The St. Louis Blues Wednesday night, defeating the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 7.
The Blues began their franchise in 1967 and got off to a hot start, reaching the Stanley Cup Finalin1968,1969and1970. But, as you already know, they lost all three of those series, getting swept in each of them. The Blues wouldn't make another appearance in the title game until 49 years later in 2019.
That's a long wait for a fan base to see not only see a title win, but also just an appearance in the big game. To illustrate just how long of a wait that was, we'll give you some facts to put it in perspective.
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21 titles won by Boston
Between the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins (who the Blues took down), Boston has since the Blues entered the sports world in 1967. St. Louis fans (and the collective sports world outside New England) have had to sit back and watch Boston win title after title all while waiting on the Blues.
It hasn't beenallbad for St. Louis fans in general, though. The Cardinals have won 11 World Series and the Rams won a Super Bowl in 2000 (although they did leave town several years later).
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10 Stanley Cupwins by Montreal Canadiens
TheCanadiens have wontheStanley Cup an astounding 24 times overall, including 10 wins since the Blues entered the league. In fact two of those wins came against the Blues themselves (1968, 1969). The fact above this one is painful from a city perspective, but this fact is painful just from a hockey standpoint.
It's brutal to watch one team just pile up Stanley Cupswhile you're still waiting on just one.
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25-year playoff streak
The Blues went the playoffs for25 straight yearsfrom 1979-80through to2003-04. This is tied for the third-longest streak in NHL history, but the Blues managed to come up empty handed in all of those years. The team even made the playoffs sevenmore times between 2005-06 and 2017-18, but still no trophy.
It'd be one thing if your team was bad year after year. But making the playoffs so many times in a row just gives you hope that a title will come soon, but it never did during that stretch.
"It's incredible how many amazing teams that have been here and haven't won," Blues centerRyan O'Reillysaid before the game. "Looking at it now and having that opportunity and seeing this group in here and seeing the city behind it, it's amazing. It's tough to put into words. Just running into random people around the city and how excited they are it's so much more beyond these guys in this room. It's a whole city."
Longest wait in NHL history in a few ways
Let's break down some numbers regarding this wait.
51 seasons: The longest wait for a team to win its first championship in the NHL (previously 44, held by the Kings)4,437 games: The most total games by a franchise before winning its first Stanley Cup (previously 3,708, held by the Kings) 391 postseason games: The Blues have the mostpostseason appearances (42), series (72) and games (391) before winning a Stanley Cup (previously 28, 47, 275, held by the Capitals)From Jack Buck to glory
Jack Buck was the first announcer in history and in 1967 he called their first goal. Finally after 52 years the Blues are going to be Stanley Cup Champions.
Steve Bennett (@Sports_Casters)
Jack Buck, father of Joe Buck, was the original voice of the Blues. He was only there for one year, but it really puts into perspective just how long it took for the Blues to win. For reference, Joe Buck was born in 1969, two years after the Blues started as a franchise.
So Joe Buck has had an entire succe sful broadcasting career in the time in took the Blues to win a title.
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Four other 1967 expansion teams won a title
In 1967, the NHL expanded by introducing six new teams:Los Angeles Kings,Minnesota North Stars,Oakland Seals,Philadelphia Flyers,Pittsburgh Penguins, andSt. Louis Blues. The Seals would eventually cease operations and merge with the North Stars. The North Stars eventually became the Dallas Stars.
Let's look at how those teams performed
Flyers: Won in 1974, 1975Penguins: Won in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, 2017Stars:Won in 1999Kings: Won in 2012, 2014
Excluding the Seals (who only lasted 11 years), the Flyers were the only expansion team from that season to not win a Stanley Cup.
The Blues began their franchise in 1967 and got off to a hot start, reaching the Stanley Cup Finalin1968,1969and1970. But, as you already know, they lost all three of those series, getting swept in each of them. The Blues wouldn't make another appearance in the title game until 49 years later in 2019.
That's a long wait for a fan base to see not only see a title win, but also just an appearance in the big game. To illustrate just how long of a wait that was, we'll give you some facts to put it in perspective.
MORE:
21 titles won by Boston
Between the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins (who the Blues took down), Boston has since the Blues entered the sports world in 1967. St. Louis fans (and the collective sports world outside New England) have had to sit back and watch Boston win title after title all while waiting on the Blues.
It hasn't beenallbad for St. Louis fans in general, though. The Cardinals have won 11 World Series and the Rams won a Super Bowl in 2000 (although they did leave town several years later).
MORE:
10 Stanley Cupwins by Montreal Canadiens
TheCanadiens have wontheStanley Cup an astounding 24 times overall, including 10 wins since the Blues entered the league. In fact two of those wins came against the Blues themselves (1968, 1969). The fact above this one is painful from a city perspective, but this fact is painful just from a hockey standpoint.
It's brutal to watch one team just pile up Stanley Cupswhile you're still waiting on just one.
MORE:
25-year playoff streak
The Blues went the playoffs for25 straight yearsfrom 1979-80through to2003-04. This is tied for the third-longest streak in NHL history, but the Blues managed to come up empty handed in all of those years. The team even made the playoffs sevenmore times between 2005-06 and 2017-18, but still no trophy.
It'd be one thing if your team was bad year after year. But making the playoffs so many times in a row just gives you hope that a title will come soon, but it never did during that stretch.
"It's incredible how many amazing teams that have been here and haven't won," Blues centerRyan O'Reillysaid before the game. "Looking at it now and having that opportunity and seeing this group in here and seeing the city behind it, it's amazing. It's tough to put into words. Just running into random people around the city and how excited they are it's so much more beyond these guys in this room. It's a whole city."
Longest wait in NHL history in a few ways
Let's break down some numbers regarding this wait.
51 seasons: The longest wait for a team to win its first championship in the NHL (previously 44, held by the Kings)4,437 games: The most total games by a franchise before winning its first Stanley Cup (previously 3,708, held by the Kings) 391 postseason games: The Blues have the mostpostseason appearances (42), series (72) and games (391) before winning a Stanley Cup (previously 28, 47, 275, held by the Capitals)From Jack Buck to glory
Jack Buck was the first announcer in history and in 1967 he called their first goal. Finally after 52 years the Blues are going to be Stanley Cup Champions.
Steve Bennett (@Sports_Casters)
Jack Buck, father of Joe Buck, was the original voice of the Blues. He was only there for one year, but it really puts into perspective just how long it took for the Blues to win. For reference, Joe Buck was born in 1969, two years after the Blues started as a franchise.
So Joe Buck has had an entire succe sful broadcasting career in the time in took the Blues to win a title.
MORE:
Four other 1967 expansion teams won a title
In 1967, the NHL expanded by introducing six new teams:Los Angeles Kings,Minnesota North Stars,Oakland Seals,Philadelphia Flyers,Pittsburgh Penguins, andSt. Louis Blues. The Seals would eventually cease operations and merge with the North Stars. The North Stars eventually became the Dallas Stars.
Let's look at how those teams performed
Flyers: Won in 1974, 1975Penguins: Won in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, 2017Stars:Won in 1999Kings: Won in 2012, 2014
Excluding the Seals (who only lasted 11 years), the Flyers were the only expansion team from that season to not win a Stanley Cup.