hockey jedi wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 09:11 am
In my opinion, the Blues were the same team in 20-21 except for Pat Maroon. Not only that, but the Blues were playing the same style of hockey that the Cup team did. I believe we would have won the Cup without Covid.
I'll always wonder if Maroon's hammered spectacle at the parade factored into Army not re-signing him. Thinking he could be a loose cannon moving forward. His non-signing was a low-level Army blunder that chipped away at the team toughness and chemistry. If it had been a move to upgrade team skill or something logical it would have been understandable, but replacing him with Kyle Clifford??
I've seen few players as good as holding the puck below the goal line to wear out defensive aszes as Maroon. Glad he won 2 more.
I remember Maroon giving an interview and he said him and Army had a made a handshake deal about his contract next season. As soon as he said it he tried to backtrack and claimed he probably shouldn't have said that. Ive always wondered if that had something to do with him not being renewed.
Maroon was awesome. I wish they would have kept him.
Sudsy 11 wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 10:04 am
The Blues definitely had a chance to repeat. However, it would have been difficult without JayBo. Army acquired Mikkola as a replacement. He looked good for a few games before the pandemic. Would that have continued? Binner was struggling some after the all-star break.Colorado was really good. They were nipping at the heels of the Blues,arguably playing better hockey when the pandemic hit. Possible, yes. Probable, maybe not. We'll never know.
Excuses are for losers, plain n simple. Every other team had to play under the same rules and conditions as the Blues, so its embarrassing to constantly hear excuses about what could have been all these years later still.
SameOldBlues wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 12:35 pm
Excuses are for losers, plain n simple. Every other team had to play under the same rules and conditions as the Blues, so its embarrassing to constantly hear excuses about what could have been all these years later still.
bluetunehead wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 10:32 am
Maroon wasn’t brought back because he was being a problem and told Armstrong to trade him around midseason before the cup turnaround happened. Obviously cooler heads prevailed with Berube in charge, but I don’t think Armstrong ever really moved past that.
Edmundson and Fabbri were the team party guys. That’s why they were moved. Edmundson was still respectable on the ice but Fabbri obviously needed a reset.
It wasn’t parade shenanigans with these guys. It was existing issues.
Can you elaborate on this some? I honestly don't remember what may have been going on then or him asking to be traded.
I'll see if I can dig it up. The scuttlebutt at the time was that Maroon came out totally flat that season and (among others) couldn't really make it work with Yeo. He was a healthy scratch at times and it got to a point where he told Armstrong to trade him if it was going to continue.
This (from Jan 2019) doesn't cover the behind the scenes rumblings but it lays out how badly that first half went for Maroon and mentions JR writing that he would probably get traded soon https://www.stlouisgametime.com/2019/1/ ... airy-tales
As great as things turned out that season, I think Armstrong already had his mind made up to move on from Maroon.
(Reading that article... it's still so wild how that season turned on a dime once Binnington took over in net.)
bluetunehead wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 10:32 am
Maroon wasn’t brought back because he was being a problem and told Armstrong to trade him around midseason before the cup turnaround happened. Obviously cooler heads prevailed with Berube in charge, but I don’t think Armstrong ever really moved past that.
Edmundson and Fabbri were the team party guys. That’s why they were moved. Edmundson was still respectable on the ice but Fabbri obviously needed a reset.
It wasn’t parade shenanigans with these guys. It was existing issues.
"It wasn’t parade shenanigans with these guys. It was existing issues." -- I agree with you regarding those other two re their already known off-ice activities. My question mark was to the "interesting thought" possibility with Maroon.
But hey, the Parade was awesome, understandable good fun and release of pent-up joy. They involved the fans, it was a great show, no overturned cars nor stupid violence. And what are "Hometown Heroes" like David Freese and Pat Maroon without a few beers??
Isn't this article about four years too late? "it never bothered me until I saw them repeat", didn't the Lightning win it the two years following the Blues?
rbirules wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 13:25 pm
Isn't this article about four years too late? "it never bothered me until I saw them repeat", didn't the Lightning win it the two years following the Blues?
Yeah, but not under regular circumstances. They won the first Cup in the Bubble, and the second one where half the teams had no fans or reduced attendance, and players got popped for Covid tests. It was forgettable to everyone but Tampa.
rbirules wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 13:25 pm
Isn't this article about four years too late? "it never bothered me until I saw them repeat", didn't the Lightning win it the two years following the Blues?
Yeah, but not under regular circumstances. They won the first Cup in the Bubble, and the second one where half the teams had no fans or reduced attendance, and players got popped for Covid tests. It was forgettable to everyone but Tampa.
HighStick wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 11:36 am
I remember Maroon giving an interview and he said him and Army had a made a handshake deal about his contract next season. As soon as he said it he tried to backtrack and claimed he probably shouldn't have said that. Ive always wondered if that had something to do with him not being renewed.
Maroon was awesome. I wish they would have kept him.
So would there have been something illegal about a handshake to come back?
Not sure why Armstrong would take offense to the point of reneging on the agreement.
HighStick wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 11:36 am
I remember Maroon giving an interview and he said him and Army had a made a handshake deal about his contract next season. As soon as he said it he tried to backtrack and claimed he probably shouldn't have said that. Ive always wondered if that had something to do with him not being renewed.
Maroon was awesome. I wish they would have kept him.
So would there have been something illegal about a handshake to come back?
Not sure why Armstrong would take offense to the point of reneging on the agreement.
I don't know anything about the rules for talking to players or dealing with contracts. It was just weird that he said it and then immediately backtracked. And he backtracked like he new he just made a mistake in saying that. I'm not sure if he made the whole thing up or if it was a dumb joke or an illegal type deal that shouldn't have been mentioned publicly. It does seem weird that he was here, won the Cup, was an effective team player then went somewhere else for league minimum or a million bucks whatever it was. I found it strange that Army didn't resign him and always wondered if that was why. He was literally one of the top 3 tough guys in the league at the time.
HighStick wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 11:36 am
I remember Maroon giving an interview and he said him and Army had a made a handshake deal about his contract next season. As soon as he said it he tried to backtrack and claimed he probably shouldn't have said that. Ive always wondered if that had something to do with him not being renewed.
Maroon was awesome. I wish they would have kept him.
So would there have been something illegal about a handshake to come back?
Not sure why Armstrong would take offense to the point of reneging on the agreement.
I don't know anything about the rules for talking to players or dealing with contracts. It was just weird that he said it and then immediately backtracked. And he backtracked like he new he just made a mistake in saying that. I'm not sure if he made the whole thing up or if it was a dumb joke or an illegal type deal that shouldn't have been mentioned publicly. It does seem weird that he was here, won the Cup, was an effective team player then went somewhere else for league minimum or a million bucks whatever it was. I found it strange that Army didn't resign him and always wondered if that was why. He was literally one of the top 3 tough guys in the league at the time.
As far as I know, there is nothing wrong with a GM discussing contracts with players that the team has the rights to. There are rules about signing contracts before certain dates, but, I don't think this would qualify. Bottom line is, this is a business.You really don't have anything, until you have it in writing, and signed. I would think that Pat would say looking back, that Army did him a favor. He ended up with a pretty good situation I think.
HighStick wrote: ↑23 Jul 2025 11:36 am
I remember Maroon giving an interview and he said him and Army had a made a handshake deal about his contract next season. As soon as he said it he tried to backtrack and claimed he probably shouldn't have said that. Ive always wondered if that had something to do with him not being renewed.
Maroon was awesome. I wish they would have kept him.
So would there have been something illegal about a handshake to come back?
Not sure why Armstrong would take offense to the point of reneging on the agreement.
I don't know anything about the rules for talking to players or dealing with contracts. It was just weird that he said it and then immediately backtracked. And he backtracked like he new he just made a mistake in saying that. I'm not sure if he made the whole thing up or if it was a dumb joke or an illegal type deal that shouldn't have been mentioned publicly. It does seem weird that he was here, won the Cup, was an effective team player then went somewhere else for league minimum or a million bucks whatever it was. I found it strange that Army didn't resign him and always wondered if that was why. He was literally one of the top 3 tough guys in the league at the time.
