Why didn't the Blues Hall of Fame just induct Chase?

[Konstantinov]

They gave him an award, but didn't put him in the Blues HOF. I know enforcers aren't normally inducted, but this would be a very special case to just go ahead and do it while he's still alive. It's not the NHL Hall of Fame, after all. Yes, he doesn't have alot of goals or assists, but the guy put his health on the line every night to go out and represent St. Louis. Classic fights against Marchment, Grimson, Rob Ray, etc. I know the NHL tries not to glamorize fighting in today's woke world. But now that Chaser's health is failing from cancer, it sure would be a uplifting night for him to get him in the Hall of Fame.

[moose-and-squirrel]

They gave him an award, but didn't put him in the Blues HOF. I know enforcers aren't normally inducted, but this would be a very special case to just go ahead and do it while he's still alive. It's not the NHL Hall of Fame, after all. Yes, he doesn't have alot of goals or assists, but the guy put his health on the line every night to go out and represent St. Louis. Classic fights against Marchment, Grimson, Rob Ray, etc. I know the NHL tries not to glamorize fighting in today's woke world. But now that Chaser's health is failing from cancer, it sure would be a uplifting night for him to get him in the Hall of Fame.

really good question, and would be a great gesture. totally agree they should do that while he's still around

[a smell of green grass]

I would have voted him in, and put a statue out front fighting Twist. Of course, I have that fighter mentality that everyone so appreciates here.

[Jeff Goldblum]

Brilliant idea. They need to update the statue of hull scoring on cujo and Macinnis shooting a slapshot at pronger, too.

[Hazelwood72]

When you compare Chaser with Bob Gassoff, Kelly should definitely belong. To me, Kelly is more equivalent to Bob Plager — tough, Bleed Blue mainstay who loves this franchise with all his heart. So yeah, I’d put him in on those criteria.

That said, I’ve never really agreed with Gassoff’s number being retired or he being a Blues HOF’er. While his motorcycle death was tragic, his career with the Blues wasn’t that long.

The cynic in me thinks that the Blues organization feels that the party out at Unger’s farm probably resulted in way too much alcohol-induced activities and Gassoff paid for it and the organization tributes Gassoff out of guilt. Just my take — could be totally off base.

[fish]

When you compare Chaser with Bob Gassoff, Kelly should definitely belong. To me, Kelly is more equivalent to Bob Plager — tough, Bleed Blue mainstay who loves this franchise with all his heart. So yeah, I’d put him in on those criteria.

That said, I’ve never really agreed with Gassoff’s number being retired or he being a Blues HOF’er. While his motorcycle death was tragic, his career with the Blues wasn’t that long.

The cynic in me thinks that the Blues organization feels that the party out at Unger’s farm probably resulted in way too much alcohol-induced activities and Gassoff paid for it and the organization tributes Gassoff out of guilt. Just my take — could be totally off base.

I don’t want to assume that you were not around at the time, but there was no real retiring his number it was the first number retired and he was the first death in the blues family. It was shocking and it set the club back many years.

[Hazelwood72]

When you compare Chaser with Bob Gassoff, Kelly should definitely belong. To me, Kelly is more equivalent to Bob Plager — tough, Bleed Blue mainstay who loves this franchise with all his heart. So yeah, I’d put him in on those criteria.

That said, I’ve never really agreed with Gassoff’s number being retired or he being a Blues HOF’er. While his motorcycle death was tragic, his career with the Blues wasn’t that long.

The cynic in me thinks that the Blues organization feels that the party out at Unger’s farm probably resulted in way too much alcohol-induced activities and Gassoff paid for it and the organization tributes Gassoff out of guilt. Just my take — could be totally off base.

I don’t want to assume that you were not around at the time, but there was no real retiring his number it was the first number retired and he was the first death in the blues family. It was shocking and it set the club back many years.

Yes, I was definitely around when Bobby died in that motorcycle accident. I was 23, just graduated from U MO Rolla with an engineering degree and living in Crestwood. My dad was a welder during the construction of the Union Electric power plant in Labadie, which is very near Gray Summit — my family used to drive out there often. Yes, it was tragic and devastated the team.

But I still think Halls of Fame should be held to high standards, and I just don’t think Gassoff was of that caliber. Had he lived longer and played successfully longer, then sure.

But to my original point, when you compare Chaser to Gassoff, and even to Bob Plager, I think Kelly should be in the Blues HOF.

[BleedingBleu]

It’s still fun to think about those late 90’s teams w/Pronger, Chase, and Twist.

Teams must have lost every game immediately after facing the Blues

[leedog68]

Well, if a guy's number is retired, he belongs in the HOF. Perhaps retiring his number was a knee jerk reaction to a tragic accident when the franchise was in it's infancy, but it was done and you don't go around undoing things like that. Having said that, Chase should be inducted while he can still enjoy it.

[Galatians221jb1]

Seriously? He’s extremely popular and well liked but a great hockey player? I admire him for. Sure but we let one player in because he died (Gassoff?) in a tragic accident and Wickenheiser as well. Save the HOF for the greatest hockey players that ever wore a Bluenote. The emotion has to be taken out of the equation.

[blues2112]

When you compare Chaser with Bob Gassoff, Kelly should definitely belong. To me, Kelly is more equivalent to Bob Plager — tough, Bleed Blue mainstay who loves this franchise with all his heart. So yeah, I’d put him in on those criteria.

That said, I’ve never really agreed with Gassoff’s number being retired or he being a Blues HOF’er. While his motorcycle death was tragic, his career with the Blues wasn’t that long.

The cynic in me thinks that the Blues organization feels that the party out at Unger’s farm probably resulted in way too much alcohol-induced activities and Gassoff paid for it and the organization tributes Gassoff out of guilt. Just my take — could be totally off base.

100 percent to all of that.

[MiamiLaw]

I was thinking the exact same thing last night when they were showing the pictures of Chase at the event with Pronger. Not very many people have been more embedded in Blues culture for the last, I don't know, 40 years than Kelly Chase.

[Mike Tricky]

Seriously? He’s extremely popular and well liked but a great hockey player? I admire him for. Sure but we let one player in because he died (Gassoff?) in a tragic accident and Wickenheiser as well. Save the HOF for the greatest hockey players that ever wore a Bluenote. The emotion has to be taken out of the equation.

His job was to protect his teammates and if you ask Hully he would not have been the same player without Twist or Chase. He deserves a spot in the HOF. He also did the broadcast for 18 years after retiring.

[DawgDad]

This is hard to post because Chaser deserves to remembered. I would say he's a candidate for a banner, not for Blues HOF induction. Put up a Blues Chaser banner with a blue heart and pink ribbon on it along with his number, to honor his heart, fight, and emissary/advocacy work. I do not think they should retire his number, his PLAY wasn't HOF or number retirement level.

[BalotelliMassive]

I was thinking the exact same thing last night when they were showing the pictures of Chase at the event with Pronger. Not very many people have been more embedded in Blues culture for the last, I don't know, 40 years than Kelly Chase.

Yeah...strange move. I was wondering if he was already in or something. If losing your eyesight for a week isn't a close enough call then what is?

[TheSolution]

Kelly wouldn’t accept it if he was offered. He’s not a Blues HOFer. Not even remotely close in any capacity. The award and attention he’s getting is more than plenty for the player he was