Just a little over two months to go until the Blues are back on the ice.
The end of the Blues’ season in May and the start of the preseason in September sounds like it’s a gulf apart, but in reality, fans are pretty close to seeing the team back on ice. The first pre-season game is just two and a half months away, and camp starts before that. The regular season will be here before you know it.
Hell, Thursday night is the draft and free agency starts next Tuesday. The off-season will be done before you know it, though the less said about the August doldrums the better.
The Blues released their preseason dates today, and the eight season slate features two games that the NHL has deemed “neutral site” games. The opener in September 24th in Wichita, Kansas against the Arizona Coyotes and the October 1st game against the Dallas Stars in Independence, MO may not be at any of the teams’ arenas, but calling them “neutral site” is a bit hard to swallow considering they’re both a stone’s throw from St. Louis. The Stars/Blues game is considered a “home game” for the purposes of jerseys and equability.
September 24th’s game is the only game against the Coyotes. The rest of the slate is occupied by the Stars, the Blue Jackets, the Wild, and the Chicago Blackhawks. If you’re a Blues season ticket holder and were worried about the neutral site games cutting into what you can see, breathe easier: three of the games are at Enterprise Center and one’s a quick drive and hotel room away.
Here’s the preseason schedule, from stlblues.com. Home games are in bold.
Sept. 24 at Arizona Coyotes (in Wichita) – 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 at Dallas Stars – 7 p.m.
Sept. 29 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets – 7 p.m.
Oct. 1 vs. Dallas Stars (in Independence) – 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 vs. Minnesota Wild – 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 at Columbus Blue Jackets – 6 p.m.
Oct. 8 vs. Chicago Blackhawks – 7 p.m. at Chicago Blackhawks – Date / Time TBD