Arena/Checkerdome memories

[TimmyVee]

Mid 80s, doors usually opened at 6:00 for the 7:30 game and I would arrive several minutes after six to await the arrival of my two friends. If someone told me this story and I hadn’t witnessed this with my own eyes, I would never have believed that it was possible. But because I did, I can guarantee this is the truth. These two would arrive around that same time and park at the Burger Chef lot for free, then they would enter the arena in the back and go to where the ushers and ticket takers would sign in. The guard working the desk probably did not know every usher that worked there and my friends would pretend that they were on duty that night, scribble a name in his ledger and walk right past him. They then made their way up to the unoccupied luxury boxes that encircled the upper deck, slipped in and helped themselves to a can or two of beer while waiting for the ticketed occupants to show up. Before they did, they would empty their refrigerator of as much beer as they could stash in the sleeves of their jackets and meet me down in the yellow seats. The only purchase they made the entire evening was one cup of beer that came at that time in plastic cups, which they would then refill with the beers they had taken. After the game, they would quietly slip back up to the luxury boxes and avail themselves of as much beer that remained. One game I remember my friend walking out of the Checkerdome with three 6 packs of beer. This is nothing they would be proud of today, I’m sure, but needless to say, it happened.

[TimmyVee]

My other memory was the security lapse that existed with the advanced ticket window. I never took advantage of this, but witnessed many people who did. This advanced ticket sales area could be accessed from the outside or could also be accessed after you had already entered the arena by using your ticket stub to return after your visit. I witnessed many enterprising youths entering the arena, walking up the stairs to the upper deck and dropping their tickets stub out the window. A friend on the ground outside would grab this ticket stub and walk into the advanced ticket area from the outside and then use their stub to “re-enter” the arena. This could be done as many times as you liked or until the guard looking at the stubs realize the same ticket was being used over and over.

One other memory was sitting on the small carpeted spiral staircase which led up to the organ booth when I had a standing room only ticket.

We used to stay after the game to find as many Goal magazines as we could find and listen to Ernie play the organ until the very end.

[Harry York 37]

Probably 69 or 70…. in middle school in North County (Riverview was respected in those years). Somehow, I got seats very near the ice. A relative newcomer from the Andy Griffith part of the South, I hadn’t seen much ice and was just beginning to ice skate. With “affordable” skates at 13 or 14…. it seemed impossibly difficult. But- there were men near, or at my father’s age showing me up close and personal how it got fricken done. I was spellbound. A budding football starter and baseball stalwart, it was the ultimate to see the best parts of all team sports ramped up in speed, enclosed by solid walls, and on the smoothest ice I could even imagine.
You didn’t need any goddanged numbers to tell the players. You could tell by the color and style of their hair- or the lack of it.
The handful of skaters wearing helmets were from Quebec, possibly from Europe, or NCAA Ice Hockey. The Red Baron wore his well.

[Russdv14]

I glanced at a fw comments and will share just a couple at this late hour, I also parked in the park often but was afraid of heights so I nched across the center of the bridge. I have many programs from the old Arena including one with Glenn Hall on the cover. I loved the pace and would buy standig room only tickets and got those minutemen buttons (I still have 2 or 3). I would climb up on the (probably) concrete base of a support pillar and hold on so I could get a better review of the action. I did attend a Montreal Stanley Cup Finals game .I loved the atmosphere and the organ music (probably Norm Kramer playing). He'd play "Mr Lucky". which was very calming after a game. I love when. the Blues would come out and everyone would be singing , Oh When the Blues Come Marching In. This is my time to remind everyone younger to watch the you tube video called "True Blues". It is worth an hour of time to feel what we all felt when writing these stories and great memories. .

Dan Kelly and Gus Kyle were (represented)the early Blues too...You would. feel like you were at the Arena watching the Blues skate from your left to your right on the radio dial.
And oh yes, you could watch players like the Plager Bros leave the arena for their cars on the left corner of the Arena, sometimes getting an autograph including Garry Unger when he played there..

[Bluesbacker]

For those that remember the St. Louis Steamers, there were some really crazy crowds back in 1981, 17-18 thousand plus on a Saturday night going crazy as Slobo would make a great diving save to re the victory.

[IsDurbanodoingtime]

Free parking in Forest Park. Cold walk across the 40 bridge and parking lot. Sitting on the absolute edge of the grand canyon watching the game. Wishing I was hearing Dan Kelly and Gus Kyle call the game. Hoping for a barnburner, followed by fighting, first on the ice, then in the stands.

Hah same. Cold post game walk.
Watched a blues hawks preseason game filled with fights.

Saw Def Leppard there too

Maybe 50+ plus years late on this, but there was a shuttle bus that ran from the forest park lot to the arena. Most memorable game the ot round one playoff winner against the Pens. Millen standing on his head but the Bean with the winner. Memorable concert - the Who (1983) followed closely by Petty.

[skeezix]

Easy for me - the Monday Night Miracle, watching with my wife. God Rest Your Soul, Doug Wickenheiser!

[Sunny's Teeth]

For those that remember the St. Louis Steamers, there were some really crazy crowds back in 1981, 17-18 thousand plus on a Saturday night going crazy as Slobo would make a great diving save to re the victory.

I have a Steamers tshirt that I practically live in.

[sneptsmoustache]

My dad got glass seats through work...I was probably 10, but the glass was low enough that I could stand on my seat and peer my head over the top of them. Willie Plett and some unidentified Blues player guy got into a scrap right in front of us, and I was yelling at Willie Plett the whole time, calling him a loser, etc. I felt like such a tough guy. I distinctly remember his blonde hair and green North Stars sweater. Good times!

[sneptsmoustache]

For those that remember the St. Louis Steamers, there were some really crazy crowds back in 1981, 17-18 thousand plus on a Saturday night going crazy as Slobo would make a great diving save to re the victory.

I have a Steamers tshirt that I practically live in.

Steamers games were legit super fun. Slobo!!!!

[Phil Roberto fan]

Led Zepplin - Song Remains The Same tour

Beat me to it. Led Zeppelin 1975 and 1977. Been a long time since I rock and rolled,,,,,

Great minds and rock fans think alike.

[blues2112]

DawgDad, you undid years of therapy by resurrecting this memory!
"the Islanders game in 81 where Michelletti tripped over the blue line"

Ugghhhhhhh!!!!!

Correct me if necessary, but I remember some of the bathroom's lacked urinals. Instead they simply had long troughs with a trickle of water. Ah the smell! And the bathrooms had those awful cloth towels on the roller, drenched with who knows what.

And, for a short time, Like Cola!

[PPG]

Russdv14- Love you recollections. I do rememer Norm Kramer playing "Mr. Lucky" before and after the game. His first song AND his last song. The one thing I remember as being different was he would play the upbeat march version of the St. Louis Blues when they came on the ice. It is recorded that way at the very beginning of the "True Blues" video.
The singing would always came after they scored a goal.
I know I saw at least 500 games in the old barn and everything mentioned previously is absolutely true.
But the sight lines and the noise in that building are forever embedded in my memory.

We never paid for parking- we would either park way up off Wise Avenue near Jack in the Box in our younger days. Later, we would park at the liquor store on Hampton Avenue. We got to know the manager there, so we would park kind of behind the store away from the front doors so customers could still shop there. We would go inside and tell her where we parked and then buy a small bottle of Rum.
My girlfriend (later wife) would hide it in her purse until we got to our seats. Then we would just keep buying cups of Coke and pour the rum into the cup. After several cups of Coke, the Rum would be gone....LOL

[Old_Goat]

Right after New Year's 40 years ago...the Soviet Red Army team came through while playing against various NHL teams. Cold War in full force. I bought front row seats along the glass right behind the goal Blues defend twice not far from the Zamboni & visiting team entrance. I had Russian language training (don't use nor remember a whole lot over time) with a lot of it being informal. So, I printed in large letters the Russian translation for FU on a piece of letter-size paper. As the players skated off at the end of the period and when Coach Viktor Tikhonov walked along the glass to get around to their bench, I held it up and would tap heavily on the glass less than 2 feet away. He looked over looked down at the sign, looked back at me with his face as red as their jerseys and with the most pursed-off snarl! The whole section of fans behind were going nuts. They kept yelling the rest of the game, "Put up the sign!...what's it say?" Their backup goalie was skating off leisurely after first period, no mask on, he was the first to see it. He got the most shocking wide-eyed face and quickly looked away. As the other players were skating around in circles to quickly warm before the period, a few saw it, but just quickly looked away.
Make no mistake about it. The subjects live in fear in Communist countries.
They won the game, but it was fairly close...really really good hockey. The intensity of the Blues players checking hitting them all game was unlike anything I have ever seen. Rick Nattress came flying across the ice deep in a backwards power skate and just smoked one of them with a clean hip check that he did not expect. I can't remember exactly but it may have been Kasatonov. One of the Refs/Linesman skated over smiling and said something to Nattress.

[a smell of green grass]

Speaking of hip checks...

This is what was going on outside in the backyards and streets of St Louis.

- On the mound, throw up the trailing leg up like Gibson.
- Walk to the plate like Lou Brock,
- Bat left-handed and swing and drag-bunt like Brock,
- and anytime you needed to add roughness to whatever game, throw a hip-check like Bob Plager.

[netboy65]

For those that remember the St. Louis Steamers, there were some really crazy crowds back in 1981, 17-18 thousand plus on a Saturday night going crazy as Slobo would make a great diving save to re the victory.

There was a brief time, the Steamers were the hottest ticket in town. My buddy and I used to be able to get balcony seats for $3