Pink Freud wrote: ↑14 Apr 2025 21:48 pm
Even though I hated seeing the NHL leave AZ, I love seeing the much better situation the players, coaches, and front office are in in Salt Lake City. Alex Meruelo will go down as one of the worst owners and most despicable men in NHL history. I didn't think it was possible to make more local enemies in high places than Harry Ornest, but Meruelo did it.
Harry Ornest will forever be on my Heroes list. I really don't care whose feathers he ruffled, he saved the Blues for St. Louis.
Well maybe not necessarily a Hero, but I agree that he is definitely under-appreciated. He took a risk, negotiated a great deal for himself, we got rewarded. And the only time the Blues advanced to the Conference finals between their Stanley Cup Final appearances in 1970 and in 2019 was when he owned the team. And he also did not own the team when stupid tampering shanahanegins were going on, which cost us many valuable draft picks, as well as poor contract management (see Adam Oates).
Nothing personal here, this is a general comment based on your post content. I have a strong sense many in the current Blues fan base do not fully appreciate the fact the Blues were gone, lost to the City, abandoned, bags LITERALLY packed for Saskatoon. That's not a catchy phrase in a song, that was real.
Imagine no Hull, no Chaser, no MacInnis, Pronger, Demitra, no Quenneville or Hitch teams, no Pietrangelo, no Chief, NO CUP. Ponder that. NO ONE IN ST. LOUIS WOULD SAVE THE TEAM. NO ONE. Ponder THAT!
So, yeah, he's on my Mt. Rushmore of Blues ownership icons.
Dawggie, as a Blues fan since 1968, I absolutely agree. Without Harry Ornest, we wouldn’t have a team. So hip hip hurray for good ol’ Harry.
And, for you younger fans who don’t know the Blues history, R. Hal Dean, who was the CEO of Ralston Purina, also saved the team in 1976 when the Salomons ran out of money. Dean had Purina purchase the Blues as a civic duty. Old school CEO’s did things like that back in the day. Unfortunately, when Dean retired, their new CEO, Bill Stiritz, dumped the Blues in 1983 because they were losing money. That’s when they almost moved to Saskatoon and Ornest jumped in and saved us.
TheJackBurton wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025 12:00 pm
of course the boys can't take them lightly, but it will be Utahs 6th game in 10 days, 2nd of a back to back with travel, and 3rd in 4 nights.
Just come out and kick their (donkey) in the first, drop 3 or 4 on them and then coast to victory.
No coasting allowed. Take to the Sister Wives full bore for 60 minutes.
TheJackBurton wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025 12:00 pm
of course the boys can't take them lightly, but it will be Utahs 6th game in 10 days, 2nd of a back to back with travel, and 3rd in 4 nights.
Just come out and kick their (donkey) in the first, drop 3 or 4 on them and then coast to victory.
No coasting allowed. Take to the Sister Wives full bore for 60 minutes.
ok coast may not be the correct term, but just play good sound wise hockey, no injuries, and close it out and rest up for about 5 days.
TheJackBurton wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025 12:00 pm
of course the boys can't take them lightly, but it will be Utahs 6th game in 10 days, 2nd of a back to back with travel, and 3rd in 4 nights.
Just come out and kick their (donkey) in the first, drop 3 or 4 on them and then coast to victory.
No coasting allowed. Take to the Sister Wives full bore for 60 minutes.
ok coast may not be the correct term, but just play good sound wise hockey, no injuries, and close it out and rest up for about 5 days.
Pink Freud wrote: ↑14 Apr 2025 21:48 pm
Even though I hated seeing the NHL leave AZ, I love seeing the much better situation the players, coaches, and front office are in in Salt Lake City. Alex Meruelo will go down as one of the worst owners and most despicable men in NHL history. I didn't think it was possible to make more local enemies in high places than Harry Ornest, but Meruelo did it.
Harry Ornest will forever be on my Heroes list. I really don't care whose feathers he ruffled, he saved the Blues for St. Louis.
Well maybe not necessarily a Hero, but I agree that he is definitely under-appreciated. He took a risk, negotiated a great deal for himself, we got rewarded. And the only time the Blues advanced to the Conference finals between their Stanley Cup Final appearances in 1970 and in 2019 was when he owned the team. And he also did not own the team when stupid tampering shanahanegins were going on, which cost us many valuable draft picks, as well as poor contract management (see Adam Oates).
Nothing personal here, this is a general comment based on your post content. I have a strong sense many in the current Blues fan base do not fully appreciate the fact the Blues were gone, lost to the City, abandoned, bags LITERALLY packed for Saskatoon. That's not a catchy phrase in a song, that was real.
Imagine no Hull, no Chaser, no MacInnis, Pronger, Demitra, no Quenneville or Hitch teams, no Pietrangelo, no Chief, NO CUP. Ponder that. NO ONE IN ST. LOUIS WOULD SAVE THE TEAM. NO ONE. Ponder THAT!
So, yeah, he's on my Mt. Rushmore of Blues ownership icons.
I'm with you...I have always defended him for what he did which helped this town and the Blues fans. He may not be popular nor likable, but he did just what you have described. And we didn't even mention that he hired Ron Caron, a great hockey mind whom made some very savvy moves in a cost-controlled environment. Heck, he had NO draft picks from the 1983 NHL Draft to help. Maybe not all of his moves worked out perfectly...they never do. But taking a risk on getting a young Doug Gilmour signed into the lineup and giving an illiterate Jacques Demers a shot at coaching are some great memories.
