Blues fans can enjoy hockey anywhere and everywhere.
August is coming to an end, and September is just around the corner. St. Louis Blues preseason hockey is something to look forward to.
But, as of right now, it’s still the offseason — and I wanted to write about an offbeat topic.
It has been brought to my attention that I can’t write about the Blues because I was previously a fan of another NHL team. Nonsense!
I believe that all Blues fans start somewhere. Nobody was actually born as a Blues fan. People have learned about the Blues from a source, whether it’s a parent, friend, acquaintance, or someone else.
That being said, I want to be clear that I’m a journalist first and a fan second. I majored in communications in college. I took a communications-centered summer study abroad trip after my sophomore year of college. I had a lot of career choices, but I chose journalism after graduation. Journalism allowed me to have a voice, network with others, make new friends, and most importantly, use my degree. I wound up covering the 2016 Stanley Cup Final between the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins, four Mountain West men’s basketball tournaments for the San Jose State Spartans, and many other sporting events.
I was somewhat pushed into attending a Blues game in November 2019. I admit I didn’t know what to expect because I had just flown in from Phoenix, Arizona, at the time. I had a cheeseburger and I stayed silent throughout the game because I wanted to observe how Blues fans acted, the Enterprise Center’s environment, and all of that.
Then the pandemic happened. I had lots of time on my hands. I wasn’t really traveling. While I was looking for work, a friend told me about David Perron. Perron eventually became my favorite Blues player — and I’m not the type to have favorite players in the NHL. Perron’s in Detroit now, but I’ll keep tabs on him.
Was Perron the reason why I became a Blues fan? Maybe. But I know for sure that my custom Blues jersey kept me interested in the Blues fanbase. I wasn’t a fan of jerseys, but I became open-minded towards jerseys because of the Blues.
I’m a late-bloomer in terms of the Blues, but it’s better late than never, right? If you’re in a similar situation, you can change your fandom if you’d like.
There are a lot of know-it-alls out there. I’ve chatted with some Blues fans about the team, players, coaches, and everything in between. Some like me, and some don’t. But it’s all good. I’m just here to watch Blues games and write articles.