ST. LOUIS – Pat Maroon, a St. Louis native and former St. Louis Blues playoff hero, sparked the Game 4 home crowd with a jovial pregame cameo.
Maroon, just weeks after retiring from a 14-year NHL player career with three Stanley Cups, appeared on the Enterprise Center jumbotron just moments before the Blues announced starting lineups and dropped the puck for Game 4.
Wearing a Blues jersey and sporting a massive smile, Maroon waved a rally towel, pumped his arms in the air, and chugged a Bud Light, sending a surprised early-afternoon crowd into a roar.
Maroon retired as a player earlier this month after one final NHL season with the Chicago Blackhawks. The quick turnaround from player to cheerleader made it all the more memorable for a packed crowd.
Maroon, now 36 years old, cemented his legacy in St. Louis by scoring one of the most iconic goals in Blues history. In the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, notably a second-round home winner-take-all Game 7 matchup against the Dallas Stars, Maroon scored a double-overtime, series-clinching goal that led the Blues to the Western Conference Finals, a pivotal moment that put the Blues on a path for their first-ever Stanley Cup title.
Maroon announced his retirement ahead of a Blues-Blackhawks game in March, telling longtime Blues color commentator Darren Pang, “It’s time for my family to start a new chapter in our lives.”
A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Maroon won them all consecutively from 2019-2021, first with his hometown Blues, then in back-to-back years with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Over 14 seasons, Maroon has played more than 800 games for eight teams, scoring 125 goals and 320 points. He spent significant time, parts of 11 seasons, with the Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, and Edmonton Oilers. Throughout his career, he also earned a reputation as a tough, physical forward, averaging around 155 hits per full season.
Raised in south St. Louis County, Maroon attended Oakville High School before launching his pro career with the North American Hockey League.