Hockey fans throughout the world can take a huge collective sigh of relief.
We hope anyway.
From what I've seen fans will be happy with the new look uniforms.
Keep in mind I haven't seen the sweaters for every NHL team.
The best news I received is that the new RBK jerseys the NHL plan to unveil during the All-Star festivities next week look much different than the Nike Bauer sweaters on display at the Olympics last year and during the recent World Junior Championships.
Most people agree those tight fitting sweaters are horrendous.
This basically means next season NHL players will still look like hockey players as opposed to competitors in the Tour De France.
I had a chance to get a peak at the new RBK jerseys this past week as Blues players were being fitted. Not one player had a complaint about the new design or fit. Several told me they felt no difference in terms of the feel and flexibility.
RBK is calling the new jerseys Performance Fit, not tight fit. New materials used in the RBK jersey include a product called stretch mesh and extrafill. There are also significant improvements in Moisture Management.
The Blues will wear the new jerseys in an upcoming practice in late February.
The only difference fans may notice will be with the goaltenders that do look a little snug in their new outfits.
For hockey fans out there the new RBK line of hockey apparel is pretty nice as well. Fans will enjoy the new designs.
I have written in the past about the NHL leaving alone the traditional logos. You would think the NHL is smart enough to leave alone the small amount of tradition left in the game. Changing the crest on the front of Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadians sweater would be a major error.
I’ve been told the only change with some of the traditional logos is that the crest is a little smaller than what you see today. Fans should know that whatever changes made in terms of design and logo had to be approved by each individual club. For example John Davidson approved the new St. Louis Blues jersey.
I think fans will be more than satisfied with the job RBK has done in maintaining the tradition of the NHL while enhancing the overall look.
I’ve been told the NHL will return to home teams wearing white beginning next season. NHL clubs will not have a third jersey next season either.
Please understand all these changes apply to every team except the New Jersey Devils of course. Lou Lamoriello does whatever he wants and the league never seems to mind.
Brady Murray, the son of Andy has apparently come close to an agreement with the Los Angeles Kings who drafted him in the Fifth round of the 2003 entry draft. The skilled Murray played two seasons at the University of North Dakota before taking his game to Switzerland last season. European players can’t sign with NHL clubs until the spring without having to clear waivers first. There is no way Murray would clear.
The Blues signed Vladimir Orszagh last season after he agreed to terms with Phoenix but the Blues claimed him off waivers and were able to snatch him up.
Free Food!
Owner Dave Checketts was absolutely thrilled with the way things turned out on Saturday at the Scottrade Center. The free food promotion was a huge success even though Checketts took a significant hit in the pocketbook. The fact of the matter is that the Blues entertained nearly 18,000 fans by giving a strong performance on the ice as well as off.
It was a nice gesture by the Blues players to come through for goaltender Manny Legace who has been their best player since Andy Murray took over. Legace had his first sub par performance in recent memory.
Ownership, who was unable to attend the game because of some icy weather in St. Louis, would have been proud of the job Scottrade Center Senior Vice President and General Manager Dennis Petrullo did to assure everything ran smoothly. I walked around the concourse to check things out and was surprised at how fast lines were moving. There was no chaos whatsoever.
To make sure there was enough popcorn available, food service employees began popping popcorn last Wednesday! Some may argue three-day-old popcorn tastes better than the freshly popped variety anyway.
Blues Clues!
Blues prospect Erik Johnson and his father have spoken several times with both John Davidson and Larry Pleau within the last week as the two sides are begin to map out what’s best for last spring’s first overall draft pick. There is no doubt Johnson will play in the NHL next season; this season is obviously still an option. Expect an official decision to be made shortly after his season at Minnesota is completed. Johnson has started to pay close attention to how the St. Louis Blues are playing; because of his schedule he has only watched the Blues play four or five games. He told me he met Andy Murray one time in Ann Arbor, Michigan but he said he didn’t think Murray knew who he was. I have an idea Murray had heard a little about Erik Johnson.
The adjustment to college life for Johnson is a little different than most kids. He left home prior to his junior year in high school to play with the U.S. Development team and moved back to his hometown for college. When I reached him by phone the other day he was playing street hockey with his friends from high school.
He is rooming with New York Islanders first round pick Kyle Okposo and has enrolled in several classes including ice Hockey Coaching. His final project will be to run a hockey practice by himself. Do you think he can do it?
It was nice to see several of the veteran Blues players individually congratulate Blues prospect Marek Schwarz on making the AHL All Star team.
Guys such as Peter Cajanek have really taken their fellow countryman under his wing. Cajanek, Martin Rucinsky, and Radek Dvorak have really gone the extra step to make sure Schwarz has everything he needs when he is in St. Louis. They appreciate the mellow mannered and respectful Schwarz who hardly has a cocky bone in his body. Cajanek has also done the same for young defenseman Roman Polak who is playing in Peoria. Cajanek keeps in touch with both Polak and Schwarz throughout the season.
Schwarz credits a lot of his development to working with respected Czech Goaltending Coach Josef Bruk who also is Dominic Hasek’s personal goaltending coach.
Bruk had Hasek phone Schwarz last season when Hasek injured his groin at the Olympics. Schwarz who had suffered a similar injury although not nearly as bas was taken back when he answered the phone and Hasek was on the other end. The two had never spoken before.
The Rivermen have hired goaltending coach Dave Rook who Schwarz says has helped him very much as well. Rook is a good friend of Blues coach Rick Wansley and also serves in the same capacity with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights.
The Blues couldn’t be any more excited than they are with the accelerated development of their former first round pick.
When Jamal Mayers took a butt end directly in the eye during a game last week in New Jersey it created some memorable flashbacks for Blues trainer Ray Barile who has as much experience treating eye injuries as anyone. Barile, was on the bench and treated very serious eye injuries to Scott Young, Al Macinnis, and Pavol Demitra.
Mayers had very little vision in his eye when lying on the ice and is very lucky to have regained full vision. He was prescribed some eye drops. Apparently, according to Mayers, the eye is one of the fastest healing organs in the human body. Mayers barely missed any time, and just a few minutes later won a critical face off in the defensive end with just over a minute left in the game.
Barile meanwhile doesn’t believe players should be forced to wear visors. He told me statistics show that head injuries are much higher in leagues that require players to wear full or half visors. He like a lot of other people believes hockey players need to be responsible on the ice and keep their sticks down. Barile had the last NHL player to not wear a helmet when Craig MacTavish finished his career in St. Louis. Barile never had to treat MacTavish for a head injury due to a wild stick.
Former NHL player Harold Snepts didn’t wear a helmet either. One game he had to because of an injury to his head. After the game his lid was covered with stick marks. Snepts said he took more shots to the head in that one game than any other game in his career. He has told people that because he didn’t wear a helmet, opposing players were more conscious to keep their sticks down.
Blues players were drug tested for the first time this season following practice last Friday. The NHL does not announce when the tests will occur. Players had no idea they would be drug tested when they arrived to the rink on Friday.
John Davidson recently returned from Detroit where he met with Assistant GM Jarmo Kekalainen and the rest of his scoutiong staff. Davidson was impressed after seeing in person for the first time how Kekalainen handles his staff. The Blues made up a list with the names of whom they feel are top 70-80 prospects available for the upcoming 2007 NHL entry draft.
Forward Ryan Johnson (Shoulder) made the west coast trip with the Blues and is hoping to return to the lineup before the All-Star break. Dan Hinote also made the trip. He left Saturday’s win early after hurting his shoulder. He should be ok.
Jay Mckee (hip flexor) did not make the trip.
Head Coach Andy Murray by the way entertained coaches from the Kirkwood Youth hockey Association last Friday.
People in the Blues organization who were around when Roger Nielsen was working with the club say Murray has a lot of Nielsen in him.
Like Nielsen, Murray never swears, is extremely dedicated to the organization, and has an exceptional hockey IQ. The two share similar mannerisms the way they care about people and their families.
After D-man Eric Brewer blew a tire during a recent Blues game it was impossible for the players and coaches on the bench to hold their composure. Assistant coaches were in tears because they were laughing so hard.
Brewer said it felt like someone kicked a skateboard out from under him.
The Blues will likely need to be within six points of a playoff spot come trade deadline time for the Blues to hold back from going for it and making any big trades.
Jon Cooper, the Head Coach of the St. Louis Bandits Jr. A hockey club is rumored to take over the Ferris State University Hockey program. He has yet to notify anyone involved with the organization that he is even interested in the job.
More to come,
Andy Strickland
[email protected] 
St Louis Blues Blogger •1380 ESPN • 
Join the Discussion:
»