ST. LOUIS – The Enterprise Center celebrates 30 years as the home of the St. Louis Blues this season, a run that continues with Tuesday’s home opener for the 2024-25 season.
Not too long ago, the Enterprise Center surpassed the former St. Louis Arena as the longest-serving home of the Blues. Only five active NHL venues have hosted their current teams longer.
For three decades, the Enterprise Center has stood the test of time, remaining steadfast through three NHL lockouts and three venue name changes.
In 30 years at the Enterprise Center, the Blues have made playoffs 21 times. While they haven’t specifically clinched a Stanley Cup title on home ice, the Enterprise Center has been the site for countless playoff battles, thrilling victories and unforgettable moments.
Here’s a trip down memory lane reflecting on some of the St. Louis Blues’ best moments at the Enterprise Center. This list includes ten unranked moments, three top-ranked moments and many honorable mentions.
Ten Big Blues Moments
First Stanley Cup Final (May-June 2019)
It took nearly 25 years at the Enterprise Center for the St. Louis Blues to advance to the Stanley Cup Final and compete for NHL’s top prize. The Blues won one of three home games hosted in the Stanley Cup Final series (Game 4) against the Boston Bruins. Thousands packed the Enterprise Center for watch parties of the Blues’ four road games, and crowds erupted in celebration after the Blues won Game 7 for their first, and to this point only, Stanley Cup title in franchise history. Play Gloria.
Blues clinch Western Conference Final (May 21, 2019)
The Blues rallied back from a 2-1 series deficit in the Western Conference Final, including one loss that followed an infamous Sharks “handpass” overtime goal, to clinch just their fourth trip to the Stanley Cup title in franchise history and their first since 1970. The Blues won 5-1 with five different goal scorers, and center Ryan O’Reilly dished three assists to strengthen his case for his eventual Conn Smythe Trophy. The Blues took a picture with the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after the game, but following the norm for league superstitions, did not touch it in hopes to avoid a jinx on their Stanley Cup chances. Obviously, that decision paid off.
Brett Hull scores 500th NHL goal (December 22, 1996)
A goal-scoring legend for the St. Louis Blues, Brett Hull reached a key milestone with his 500th NHL goal, which also secured a hat trick and paved the way to a 7-4 victory. Pierre Turgeon dished a back-handed pass to Hull, who unleashed a wrist shot to light the lamp. At the time, Hull was just the 24th player in NHL history with 500 goals. He scored a team-record 527 goals over 11 seasons with the Blues.
“The Great One” makes his Blues debut (March 5, 1996)
The Blues made waves with a blockbuster trade to bring the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, Wayne Gretzky, to St. Louis for a brief, but unforgettable stint. A sold-out crowd packed the Enterprise Center (then known as the Kiel Center) for high highly-anticipated debut. Although Gretzky was kept off the scoresheet, the night was a big celebration for St. Louis hockey fans, capped by a 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers. Gretzky picked up 21 points over 18 regular-season games in his run with the Blues.
Blues clinch President’s Trophy (April 5, 2000)
The best regular-season team in Blues franchise history, at least in terms of total team points, secured their fate as the NHL’s most winningest team for the 1999-2000 season at the Enterprise Center, claiming their only President’s Trophy ever after a 6-5 win over the Calgary Flames. Captain Chris Pronger, who eventually won the Hart Trophy as the league’s top player for the season, and forward Pierre Turgeon each collected three points in the win.
Renewed-hope season comes full circle (April 10, 2009)
Following the 2004-05 season-long lockout, the Blues fell on hard times. There was a significant amount of turnover within the roster, coaching, front office and ownership that led to a few ugly seasons and occasional rumors that the Blues could flock elsewhere. The 2008-09 season was crucial in restoring fan confidence again, boosted by a young “kid line” (David Perron, Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie and a breakout season for goaltender Chris Mason.
Working to overcome a lengthy playoff drought, the Blues prevailed in their home finale in the 2008-09 season to secure a return back to the big stage. The Blues won 3-1 over the Columbus Blue Jackets, energized by a thunderous crowd that resembled a playoff atmosphere in the closing moments. Emerging fan-favorite Oshie shared the excitement with a passionate on-ice postgame interview.
Vladimir Tarasenko’s impressive NHL debut (January 19, 2013)
A hot prospect’s debut years in the making was delayed due to an NHL lockout, but the wait was worth it. Vladimir Tarasenko, one of the most prolific scorers in recent Blues history, began his NHL journey with a bang. Tarasenko scored the Blues’ season-opening goal less than seven minutes into the game, then picked up another less than a minute into the second period. The Blues scored two goals in every period for a 6-0 rout over the Red Wings, and Tarasenko proved he could be a force for years to come. He scored 262 goals over 11 seasons with the Blues.
Tarasenko’s dramatic OT-forcing goal versus defending champs (April 19, 2014)
As the post-lockout Blues began to find some footing in returning to the playoff stage, they still had some trouble winning big games and advancing past the first rounds. Facing a defending-champion Chicago Blackhawks squad, Blues fended off pressure with two dramatic wins (the other explored later).
Down one goal, on the power play with an empty net in the final minute of regulation, the Blues got creative with their passing game and eventually found Tarasenko at the point. With 6.4 seconds left, Tarasenko lit the lamp and re-enegerized a sold-out crowd. Veteran Barrett Jackman would later score the game-winner in overtime, though Tarasenko’s surprise tally was indeed the catalyst. The Blues won the game 4-3, and took a 2-0 series lead, though unfortunately lost four straight to end their season.
Another Blackhawks playoff series, another hero (April 13, 2016)
Once again facing a defending-champion Blackhawks team in the first round, the Blues would finally earn bragging rights and put the big-brother narrative to rest (explored later). To set the stage for the series, Game 1 would result in a scoreless tie through regulation. Just after nine minutes of overtime, defenseman Jay Bouwmeester found captain David Backes open for a corner-shot attempt. It wasn’t the prettiest shot in the world, but it slipped behind the Blackhawks net for a thrilling Game 1 win met by a raucous crowd.
NHL All-Star Weekend (January 2020)
On the heels of their Stanley Cup championship, the Blues earned national spotlight once again with the opportunity to host the NHL All-Star weekend festivities. Goaltender Jordan Bennington won the All-Star shootout challenge in the NHL Skills competition. On the following night, the Central Division’s All-Star lineup started with four Blues, a league-best for All-Star reps that included Binnington, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, and forwards Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron. Beloved Blues alumni Bernie Federko, Al MacInnis, Keith Tkachuk and Brett Hull also made cameos in the NHL All-Stars Skills competitions.
Top-Three Ranked Blues Moments
3) Troy Brouwer’s Game 7 heroics (April 25, 2016)
Still battling the reputation of being perennial first-round exits and second-fiddle to the Blackhawks, the Blues found a spark with their backs against the wall. After taking a 3-1 series lead over Chicago in the 2016 first round, St. Louis stumbled and allowed their rivals to force a winner-take-all Game 7. It was a true test to see if the Blues could defy bad luck mounting from recent playoff bids, and fortunately with home ice in their favor.
With the score tied 2-2 deep into the third period, forward Troy Brouwer answered the call when the Blues needed it most. After several attempts in front of the net, hitting the post and scrambling for control, Brouwer stayed gritty and eventually buried a loose puck behind the net.
The hard-fought goal sent the Enterprise Center into a frenzy. The Blues’ defense then locked down to hold the Blackhawks scoreless for the final 12 minutes, knocking the defending Stanley Cup champions out of playoffs and advancing to the second round. The Blues won their next playoff round against the Dallas Stars in seven games before they were eliminated in the Western Conference Final.
Brouwer’s persistence in the goal epitomized a physical, hard-working identity that took time for the Blues to refine after years of playoff disappointments. By eliminating the Blackhawks, the Blues instilled a new sense of belief that they could compete at the highest level, paving the foundation mentally for St. Louis’ Stanley Cup title just three years later.
2A & 2B) Alexander Steen’s incredible overtime goals (April 30, 2013 & April 17, 2014)
One of the glue guys between the Blues’ rebuild years and heightened bar for playoffs had not one, but two big overtime goals that still stand high in franchise playoff lore. Forward Alexander Steen delivered dramatic game-winning Game 1 playoff goals in back-to-back seasons, though in quite different fashions.
In 2013, taking on a defending-champion Los Angeles Kings squad that eliminated the Blues the previous year, Steen picked up the game’s opening goal in the first period and it nearly held as the game-winner, until Los Angeles netted an equalizer with 32 seconds left in the third period. That forced overtime.
In extras, while short-handed, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo cleared a puck to behind the Kings net. Goaltender Jonathan Quick attempted to circle to his right to clear a puck while pressured by Steen. Quick unexpectedly lost control of the puck, to which Steen swiftly scooped it on the back hand for an easy, open-net, game-calling goal. “Goodbye. Goodnight. Game over,” as Blues broadcaster John Kelly called it live.
In 2014, again taking on a defending-champion in the Chicago Blackhawks, the Blues were engaged in a highly-contested opener, so much that it needed three overtimes to call a winner. That said, it didn’t need too much time in the third overtime period. Only 26 seconds.
The Blues won an opening face-off and quickly worked a puck out of their defensive zone. Steen quickly fired a shot upon entering the offensive zone, which rebounded off of Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford. Blues captain David Backes found the puck behind the net, fed it back-handed to forward Steve Ott, who then promptly fed it back-handed to Steen. He did it again. Steen put the dramatic finishing touches on a Blues playoff opener and got a thunderous ovation from the St. Louis faithful well past midnight.
Oddly enough, the Blues ended up losing both series to the Kings and Blackhawks in six games, though Steen’s goals proved critical in transforming the Blues from a perceived easy playoff opponent to an admirable foe.
1) Hometown hero rises in quest for Cup (May 7, 2019)
For the second time in four years, the St. Louis Blues found themselves in a winner-take-all Game 7 against the Dallas Stars. The Blues were finally getting over the hurdle of not being able to advance deeper into playoffs, though the narrative was a bit different for this playoff round. The Blues were instead looking to overcome pressure that came with a dramatic midseason turnaround, finding themselves in the basement of the NHL standings in January after a sluggish regular-season start.
This Game 7 was a strong test of how much deeper the Blues could dig when the odds seemed unfavorable. Leading up to the game, the Blues fended off elimination in Dallas with a high-scoring Game 6 win. The series-deciding affair, however, proved low-scoring with the Blues and Stars trading first-period goals.
One emerging Game 7 storyline became the dominance of Stars goalie Ben Bishop, who had a brief NHL stint with the Blues and grew up in St. Louis. Bishop was busy the entire night, making 52 saves over the course of four and half periods. The Blues put pressure on with a higher volume and quality of scoring chances and Bishop refused to give up without a fight.
Ultimately, the contest would require two overtimes to produce a winner. Nearly six minutes into double overtime, Pat Maroon worked the magic. Blues forward Tyler Bozak won a faceoff to the left of Bishop, rookie Robert Thomas scooped up the puck and struck a goal post. Maroon found the rebound, cleaned it up and sent the Enterprise Center rocking.
That marked the official halfway point of every win the Blues would need for the first Stanley Cup title nearly one month later. It would ultimately be the last goal of Maroon’s Blues career, but it cemented his legacy of a hometown hero and a pivotal figure in the Blues’ historic run.
Honorable mentions
A brief list of other notable Blues moments at the Enterprise Center over three decades…
Retired numbers and ceremonies for Bernie Federko, Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, Chris Pronger and others (Various years)
Brett Hull enjoys two four-goal games (April 16, 1995 & October 10, 1995)
Al MacInnis sets Blues defenseman scoring record (December 2, 2000)
Scott Mellanby enjoys a four-goal game (March 6, 2003)
Blues-Red Wings rivalry gets heated with massive brawl (March 29, 2003)
Keith Tkachuk collects two assists in retirement sendoff game (April 9, 2010)
Blues win their first post-lockout playoff series (April 21, 2012)
Barret Jackman comes up with two big playoff goals (May 2, 2013 & April 19, 2014)
Fans chant “Kroenke Sucks” in Blues game after NFL Rams move (Jan. 13, 2016)
Blues rally for playoff series comeback over Wild (May 12, 2022)
Jordan Binnington gets engaged in “Wild” ruckus (March 15, 2023)
