In an earlier piece, Heavy looked at the potential controversy that might stem from the St. Louis Blues’ signing of forward Dillon Dube. As outlined in that previous piece, Dube had been one of the players named, tried, and acquitted in the Hockey Canada scandal.
The Blues signed Dube to a one-year, $850K contract this summer after the 28-year-old spent last season in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds. However, notice of the signing gained momentum following Cal Foote’s contract termination over his role in the scandal.
Despite the potential for backlash from fans, the Blues went ahead with the Dillon Dube signing. And it has now landed the organization in hot water. An anonymous source has told Heavy that Blues GM Alex Steen was well aware of growing discontent from fans.
Steen knew of an online petition calling for the Blues to forego signing Dube. The petition, started in early June, had gained over 7,000 signatures in its initial run. Since the signing, the petition has now grown to nearly 8,000.
The petition’s organizers called Dube wearing a Blues sweater via a press release:
“…a slap in the face to the city and its beloved fans who have unwaveringly supported this franchise for almost 60 years.”
The source also told Heavy that the next phase of the plan is to raise funds for billboards in St. Louis aimed at drawing even more attention to the Dillon Dube situation. According to the source, several sexual assault experts have manifested their dislike of the signing, particularly in light of the negative message it sends to victims.
If the petition goes into the next public phase, it could lead the organization to take drastic action.
Blues Fans Canceling Season Tickets Over Dillon Dube Signing
If the Blues think that the Dillon Dube situation will go away on its own, it looks like it will only escalate. Per Heavy’s source, Blues fans have begun cancelling their season tickets in protest over the Dillon Dube signing.
In response, the Blues had employed additional staff to handle calls from fans and season ticket holders. The organization has consequently upped its advertising amid the wave of cancellations ahead of the 2026-27 season.
While it’s not uncommon for teams to advertise season tickets, it is rare to see the Blues still pushing 2026-27 season tickets this late in the summer.
Furthermore, the source outlined that there are protests planned for training later this fall. If the discontented fans make good on their plans, the Dillon Dube situation could quickly turn into a full-blown distraction for the team.
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There Might Only Be One Way Out for St. Louis
Ultimately, there may only be one way out of this situation for the Blues. St. Louis would have to essentially cave into fans’ demands. Said demands may not seem overwhelming at this point. But it doesn’t mean the backlash can’t escalate.
And if it does, the organization might have to go into full-blown damage control.
The problem is that the Blues can’t just terminate Dillon Dube’s contract. There has to be some sort of material breach to rip up his contract. Even if the judge presiding over the Hockey Canada case in Ontario stated that the acquittal did not mean the players were innocent, such a verdict is not cause for termination.
So, the only real way the Blues can appease fans is for Dube and the Blues to mutually terminate the contract. At that point, St. Louis would place Dillon Dube on waivers for the purpose of contract termination.
Dube’s representation, meanwhile, would accept the move, allowing the Blues to end his deal. The termination would make Dube an unrestricted free agent. Otherwise, Dube could purposely fail to report to training camp, giving the organization a legitimate excuse to terminate his contract. Such a move would be nothing more than a formality to justify his termination.
Regardless of how the Blues handle the Dillon Dube ordeal, the organization may have committed an unforced error that could end up costing it more than it had anticipated.
Dillon Dube ‘Slap in the Face’ to Blues, Hockey Fans