SB Nation St. Louis - St. Louis Blues Lockout News: More Players Go Overseas As Lockout Drags On

Blues mascot Louie nominated for Cartoon Network Award

2012-12-19T18:49:09Z

Hockey's pretty much nothin' doin' without the NHL around, and there's no big action to keep up with until the World Juniors begin after Christmas. This was literally the only piece of news that popped up in my Google Alert for the Blues, so I present this as evidence that the lockout is getting out of control:

Louie, the mascot of the St. Louis Blues, has been nominated for the Cartoon Network Most Awesome Mascot Award. They appeared to have chosen one out of every major sports league, so to think that our Louis beat out luminaries like Iceburgh and Bailey is impressive. If that's the sort of thing you think about. From the Blues' press release (!):

ST. LOUIS – Cartoon Network announced Tuesday that Louie, the St. Louis Blues mascot, has been nominated for the Most Awesome Mascot Award.

Louie was nominated along with KC Wolf (Kansas City Chiefs), Lou Seal (San Francisco Giants) and Rocky (Denver Nuggets).

The third annual Hall of Game sports awards show will return in February 2013.

Airing across several Cartoon Network and Turner Broadcasting platforms, hosts Shaquille O’Neal and Nick Cannon broke the news with a special introduction featuring a brand new Hall of Game nominee’s song. Viewers can log on to HallOfGame.com, CartoonNetwork.com, Facebook.com/CartoonNetwork, YouTube.com/user/CartoonNetwork and Blog.CartoonNetwork.com to see the announcement. The video will also be on CNN.com/showbiz and HLNTV.com.

On October 10, 2007, Louie was introduced to the fans and played "When the Blues Go Marching In" on his saxophone. Louie can be seen at all home games and throughout the community doing what he loves best — meeting fans and supporting the Blues.

Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards show will feature icons from television, film, music and sports, as kids experience an evening of humor and fun at the most raucous and biggest sports awards show ever.

Last year’s event yielded 102 million votes and voting is now open for the first 10 categories at www.HallofGame.com.

Basically, stuff the ballot box. It's not like we have any hockey to watch, right? Also, you can find Louie on Twitter at @LouieSTLBlues. I highly suggest a follow in his direction -- his feed's really pretty entertaining. It just makes me wonder how a bear can type with those big paws...

Ugh. Can the lockout end now?

Blues enforcer Ryan Reaves signs with ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears

2012-12-08T14:59:14Z

With the lockout not ending any time soon, seeing as how both sides couldn't agree to what fast food joint to grab breakfast at let alone agree on the terms of the new CBA, more NHL players are signing with European and minor-league North American teams. Blues enforcer Ryan Reaves has decided to join his former teammate B.J. Crombeen in Orlando.

Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL sign #stlblues enforcer Ryan Reeves. It will be interesting to see who drops the gloves with him #couldbebad
— Andy Zilch (@Andy_Zilch) December 7, 2012

One would hope an ECHL guy'd know better than to pull that, but you never can tell. There's always going to be one player somewhere who feels the need to try to prove his worth to his team by getting pounded into the ice.

The Solar Bears are 9-10-2 and are in last place in their division. I'm not going to think for a second that Reaves can help turn that around, but his addition'll make going to games a little more entertaining for middle-Florida hockey fans. They're also the Minnesota Wild and Houston Aeros' ECHL affiliate, which absolutely blows my mind, considering how colorful their jerseys are.

David Backes Participates In Reddit AMA Regarding The Lockout, Random Things

2012-11-26T22:58:35Z

The Reddit "Ask Me Anything," or AMA, thread is one of those chances where people and personalities can come together and ask honest questions to get honest answers. Some of them are political, some are actors, and some are sports personalities. Today Blues captain David Backes, along with Kevin Westgarth and Mathieu Schneider, participated in an AMA on /r/hockey. There're some pretty interesting questions in there, and some outstanding replies from the three players. It's worth a read through of the thread, but here's the highlight:

jokanee 16 points 2 hours ago
David Backes, you dismantled Team Canada with your fists prior to the 2012 Olympics. Given that you have a very particular set of skills. Skills that you have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make you a nightmare for people negotiating on the other side of the CBA...
Can you unleash Inglorious Backes before it's too late and get us our hockey back?!

ThePlayers[S] 25 points 2 hours ago

While the ideas that you present seem to be out there, I can neither confirm nor deny the allegations. And these skills you talk about are not very useful in a board room, let alone one fully occupied by lawyers! - DB

Oh, I think they would be, David. It just depends on who happens to be in that boardroom when you go all Inglorious on them.

Seriously, though, this was a great chance for some open and honest discussion between players and fans, which is something that the players have been very good at so far this lockout. Bill Daly has been accessible to the media whenever they have questions, which he deserves credit for, but the players have been accessible to the people who really matter.

To be fair, an executive did an anonymous AMA a while back, and it was extremely enlightening, but this was a conversational chance to shoot the breeze with some players, and it was fun to read. Fun fact: Backes studied electrical engineering at Minnesota State. It's a shame that the school won't let him finish the degree on-line; what a fun bragging point for Blues fans that their captain is an engineer. So much for that stereotype of a knuckleheaded hockey player, huh?

Kevin Shattenkirk To Join TPS of SM-liiga

2012-11-25T18:04:49Z

Break out your best "TPS reports" jokes, because Keven Shattenkirk will most certainly not be tired of hearing those anytime soon. Shattenkirk has decided to join TPS of the Finnish league SM-liiga to bide his time during the lockout.

Confirmed ...@shattdeuces headed to play for TPS of SM-liiga. He leaves tomorrow. #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) November 24, 2012

The NHL's canceled games through December 14th, as well as January's All Star Game. The longer and longer the lockout drags on, the more the NHL's players need to be in some sort of playing condition, and playing in foreign leagues is a great way for non-AHL eligible players to do so. If the Blues want one of their top players to be in playing shape whenever this season begins, if it in fact does, then seeing Shattenkirk head to Finland is probably for the best.

He's in his last year of an entry level contract, and he, along with Alex Pietrangelo, were both hoping on star performances this year to boost their upcoming RFA deals.

Blues Goaltender Jaroslav Halak Signs To Play In German League

2012-11-21T17:07:17Z

Blues goaltender and Jennings Trophy winner Jaroslav Halak has bounced back from an ankle injury sustained in the playoffs, and is looking to keep his skills sharp for the season -- whenever that might be. Reports had him considering joining the KHL team Spartak Moscow, but apparently Halak's taken a different route. He's signed to play with German second-tier league team Lausitzer and will make his first start Friday.

Goalie Jaroslav Halak has signed with Lausitzer of the German Bundesliga. Jaro should be making his 1st start as early as Friday.
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) November 21, 2012

Halak's season last year was successful to say the least. After a shaky start under coach Davis Payne, Halak bounced back with the help of Ken Hitchcock's system. He wound up with a 26-12-7 record and a 1.97 GAA and a .925 save percentage. Chances are good those numbers will at the very least be replicated against second-tier competition.

Cam Janssen Organizes Blues And Former Blues In Charity Game For Sandy Victims

2012-11-16T16:32:55Z

Former Blues and current New Jersey Devils enforcer Cam Janssen was struck by the devastation that he and his wife saw on television following Hurricane Sandy. His current team and their fans were in the eye of the storm, so Janssen decided to rely on his former team and their fans to lend a hand. The Belleville News-Democrat's Norm Sanders got a chance to interview Janssen about the game, and this is what the bruiser had to say.

"I was sitting on my couch watching the Weather Channel and Fox News and brainstorming," Janssen said. "I was watching this devastating hurricane that trampled this region of the United State, this highly populated region, and just couldn't believe it.

"We looked at each other like 'We've got to do something,''' he said. "I made a couple phone calls and called the right people, then all of a sudden we got some structure down for the event."

Janssen was not surprised in the least when so many of his hockey friends and non-hockey friends were quick to lend a hand for the charity event.

"You really find out who's your true friends," Janssen said. "There are so many people who are helping me and really getting nothing out of it...they're going out of their way to help me put this thing on."

The list of players participating is impressive: David Backes, Barret Jackman, Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie, Brian Elliott, Kevin Shattenkirk, Alex Pietrangelo, Scott Nichol, former Blues players Jamal Mayers and Ty Conklin, St. Louis native Chris Butler, and former Blues Jamie Rivers and Jim Campbell.Tickets are $20 each, or special VIP seats are $200 -- they're all inclusive with special seating and an after-party with the players. You can purchase tickets for the event happening this Saturday night at the Hardees Ice Plex at www.respondrescue.org, or by calling 314-627-0700.

David Backes In New York As NHL/NHLPA Talks Hit Day Four

2012-11-09T18:02:51Z

David Backes has continued to work with Donald Fehr and other members of the NHLPA towards the resolution of the current lockout. What's the holdup? Apparently it takes the NHL a long time to look up what the word "negotiation" is. After several offers to the players' union that were basically designed for them to reject, the league and the NHLPA have sat down for four days straight to discuss some sort of resolution.

The big sticking point is the "make whole" resolution. As originally written, the plan called for the players to make up the difference in the contracts, not the owners. Now the owners are starting to accept some responsibility for this, which is why there's actually been some ground covered in recent talks.

Or, maybe the cancellation of the Winter Classic and the loss of huge amounts of money had something to do with it.

Regardless of the reason, these talks signal the first time the NHL and NHLPA have really seriously had face-to-face talk time. Considering that the expiration of the CBA in September was something that everyone knew about in advance, it's sad that it's taken the loss of two months of hockey and the Winter Classic to get people to realize that it was time to actually start working, let alone to start making offers that made sense.

Blues' Forward Alex Steen Hurt While Playing For Modo

2012-11-05T22:51:46Z

Poor Alex Steen can't catch a break. He's been playing very well in the SEL with Modo, netting five goals to go along with nine assists in just 15 games played, but he'll be out for three weeks thanks to a "thigh tear."

Alexander Steen out for at least 3 weeks due to tear in back thigh. #STLBlues #NHLlockout
— Matias Strozyk (@MaStrozyk) November 2, 2012

Fantastic. Three weeks isn't that long -- it's enough time for Steen to heal before he plays any NHL games, since the lockout is starting to look like it'll drag on for at least another month. But still, Blues fans have a legitimate cause for concern when Steen is injured. He's one of the Blues' offensive strong-points, as well as someone who can play on the PK and keep the puck out of the Blues' zone at even strength. This is the last player the Blues need to be injured yet again; honestly, I couldn't tell you who the first would be.