After taking in Winter Classic, Blues and Jim Montgomery turn focus to rest of regular season

CHICAGO — Jim Montgomery walked up and down the right field line repeatedly in the hours before his Blues beat the Blackhawks 6-2 on Tuesday in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.

He waved at fans. He stopped to take pictures. He returned autographed items by flinging them above the first base dugout. He gazed at the century-old structure that would serve as the day’s backdrop.

“When you’re in an iconic ballpark like Wrigley Field and you’re looking around and you’re seeing people enjoying the event and how many Blues fans are so excited to see us out there,” Montgomery said. “And then looking around and seeing and thinking about all the great baseball players that have played here, here we are getting to play an NHL hockey game. It’s just really cool. That’s why I do it because you never know when you’re going to have the opportunity to do it again.”

It was the second time Montgomery went through a similar routine, as he did the same two years ago at Fenway Park when his Bruins were hosting the Penguins in the 2023 Winter Classic.

Tuesday’s game was about creating memories, transforming sweat and skates into stories. And it was that way for the entire organization.

“I love outdoor hockey,” Blues owner Tom Stillman said. “It’s maybe the most fun thing in the world to do, to play and then to watch it at this level is really something. It’s really something. I loved doing that as a kid, and still every chance I get, it’s just the best.”

Montgomery’s routine also underscored how different Tuesday’s game was from the rest of the regular season and how different the final 43 games will be from an evening in Wrigley.

“I hope playing the right way for 60 minutes and scoring goals because we’re playing the right way will lead us to be more consistent,” Montgomery said. “I’m glad we’re not playing for a couple of days because this is an emotional high. I know it’s just two points like all the other two points, but this is not the same kind of game emotionally.

“So I’m glad we’re not playing tomorrow or even in two days. For our group right now, we’ve got to start pushing. We’ve got a lot of games at home in January and February. If we want to make a run at the playoffs, our consistency and our belief in our identity has to start showing game in and game out.”

The win moved the Blues back above .500 to an 18-17-4 record and gave them wins in three of their last four games. Beginning with Friday’s game against Ottawa, 14 of the team’s next 20 games will be at Enterprise Center, including six in a row in February.

‘Great’ entrance

The Blues entered Wrigley Field on Tuesday donning gray crew-neck sweaters that read “99 Gretzky’s Basement,” along with matching gray beanies with “99” on the front, nods to Wayne Gretzky.

“It’s our way to show our support,” Blues forward Robert Thomas said. “He’s always around St. Louis. He’s talking with our family members, and he’s been great to us.”

Across Sheffield Avenue from Wrigley Field, there was a pop-up museum called Gretzky’s Basement as part of the Gretzky Hockey School.

Gretzky played 18 games with the Blues in 1995-96 and is one of the franchise’s 24 captains.

“This is the iconic game for the NHL season to sell our game to the masses, and no one has sold this game better than Wayne Gretzky,” Montgomery said. “I thought it was great, led by our captain Brayden Schenn, that they’re honoring Wayne Gretzky this way.”

Another accolade

The NHL announced the Quarter-Century teams for the Blues during the second intermission on Tuesday, honoring the franchise’s best players from Jan. 1, 2000, through the end of 2024.

The first team was forwards Alexander Steen, Vladimir Tarasenko and Keith Tkachuk with defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Chris Pronger, plus Jordan Binnington in goal.

“Let alone goalies, so many talented players coming through,” Binnington said. “We know many of them, they’re hanging around. That’s a great honor, a great organization to be a part of from top to bottom. I obviously have a lot of pride wearing the Blue Note and representing the city.”

The second team was forwards David Backes, Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron with defensemen Al MacInnis and Colton Parayko, plus goaltender Brian Elliott.

“I was humbled and honored,” Parayko said. “A lot of amazing players and people that have gone through this organization, such a world-class organization, so truly an honor and very special to me.”

St. Louis Blues

How the Blues turned a Winter Classic win over the Blackhawks into a Wrigley Field party

• Matthew DeFranks

St. Louis Blues

Blues remain perfect in outdoor games as they rout Blackhawks, 6-2, in Winter Classic

• Matthew DeFranks

St. Louis Blues

Blues defenseman Cam Fowler becomes first NHL player to play his 1,000th game outdoors

• Matthew DeFranks

CHICAGO — During the 18-minute intermissions, every Blues player stood at the base of the visitors dugout and could stare up at their newest adversary: 49 stairs that led to the St. Louis dressing room.

And for goaltender Jordan Binnington? Well, his pads added a little extra weight.

“Just felt like it was a mountain, climbing a mountain every intermission,” Binnington said with a smile. “It honestly wasn’t as hard as I expected. Just had to take your time. It kind of helped me focus for the game: Just one step at a time. We talk about that a lot, and I was really taking it one step at a time because I did not want to go down.”

Binnington’s off-ice focus translated to on-ice success as he made 28 saves in backstopping the Blues to a 6-2 win over the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. With the win, Binnington became one of just eight goaltenders to win multiple outdoor games. Only Henrik Lundqvist (four) and Craig Anderson (three) have more outdoor wins than Binnington’s pair.

In particular, Binnington came up big in the second period, stopping all 15 Chicago shots he faced as the Blues turned a 2-1 game into a 5-1 laugher.

“Binner in the second period for the first maybe 12 minutes had to make too many good saves for our liking,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “But we were able to get through that and extend our lead, which is a good sign for a team that’s learning how to win.”

Binnington’s biggest save of the night came with 7:10 remaining in the second period, a sprawling right pad save on Taylor Hall after Colton Parayko and Cam Fowler combined to turn over the puck deep in the Blues zone. Hall tried to stuff the puck on his forehand, but Binnington stretched out to make the save.

Less than a minute later, Dylan Holloway scored to give the Blues a 4-1 lead.

“That happens, and that’s hockey right there,” Binnington said. “I feel like the last couple games, it’s maybe happened the other way around.”

Blues forward Jordan Kyrou: “Unbelievable save. I think he made a couple other really nice saves, too, today. That just changes the game right there. Instead, we (keep) the lead and just take it away from there.”

In the scope of the Blues’ regular season, Tuesday’s result was a needed one for Binnington. It was just his second win in his past eight games. His 28 saves were the most for him since he made 35 in dragging a point out of Dallas on Dec. 14.

Schenn’s choice

Blues captain Brayden Schenn did it for the memories.

No, really. The allure of owning a memory of fighting in front of 40,933 fans at Wrigley Field was too much for Schenn to pass up. So after the Blues took a 5-1 lead on Fowler’s second goal of the evening, Schenn challenged Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno to a fight at center ice.

“It was more so one of those things to look back on your career and you’re fighting at Wrigley against a tough customer,” Schenn said. “Really no rhyme or reason for it. He’s a heck of a player. I know he’s a heck of a teammate from what everyone’s told me. Just asked him, and I’ll have that memory forever. He definitely hit me with a few, and (I was) on the losing end of it. But hey, showed up.”

From the outside, it appeared that Foligno was the one who challenged Schenn. After all, his team was down four goals, and Wrigley Field had lost much of the atmosphere created by Blackhawks fans before the game. But it was Schenn who asked Foligno for the bout.

The TNT broadcast also showed Schenn and Foligno chatting during warmup to arrange a postgame handshake, as is customary for outdoor games. And the two captains participated in the pregame ceremonial puck drop. About two hours later, they were dropping the gloves.

Batting the elements

The Blues and Blackhawks each dealt with rain during the first period, a consistent rainfall that was heavy enough to be seen in the stadium lights but light enough not to stop play on the ice. That doesn’t mean it didn’t impact it, though.

“After the first, it wasn’t too bad,” Kyrou said. “Before the game (for) warmups and then the first period, it was raining a little bit, and the ice wasn’t great. Definitely wasn’t as bad as the last Winter Classic I was in. That was like minus-20 or something, so much snow, so that was way worse.”

The last Winter Classic in which Kyrou and the Blues was in 2022 in Minnesota, where the game-time temperature was minus-6 degrees, the coldest in NHL history. On Tuesday, it was 38 degrees at puck drop.

St. Louis Blues

How the Blues turned a Winter Classic win over the Blackhawks into a Wrigley Field party

• Matthew DeFranks

St. Louis Blues

Blues remain perfect in outdoor games as they rout Blackhawks, 6-2, in Winter Classic

• Matthew DeFranks

St. Louis Blues

Blues defenseman Cam Fowler becomes first NHL player to play his 1,000th game outdoors

• Matthew DeFranks

CHICAGO — As Cam Fowler processed the previous hours of the Winter Classic, days at Wrigley Field and weeks as a St. Louis Blue, he did so with the Cocoa Cup MVP trophy sitting on the table in front of him.

An oversized replica of a mug of hot chocolate with a puck splashing cocoa, wrapped in the “NHL on TNT” logo now belonged to Fowler. With two goals in Tuesday’s 6-2 Winter Classic win over the Blackhawks, this 1,000th career NHL game, Fowler surely earned it.

“It’s pretty surreal,” Fowler said. “Obviously, going through a lot of emotions the last few weeks getting adjusted to a new team but couldn’t have asked for anything more for this experience, being able to share it with my family. All these guys and how they’ve made me feel so welcome and helped with my transition. It was an awesome night for all of us but more special because we got a win.”

Fowler scored the first goal of the evening as his shot from the slot during a Blues power play gave St. Louis an early lead just 100 seconds into the game. His goal at 17:51 of the second period was less dramatic: a seeing-eye point shot that gave the Blues a 5-1 lead entering second intermission.

In nine games since being acquired from Anaheim, Fowler now has three goals and four assists. Only four NHL defensemen in that span have more points than Fowler, and two of them own Norris Trophies.

“It is amazing ever since he’s been here, he just has a very positive outlook, and I think it’s rubbing off on others,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “I think the confidence he has in his ability to make plays has also helped the maturity of our team. Obviously, he’s producing at a high level for us right now.”

Fowler’s transition with the Blues has been an easy one in the two-plus weeks he’s been with St. Louis.

On the ice, he’s been launched directly into a top-pair role with Colton Parayko. He’s taken on manning the top power-play unit. There were games in which he was being used as one of the first two defensemen on the ice during a penalty kill. The Blues have asked him to play in all situations, and Fowler has obliged.

Off the ice, the schedule has allowed Fowler some family time that might not have presented itself as cleanly. When the Blues played in Detroit before Christmas, Fowler was able to stay with his parents for one night in his hometown before flying to California to see his wife and son. Then, about 15 friends and family members showed up Tuesday in Chicago for his milestone day, when he became the first NHL player to play game No. 1,000 outdoors.

“Everything lined up,” Parayko said. “It was unreal. He’s a guy that’s came (in) and works extremely hard, been a huge part of our team. We’re happy to have him in a Blue Note.”

On the same day that Fowler took center stage — rather, he scored approximately where third base would lie with his first-period goal and where first base would be in the second period — his former Ducks teammates still found a way to honor the longtime Anaheim defenseman.

They wore T-shirts that read “1,000,” with a photo of Fowler serving as the No. 1. Among Ducks defensemen, Fowler left Anaheim as the all-time leader in games played (991), goals (96), assists (361), points (457) and game-winning goals (18).

“I made a lot of great friendships there, which makes moving on that much more difficult sometimes,” Fowler said. “I’m super-thankful for those guys even thinking of me, honoring me.”

The Blues acquired Fowler on Dec. 14, adding him and a 2027 fourth-round pick in exchange for ECHL defenseman Jeremie Biakabukuta and a 2027 second-round pick. The Ducks retained $2.5 million of Fowler’s $6.5 million cap hit, and he is under contract for next season as well.

“Amazing, as he’s been this whole time he’s been with us so far,” Blues forward Jake Neighbours said. “He’s fit in so well with us, and he’s seamlessly taken his role well and plays a ton of minutes.”

St. Louis Blues

How the Blues turned a Winter Classic win over the Blackhawks into a Wrigley Field party

• Matthew DeFranks

St. Louis Blues

Blues remain perfect in outdoor games as they rout Blackhawks, 6-2, in Winter Classic

• Matthew DeFranks

St. Louis Blues

Blues defenseman Cam Fowler becomes first NHL player to play his 1,000th game outdoors

• Matthew DeFranks

CHICAGO — The celebratory, rhythmic sounds emitted from section 228 at Wrigley Field three ticks after 7 p.m. on Tuesday night. They drowned out the sounds of the bucket drummers behind the grandstand on Addison Street. They silenced whatever noise Blackhawks fans could muster. They reached down toward the first base dugout in an effort to vocally embrace a Blues team that was polishing off a 6-2 win in the Winter Classic.

“Oh when the Bluessss ... go marching innnn ... Oh when the Blues goes marching innnn ...”

On Tuesday night, for the Blues fans in attendance at Wrigley Field, they were in that number.

The Blues treated their fans and the general hockey world to a drubbing that kept the franchise perfect in outdoor games and meant the Blues have now beaten the Blackhawks in baseball stadiums in both cities (including their 2017 victory at Busch Stadium).

Cam Fowler scored twice in his 1,000th career NHL game. Jordan Kyrou scored in his second straight Winter Classic. Justin Faulk and Dylan Holloway were part of a second-period onslaught that gave the Blues a 5-1 lead going into the second intermission. Alexandre Texier riled up the St. Louis fans once more with an add-on goal in the third period.

Jordan Binnington made 28 saves to win his second outdoor game, and his save on a Taylor Hall partial breakaway in the second period preserved a two-goal Blues lead and allowed them to extend it.

“It’s hard to describe what the experience is like being a player in a game like that, brings you back to the outdoors,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “You’re looking around. You know you don’t get many moments like this playing in the NHL, playing in front of that many fans at Wrigley.”

Of the 40,933 fans at Wrigley Field, the cream, gold and aviation blue-clad Blues fans were easy to spot. They stuck out in a sea of black and red, largely dotting the stands down the right field line. They were also easy to hear, even through the boos that joined the water droplets in raining down on the Blues when warmup started.

When the organist would hit three notes, Blues fans responded with a reactionary “Let’s go Blues,” as if it was meant for them as part of their home game on New Year’s Eve. The Towel Man, a fixture at Enterprise Center after Blues goals, made his way to Chicago, leading counts up to six when Texier scored with less than four minutes remaining.

“We could hear them trying to override ’Hawks chants,” Blues forward Jake Neighbours said. “The Towel Man doing his thing with the goals. That stuff just gives you chills. I remember after the sixth one, it was a pretty surreal feeling hearing them chant that in Chicago at Wrigley Field. That’s a pretty special moment to be a part of.”

Blues owner Tom Stillman watched the evening unfold from a suite behind where home plate normally would be. He could look to his right and see a hoard of Blues fans, even if he said through laughter: “The Towel Man, that was almost too much, but I loved it.”

“Unbelievable,” Stillman said. “What a showing. One of the top NHL guys was so impressed with how many St. Louis fans were here and how loud they were. That was really impressive. I thought the ‘Let’s go Blues’ chants were as loud as the ‘Let’s go ’Hawks.’”

For many of the Blues, the emotions began during the national anthem.

Sung by Jim Cornelison, the anthem in Chicago has become legendary for the fans cheering throughout the song. And so the Blues and Blackhawks flanked the Winter Classic stage, filed in one row of red and one row of cream, facing the fireworks and the oncoming flyover of four Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft.

“During the anthem, it was goosebumps,” Neighbours said. “That singer is iconic in Chicago, how they make noise throughout it, then the fireworks. Just everything about it, it was so amazing. You take a second to look around, soak it all in before that puck drops and things get serious.”

Binnington: “We were saying guys were getting emotional, just thinking about everything that’s led you to this moment. You have your family with you. The NHL did an incredible job putting together this production, and we’re all very, very grateful.”

The Blues spared no detail for Tuesday’s game. The wives and girlfriends received custom-made jackets for the family skate the night before. Equipment manager Rich Matthews designed Wrigley-inspired nameplates for the Blues dressing room modeled after the green scoreboard that is perched in center field, complete with the clock set to 4 p.m. for the game time. Players used throwback graphics on their sticks to hide their composite sticks in a hardwood facsimile.

Of course, the details are made memorable with a win.

Fowler scored just 100 seconds into the game, the Blues’ first five-on-four goal in three weeks. Kyrou followed less than seven minutes later. For all the crowd-riling, decibel-pumping pregame programming, the Blues quieted the crowd less than 10 minutes into the game. Kyrou, who scored twice in Minnesota in 2022, was familiar with the feeling.

“It’s just a lot of people watching the game and I think you just get a little more hyped up for the game, and you want to perform well,” Kyrou said.

Even when Hall’s power-play goal drew the Blackhawks closer, injecting energy into the crowd and sparking Chicago to the last nine shots of the first period, it didn’t seem to really matter. The Blues responded with three goals in the second and cruised during a third period that turned into a party deep into foul territory.

After the game, Blues players found a Bud Light sitting in each of their stalls, apparently placed there by a member of the coaching staff. Through the walls of the visiting clubhouse, they could hear familiar sounds echoing through the concourse to seep through the cracks of the 110-year old building.

“It’s awesome; it’s awesome,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “Blues fans are awesome. It’s a special place for me, a special place for my family, and I know how much this organization loves playing for Blues fans.”

St. Louis Blues

Blues defenseman Cam Fowler becomes first NHL player to play his 1,000th game outdoors

• Matthew DeFranks

St. Louis Blues

‘Time to enjoy the moment’: Blues ready for Blackhawks, Wrigley Field in Winter Classic

• Matthew DeFranks

St. Louis Blues

Jake Neighbours, Zack Bolduc among Blues to play their first outdoor game in NHL

• Matthew DeFranks

Photos: Blues end 2024 with 6-2 win over Blackhawks in Winter Classic

Perspective has become a common word in Alex Pietrangelo’s vocabulary.

Around this time two years ago, the Golden Knights defenseman was almost done with hockey.

He and his wife Jayne would wake up before sunrise every day for two weeks and make the 25-minute drive to Sunrise Children’s Hospital. There, they would see their then 4-year-old daughter Evelyn, who had been diagnosed with encephalitis — an inflammation of the brain that’s caused by a viral infection.

Evelyn lost her motor skills. She couldn’t talk. She needed a feeding tube to eat. The Pietrangelos had no idea what to expect. That meant Alex was prepared to walk away from the game he loved to be with his family.

Evelyn came home eight days before Christmas in 2022 and has made amazing progress since. Each time Pietrangelo is asked about her, he smiles wide. He is happy to talk about her, his other three kids — Oliver, Theodore and Julia Grace — and the heroic work Jayne does managing everything.

“Obviously a long couple of years, but (Evelyn has) put in a lot of work,” Pietrangelo told the Review-Journal. “The siblings help, school has definitely helped. She’s made so many strides. It’s great to see where she’s at right now.”

Time together

The perspective Pietrangelo’s family has given him has allowed him to enjoy so many moments in recent years.

He’s the hockey dad that came out of the locker room during the first intermission of the Knights’ Dec. 3 home game against the Edmonton Oilers to watch his sons skate at T-Mobile Arena.

Pietrangelo, an avid baseball fan, also loves seeing his boys learn to tell the difference between balls and strikes. His girls are involved in gymnastics and dance and are getting into tee ball as well.

The quartet keep the 34-year-old plenty occupied when he’s away from the rink.

“Whenever guys have kids, I always laugh because you try not to bring work home. And when you have kids, you can’t really bring it home. You come home, and you’re dad. That’s your first priority,” Pietrangelo said. “Am I always perfect at that? No. I think a lot of (hockey) is always in the back of your mind, like who we’re playing tomorrow or what’s going on in the game tomorrow.

“But it’s also fine now because they want to go watch hockey with me. They know the teams and know who’s playing and all that. That part of it is really cool to see them start to enjoy the game.”

Coming back

Pietrangelo, of course, returned to the Knights when he felt comfortable with Evelyn’s recovery. He won his second Stanley Cup that summer, after captaining the St. Louis Blues to the franchise’s first championship in 2019.

His 2023-24 season was more up-and-down.

Pietrangelo became the 27th active player to reach 1,000 games played, but his 33 points were his fewest in a full-length campaign since 2015-16.

The end of the year was also frustrating. Pietrangelo had his appendix removed and missed 13 of the Knights’ final 15 regular-season games. He then jumped right into the playoffs for his team’s grueling first-round series with the Dallas Stars.

He wasn’t himself when he returned. Pietrangelo lost his composure in key moments in the series, which the Knights lost in seven games. He admitted he was frustrated with how long it took him to get back on the ice.

“Injuries you can rehab, but with the internal things, you don’t really know how long it’s going to take and there’s nothing you could have done. It just is what it is,” Pietrangelo said. “A month, two months, then I’m going to hop right into the playoffs. It’s hard to get into speed that quickly.”

Pietrangelo managed to turn the page in the offseason.

He’s gotten off to a strong start with 16 points in 31 games. He’s a huge reason why the Knights are 23-8-3 and sit two points behind the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Western Conference.

“He’s probably one of the main reasons why (we’ve had) so much success … the past three, four years,” defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. “A guy to look up to and follow his game, just how he conducts himself on the rink, off the rink, how he treats the staff.”

‘A special thing’

Pietrangelo’s strong play came with an added bonus: A spot on Team Canada for this year’s 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

He understands how much of an honor it is to represent your country at a best-on-best event. Pietrangelo is the only player on the Knights roster with an Olympic gold medal to his name. He won it in 2014, the last Winter Games with NHL players participating until they return in 2026 in Italy.

Pietrangelo will be joined on Team Canada by Knights teammates Mark Stone, Shea Theodore and Adin Hill. Coach Bruce Cassidy will also be on the bench as an assistant.

What stands out about Pietrangelo to Cassidy is the way he makes everyone in the organization feel welcomed.

“He’s a very caring guy,” Cassidy said. “He’s always been that big brother. I’m sure that’s what makes him a great dad, but that’s what he is for us here.

“I think he has a great way with the guys that way, and I think he enjoys it. Sometimes it’s not natural to connect with everybody. For him, it comes naturally. It’s really important to him and he values that a lot, and we’re lucky to have him.”

Having so many familiar faces around will make the 4 Nations Face-Off special for Pietrangelo. But what’s even more gratifying to him is the fact that his kids will get to see him play with some of the biggest stars in the world.

“I think it’s cool my kids get to see me play for my country. They’ve never seen that. That’s going to be a special thing,” Pietrangelo said. “I don’t go into the year thinking, ‘I want to make Team Canada no matter what.’ My priority is my teammates and this organization. That’s what I come into camp for.

“You know it’s there. You know it would be a great opportunity. But I’m a big believer in if you believe in yourself and you just get out there and play your game, the rest will take care of itself.”

‘You’re not going to play forever’

Pietrangelo was 24 when he won gold. He’ll turn 35 on Jan. 18, before the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The things he’s been through with his family allow him to soak up these experiences more. Pietrangelo’s younger self would just be thinking about hockey all the time.

“Ten years later, what I’m thinking about is, one, it’s going to be a great opportunity to play for my country, and two, I just want to get a picture with my kids with some of these guys,” Pietrangelo said. “Enjoy this opportunity because you don’t know if it’s ever coming again.”

Pietrangelo signed a seven-year, $61.6 million contract with the Knights in October 2020 and is set to become a free agent after the 2026-27 season. He’s not sweating about his future yet.

“You’re not going to play forever,” Pietrangelo said. “Right now, we have a couple years left on our deal. Let’s try to enjoy this as much as we can because you’re going to miss it when it’s gone. I’m going to miss the opportunity to come to work with these guys every single day.”

Pietrangelo’s family is what keeps him grounded. It’s why he’s still motivated to play the game. The greatest feeling for him comes from seeing Jayne and the kids watching him during warmups.

He may not know how much time he has left in his career. But he sure knows who he’s playing for.

“I think it’s probably even more special for me and my wife to watch that, because as you get older and the kids get older, it’s like you start to play for them because they love watching you,” Pietrangelo said.