the Stanley Cup Final, some of our readers got a sneak peek at what our advertisers are hoping to say to the Blues, the fans and St. Louis. We apologize for the sneak peek and hope to share their messages with everyone very soon!”
One thing we do know: the Blues figured out where the team is going to celebrate once they get back to St. Louis. According to a tweet by WPRI 12’s Ruthie Polinsky after Game 5, “The Blues have the entire top floor of a downtown bar rented out for tonight. #StanleyCup celebrations are planned.”
Celebrity Blues Fans Start Celebrating
In addition to Anderson, a few celebrity Blues fans are already celebrating. One is rock legend Ozzie Osborne. The Englishman posted a picture on Twitter of him cheering in a Blues jersey.
Scotty Bowman, the coach that led the franchise to its previous three Stanley Cups from 1967-70, also offered his praise for the achievement. “They can’t complain anymore that they never won, you know. They deserve it. It’s a great sports city. They’ll cherish this moment a long time.”
Another celebrity fan who is probably happy is former “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm. Since the game was in Boston, he wasn’t in attendance. However, several on Twitter pointed out how happy the superfan assuredly is.
In addition, St. Louis natives Jenna Fischer of “The Office” fame and late night host Andy Cohen have been rooting for the Blues. Fischer has had a playful rivalry with Boston native and former co-star John Krasinski, while Cohen has been wearing a Blues jersey during several TV appearances.
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Blues Championship Parade on Tap After Game 7 Rout