(4-1-11) BLUES NOTEBOOK

Jackman, Steen timetable unknown; Janssen gets offensive in Detroit

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- T.J. Oshie wasn't the only one that got back on the ice. A pair of injured teammates continue to climb the trek towards a recovery.

It's still unknown if defenseman Barret Jackman (broken index finger) and winger Alex Steen (high ankle sprain) will see the ice in any of the remaining five games on the schedule, but the two continue to rehab in hopes of playing at some point this season.

Both players were injured on March 9 in Columbus and were initially diagnosed to be out 4-6 weeks.

"No timetable," Blues coach Davis Payne said of his two veteran players. "Obviously another good day for both of them. Faster progress than we thought.
"We take each day as it goes. ... I don't know what the timetable for either guy is right now."

* Janssen the point-producer -- Cam Janssen is known more to produce with his fists than with his stick. The Eureka, Mo. native is always looking to get the hometown fans revved up.

So when Janssen scored his first goal in 115 games -- his third career goal -- in Wednesday's record-setting 10-3 victory in Detroit, it was an eye-opener in many ways.

But not only did Janssen produce a goal, he added an assist for his first multi-point game of his career.

"I don't care if it went off my shin pad, my face or whatever the case," Janssen joked about his goal. "I just opened the floodgates."

Who would have ever imagined Janssen would be missing a fight to complete the Gordie Howe hat trick, which consists of a goal, assist and a fight in the same game.

Janssen was asked if the odds are better hitting the lottery than being a fight short for the Howe hatty.

"I am going to go to the gas station and pick up a lottery ticket just in case," Janssen kidded Thursday. "Just see what happens.

"I was definitely going to look for a fight there at the end, but I didn't get another shift."

The officials went to a review to see if Janssen didn't kick the puck into the net. It was obvious it went in off his shin pad, so what would have happened had the officials reversed the call?

"I probably would have jumped the boards and got suspended because I would have lost my mind," Janssen said. "I already got one point taken away from me this year, I don't want another one. The boys were calming me down on the bench, but until (the official) pointed to center ice, I was losing my mind."

* Role players step up -- A number of stats were revisited during the Blues' 10-3 win at Detroit, but a big reason why the Blues were able to score the most goals in franchise history at Joe Louis Arena: their third- and fourth-line players.

The Blues received 10 points from their role players, who include Chris Porter (two goals, assist), Janssen (goal, assist), Adam Cracknell (assist), B.J. Crombeen (goal, assist), Ryan Reaves (assist) and Philip McRae (assist).

It was indeed a rarity, something Payne said he'd never seen.

"Not to that level," Payne said. "I don't know what the odds were on the superfecta to that one.
"... You talk about the guys who did contribute that night, tough to predict, but in games, especially on the road, and as the season goes down into playoff situations, role guys have to contribute. This is where games are won and lost. We can pick up a lot of points in those situations when those guys are contributing."

It was probably the third period when Payne finally felt good about what was going on, considering the Red Wings' firepower.

"You never really feel like you're far enough away," Payne said. "It was important to us, like it has been, to continue to work within the structure, work with the right kind of effort. This is what will drive our success going forward.

"To win all three periods when it seemed like we had enough of a lead that you could throttle back a little bit, I think our guys stayed with it, stayed smart, stayed with decisions. You leave there with a good feeling. You don't get to do that too often against that hockey team."

* Blues host Flames -- The Blues (35-32-10) play host to the Calgary Flames (38-29-11) at 7 p.m. today and will be looking for their first win against Calgary this season.

Not only will the blues be looking to beat the Flames for the first time, they'll also be looking for their first goal against the Flames after being blanked in two previous meetings this season.

Calgary owns two shutout wins over the Blues, winning 1-0 in Calgary on Feb. 27 and embarrassing the Blues 6-0 here at Scottrade Center on March 1. They also beat them 4-1 Jan. 26.

Calgary is three points behind eighth-place Chicago in the race for the playoffs. The Blues will be officially eliminated with a regulation loss or a Chicago win or overtime/shootout point.

T.J. Oshie: "I was irresponsible"

Forward back on ice Thursday after two-game discipline

for unexcused missed practice; will play Friday

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- T.J. Oshie was back doing what he loves to do best: play hockey.

Oshie, who was disciplined two games for missing Monday's practice with an unexcused absence, was back on the ice Thursday morning with his teammates at the team's practice facility at St. Louis Mills after meeting earlier in the day with general manager Doug Armstrong, coach Davis Payne and the rest of the team.

Oshie, 24, will be back in the lineup when the Blues host the Calgary Flames Friday after Armstrong declared the incident over and done with.

"Davis and I did have a good meeting with T.J. today," Armstrong said. "He understands the severity of missing practice. He accepts his two-game absence from the team. We've moved on. T.J.'s ready to move on and we'll have him back in the lineup tomorrow.

"He understood the seriousness and he also understands the responsibility he has to his teammates and to the city and to the fans. He takes that responsibility serious. He understands what happened and he's ready to make amends to his teammates and we're ready to move forward with him."

Oshie met with his teammates to iron out the issue at hand and was relieved to do so.

"Just told them that I realized what I did and how unacceptable it was," Oshie said. "I just told them I'm ready to move forward, I'm ready to learn from this and to be more responsible on my own.

"I definitely want to earn their trust here the rest of the season and have a good summer, but we're a tight group of guys. We're a family. I think they're going to stick with me and hopefully help me grow out of this. ... It felt really good to get that off my chest. To not see them is the biggest thing. To not be with them when they go to war is tough."

Oshie, who was the last player off the ice for Thursday's optional skate, mingled with the dozens of fans in attendance and signed some autographs afterwards.

"There's some fans out there that stuck with me until the end," Oshie said. "To see their smiling faces was a huge relief for me.

"I love it here, I love playing in front of them. It's an honor to strap on the Blue Note and play in front of the St. Louis fans."

He met with the media and is remorseful about what took place leading up to his unexcused absence but wouldn't disclose any details.

"I was irresponsible. I made a mistake when I didn't show up for a morning practice," Oshie said. "I realize that it's my full responsibility to get here and to get here on time. From here on out, I'm trying to move forward.

"I've learned from what happened the last couple days. From here on, I just want to move forward. This is kind of an eye-opener for me. I know that this is unacceptable. I'm going to do everything I can to earn the trust back of the fans, who I love here in St. Louis, of management and mostly my teammates. They're the ones I go to battle with every night. I definitely never want to let them down again."

Oshie, who has 10 goals and 30 points in 44 games, was kept away from the team in order not to distract the rest of the squad from focusing on games with Minnesota and at Detroit.

"... Keeping him away from the team was not as a punishment but out of respect for the players playing the game," Armstrong said. "No player is more important than the team as total. If he had been with the team on Tuesday or Wednesday, he would have been the focal point. He's not the focal point of the organization. The game's the focal point. He wanted to make sure that stays true. Today's an off day. We addressed it today and we move forward."

Oshie took in Wednesday's game at teammate Barret Jackman's house. Jackman is on injured reserve with a broken index finger.

"I just wanted to talk to him, just make sure everything was good," Jackman said of Oshie. "He's a guy that really cares about his teammates. He's a great kid. I knew it was going to be tough on him, being away from the rink and worried about what the guys were thinking about him. He's a good friend of mine, he came over and we played with my son together. Just let him know that we still respect him as a teammate."

When Armstrong, Payne and the players were satisfied with the terms of Oshie's punishment and the satisfactory results from Thursday morning's meeting, he was allowed to return to his normal activities with the team.

"From a management perspective, we feel very comfortable that we've dealt with this," Armstrong said. "We feel comfortable with allowing him back on the ice and expect him to play very well.

"He's willing to accept the consequences, whatever they may be. He didn't know what they were going to be this morning when we met. But he understood that he had made a mistake. We all make mistakes in life. We're all ready to move on, he's ready to move on. We've all learned something from it and we're ready to move forward."

Payne agreed.

"We feel this is the right step for us, for T.J., for this team to get back on the ice and move forward," Payne said. "Missing two games like that and being away from our team, not being able to contribute is the message that we want to say to all our guys. It's team-first. It's actions that are team-based. There's nothing more important than that.

"We treat the situation very, very seriously. The consequences to his actions have been dealt with and we move forward from here."

This is the second incident in as many seasons the Blues have dealt with a younger player missing a practice. Center Patrik Berglund was disciplined one game last season after missing a practice because he overslept.

"Obviously it's going to be addressed again at the end of the year with the year-end meetings with management and I'm sure coaches and players as well," Jackman said. "Going into next year, our first meeting of the year is going to be about responsibility and professionalism. It's just something that you have to have trust in guys. Hopefully everybody in that room, we've learned from it and we're not having this conversation again. It's going to be more about how many wins we have and playoffs next year."

Oshie was not suspended nor fined for the incident, but he said he would not collect his game checks from either game, instead donating them to a pair of team-oriented charities.

"I want to let people know I did get paid for the two games that I missed," Oshie said. "I don't think that that's right. I will be giving Tuesday's pay to the Blues' 14 Fund and Wednesday's pay to Dream Factory (of St. Louis), two great charities."

Jackman said the team is ready to move on.

"Absolutely, he made a mistake and everybody makes a mistake ... his just happened to be a little bit bigger than some others," Jackman said. "He sat out the two games, which killed him. ... I knew it was eating him up inside. He's learned from his mistake, he's addressed the guys, he's apologized, he said that he wants to earn our trust back and we'll go forward with that."

The 14 Fund helps raise money for cancer care and awareness, health and wellness, education and youth hockey development. The Dream Factory is a non-profit volunteer organization that grants dreams to children with critical illnesses.

Wild snaps eight-game slide with shootout win over Blues

Two goals from Stewart not enough; Oshie sits first of two games

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Chris Stewart had just scored his second goal of the game to give the Blues a lead in the third period. But instead of doing the things that are typically a recipe for success, the Blues lost an edge.

It led to a 3-2 shootout loss to Minnesota, snapping the Wild's eight-game winless skid Tuesday night at Scottrade Center as the Blues played without forward T.J. Oshie, who was scratched earlier in the day for an unexcused team absence.

Stewart, who has 26 goals on the season, four goals in three games, now has five multi-goal games and 13 goals in 20 games with the Blues, put his team ahead 2-1 just a minute and 19 seconds into the third period.

But the Blues quickly lost that lead when Pierre-Marc Bouchard tied it at 3:47 of the final period and the Wild scored on two of three chances against Jaroslav Halak to win in the shootout here for the second time this season.

"The disappointing thing for me is a 2-1 lead and our puck decisions at that point weren't what they needed to be," Blues coach Davis Payne said. "We've talked a lot about these things for a while now.

"That's as off as we've been in quite some time as far as our discipline with puck decisions. We get ourselves to a lead, two scoring chances, faceoff in our own zone and the puck's in our net."

The Blues (34-32-10), who play in Detroit tonight, agreed.

"I think after we scored that goal, the shift after, we did some things that put us in bad areas, put us in tough positions," defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo said. "Unfortunately, they got a lucky bounce off a stick and it went in.

"Throughout the game, any time there's a goal scored for or against you, I think the next shift is the most important one. If you score the goal, you want to continue the momentum in their end, if you get scored against, you want to change the momentum."

The Blues, who got a shootout goal from Andy McDonald, never would have gotten to that point had it not been for their penalty killers.

They needed to kill off the last minute of regulation after Matt D'Agostini was whistled for flipping the puck over the glass, and it turned into a two-man advantage when Vladimir Sobotka, who returned to the lineup after missing 12 games with a broken foot, went off for tripping.

In overtime, instead of playing 4-on-2, which is not allowed, the Blues played with three players and Minnesota was given access to a fifth skater since overtime is a 4-on-4 game. When the Blues first player came out of the box, the teams played 5-on-4 until there is a whistle for stoppage in play.

But the Blues were up to the challenge despite being outshot 8-1 in the overtime period.

"They did a great job as far as me seeing the puck and clearing guys for me in front of the net," goalie Jaroslav Halak said of his PK unit. "I had good view on the pucks."

Said Payne, "Great job by the killers. I'm not taking away from that, but to me it should have been a 6-on-5 situation (at the end of the game, with Minnesota playing with an extra attacker and down 2-1) instead of a 4-on-3, 5-on-3, 5-on-4 situation (in overtime)."

After Eric Nystrom gave the Wild (36-32-8) a 1-0 lead just 1:43 into the game, Stewart tied it up on the power play after nifty passing from McDonald and Patrik Berglund, who tied his career-high in points with 47.

The Blues missed out on a golden opportunity in the first when they had 55 seconds of a two-man advantage and generated only two shots.

"I wrestled with the timeout there, probably could have used one to get the first unit back out there," Payne said. "... We had a low situation where we had possession, but they take away high stuff. You can't just tee it up in the shin pads. You've got to execute to what the next play is.

"I thought we got it there a time or two, just not with enough sustained pressure, not enough shot-lane situations. That one could have gone differently, certainly, if I had called a timeout there."

Stewart's second of the game came after he saw Ryan Reaves crashing the net. Stewart flipped a backhand pass towards the goal and it caromed in off Jose Theodore's right skate.

"That first one, Berglund made an unbelievable pass," Stewart said. "That second one, I was just trying to throw it on net. I saw Reaver there ... the puck had eyes."

But the Blues couldn't generate what they needed after grabbing that third-period lead, which is often the case so crucial in the league.

"You look at our second period, we had some puck possessions, but we never forced them to go all the way back to their net," Payne said of the Wild. "We were always looking for that next pass. You have to be disciplined in that area.

"You get yourself out into a third period, you get yourself a lead, every puck's got to go behind d-men, every puck has to be put in a situation where they have to go 200 feet and work through your structure. We didn't do that. I have a pretty good feeling the team tomorrow night will take full advantage if we don't clean that up."

The Blues, who beat Minnesota 6-3 on Saturday and outshot them 47-16 in that game, saw a much different team here Tuesday.

"That's usually the case in this league," Stewart said. "Teams respond well, especially with them not playing well in their building. We knew they were going to come out and have a little zip in their game."

"I think for the most part, we did a lot of things well in that game," Colaiacovo said. "I think we got away from shooting the puck as good as we normally do. Unfortunately, we came up short. We've got to put this one behind us and focus on a Detroit team tomorrow that's going to bring a lot more."

Blues ground Oshie two games for unexcused absence

Forward missed Tuesday's home game,

will miss tonight's game in Detroit

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The Blues sent a loud and clear message to T.J. Oshie: inexcusable actions will be met with proper punishment.

Oshie missed Monday's practice with the Blues saying it was "an unexcused absence." General manager Doug Armstrong announced Tuesday morning that Oshie would miss two games, Tuesday night's 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild and tonight's road game in Detroit. Armstrong and coach Davis Payne will then reevaluate things moving forward from there.

"We've decided that he'll miss the next two games and we'll reevaluate everything on Thursday when we get back from the road trip," Armstrong said succinctly. "... Right now for myself, for Davis and more importantly for the players, they have to focus on the four points at hand here in the next 24 hours and that's going to be the focus moving forward."

Armstrong nor Payne would not get into any specifics as to why Oshie missed, but it's quite obvious he violated a team rule and will meet the appropriate punishment.

"I'm not going to get into any of the details on what's gone on, what's been said, what's the storyline behind it, what were the conversations like," Payne said. "The bottom line is he's out these two games and it's based on him missing practice yesterday.

"We consider it (serious). I know Osh does as well. That's the message. We dealt with this situation last year with Patrik Berglund. These are not the type of actions that are required as a member of the St. Louis Blues, a member of this organization. Those are the consequences starting today and we'll move forward and look at it again on Thursday."

Oshie was not present at Scottrade Center Tuesday morning nor will he be allowed to participate in any team-related functions for at least two days. Armstrong specifically said that Oshie is not suspended nor will he be fined by the team.

"There's a responsibility for the players. He didn't meet that responsibility," Armstrong said of Oshie. "He'll pay the consequences as we move forward. ... He's a professional athlete. They have a job to do and you have to be prepared to do that job. He had an unexcused absence from practice and the consequences are he won't get to do what he loves to do, which is play hockey."

Oshie, 24, has had issues previously. As a junior at North Dakota in 2008, he was suspended one game after an arrest for disorderly conduct, reportedly stemming from public urination in a stuck elevator at Oshie's apartment building. Oshie was on probation at the time after he and then-teammate and current Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews were arrested in 2007 for being underage in a bar.

"There's consequences to his actions," Payne said of Oshie. "We'll start with these two days, these two games. He won't be with the team, he won't play. Doug and I will assess that going forward starting Thursday."

Oshie, who has 10 goals and 30 points in 44 games, is in the final year of an entry-level contract that pays him an $850,000 base salary and another $400,000 in bonuses. He will be a restricted free agent this off-season.

The Blues recalled Adam Cracknell on an emergency basis to take the place of Oshie.

(3-29-11) Wild-Blues Gameday Lineup

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The Blues sent a loud and clear message to T.J. Oshie: inexcusable actions will be met with proper punishment.

Oshie missed Monday's practice with the Blues saying it was "an unexcused absence." General manager Doug Armstrong announced Tuesday morning that Oshie will miss two games, tonight's game against the Minnesota Wild and tomorrow night's road game in Detroit. Armstrong and coach Davis Payne will then reevaluate things moving forward from there.

"We've decided that he'll miss the next two games and we'll reevaluate everything on Thursday when we get back from the road trip," Armstrong said succinctly. "... Right now for myself, for Davis and more importantly for the players, they have to focus on the four points at hand here in the next 24 hours and that's going to be the focus moving forward."

Armstrong nor Payne would not get into any specifics as to why Oshie missed, but it's quite obvious he violated a team rule and will meet the appropriate punishment.

"I'm not going to get into any of the details on what's gone on, what's been said, what's the storyline behind it, what were the conversations like," Payne said. "The bottom line is he's out these two games and it's based on him missing practice yesterday.

"We consider it (serious). I know Osh does as well. That's the message. We dealt with this situation last year with Patrik Berglund. These are not the type of actions that are required as a member of the St. Louis Blues, a member of this organization. Those are the consequences starting today and we'll move forward and look at it again on Thursday."

Oshie was not present at Scottrade Center Tuesday morning nor will he be allowed to participate in any team-related functions for at least the next two days. Armstrong specifically said that Oshie is not suspended nor will he be fined by the team.

"There's a responsibility for the players. He didn't meet that responsibility," Armstrong said of Oshie. "He'll pay the consequences as we move forward. ... He's a professional athlete. They have a job to do and you have to be prepared to do that job. He had an unexcused absence from practice and the consequences are he won't get to do what he loves to do, which is play hockey."

Oshie, 24, has had issues previously. As a junior at North Dakota in 2008, he was suspended one game after an arrest for disorderly conduct, reportedly stemming from public urination in a stuck elevator at Oshie's apartment building. Oshie was on probation at the time after he and then-teammate and current Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews were arrested in 2007 for being underage in a bar.

"There's consequences to his actions," Payne said of Oshie. "We'll start with these two days, these two games. He won't be with the team, he won't play. Doug and I will assess that going forward starting Thursday."

Oshie, who has 10 goals and 30 points in 44 games, is in the final year of an entry-level contract that pays him an $850,000 base salary and another $400,000 in bonuses. He will be a restricted free agent this off-season.

- - -

To take the place of Oshie in the lineup, the Blues have recalled Adam Cracknell from Peoria under emergency conditions.

Cracknell has three goals and three assists in 22 games

He has scored in two straight games but was optioned back to Peoria Sunday. He had been initially on emergency recall when Vladimir Sobotka (foot) was injured on Feb. 27.

"Opportunity and timing has been perfect this year," Cracknell said. "I was in the Calgary organization playing in the East Coast (Hockey League) for two years and got a shot in the (American Hockey League). Sometimes change is good.

"The Blues took a shot on me last year and I just wanted to show that I can play here. It's been a dream-come-true and I'm living every kid's dream right now. It's a great feeling for myself and the people back home, too."

The Blues signed Cracknell, a Prince Albert, Saskatchewan native, as a free agent in 2009 after tallying 29 goals and 59 points in 61 games for Las Vegas of the ECHL.

"Another situation arises. Opportunity knocks," Payne said of Cracknell. "With the way he's been playing, you expect nothing more from him than to answer that door.

"He understands what it takes to have success at this level. It's his game, it's the work that goes into it. He plays a very intelligent game. I think he's gotten a clear understanding that he can have an affect on the game positively for us. He's playing like that."

- - -

The Blues (34-32-9) will look to make it two in a row against the Wild (35-32-8) today at 7 p.m. (FSN, KMOX 1120-AM) after doubling up Minnesota 6-3 Saturday in St. Paul.

The Blues will welcome Sobotka back to the lineup tonight after missing 12 games. Also, defenseman Barret Jackman (broken index finger) and winger Alex Steen (high ankle sprain) were on the ice skating but are not ready to return to action.

Tonight's lineup:

Andy McDonald-David Backes-Matt D'Agostini

Vladimir Sobotka-Patrik Berglund-Chris Stewart

Chris Porter-Adam Cracknell-B.J. Crombeen

Ryan Reaves-Philip McRae-Cam Janssen

Carlo Colaiacovo-Alex Pietrangelo

Ian Cole-Kevin Shattenkirk

Nikita Nikitin-Roman Polak

Jaroslav Halak, 0-1-1 with a 4.52 goals-against average and .851 save percentage in two career starts against the Wild, returns in goal tonight after Ty Conklin stopped 13 of 16 shots Saturday.

- - -

The Wild is 0-7-1 in its last eight games and it's fallen out of the playoff race in the process. Minnesota was outshot 47-16 at home against the Blues and were uncharacteristically booed off the ice during and after the game.

Minnesota's expected lineup:

Andrew Brunette-Mikko Koivu-Antti Miettinen

Pierre-Marc Bouchard-Kyle Brodziak-Martin Havlat

Matt Cullen-John Madden-Cal Clutterbuck

Casey Wellman-Eric Nystrom-Brad Staubitz

Nick Schultz-Brent Burns

Greg Zanon-Marek Zidlicky

Jared Spurgeon-Clayton Stoner

Jose Theodore, 2-5-1 in eight career games against the Blues with a 4.13 GAA and .853 save percentage, gets the nod for the Wild.

(3-29-11) BLUES NOTEBOOK

Oshie absence from practice deemed unexcused;
Steen, Jackman skate, Sobotka set to return tonight

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- Blues forward T.J. Oshie was noticeably absent from practice on Monday, and then it was learned that Oshie's absence was "an unexcused absence," according to the team.

The Blues were on the ice Monday at their practice facility at St. Louis Mills but Oshie was not and it was not known if he was even in the building at any given point. He is not expected to play tonight when the Blues host the Minnesota Wild.

The Blues would not address the situation on Monday other than Payne saying he would discuss the matter with general manager Doug Armstrong regarding proper punishment and that the details would be handled internally.

Armstrong will address the situation at some point this morning.

Oshie, in the final year of a contract that pays him $850,000 ($1.275 million cap hit), missed 31 games earlier this season with a broken ankle.

The Blues' Patrik Berglund was suspended one game last season for missing a practice because he overslept.

* Steen, Jackman take ice -- Alex Steen and Barret Jackman, who both were injured in a 4-3 overtime victory at Columbus on March 9, were on the ice with the Blues Monday morning.

Jackman, who suffered a broken index finger on his right hand, skated throughout the entire practice, while Steen, who suffered a high ankle sprain, took the ice for about 10 minutes after donning a protective boot for the first time Sunday.

"I went out there without any expectations to see how much I trust (the ankle), how much it's healed in those two (plus) weeks.

"I'm surprised it felt as good as it did, that I was even able to go out there. I'm happy, but there's still a long way to go."

Both players were initially expected to miss 4-6 weeks but could return before the end of the regular season, which has seven games remaining.

"He'd be the biggest question mark," Blues coach Davis Payne said regarding Steen. "I think Jacks at some point will be able to do enough things with the puck for him to be able to get back in there. There's no certainly on that, but I'd place the probability on that one."

* Sobotka to return tonight -- Forward Vladimir Sobotka, who's missed the last 12 games with a broken foot, will make his return tonight against the Wild.

Sobotka was injured Feb. 27 in Calgary while blocking a Jarome Iginla shot.

"I'm really excited to play again," said Sobotka, who has 24 points in 58 games this season. "I knew when it happened that it would be a little earlier than six weeks. I just did everything that I had to do and I'm glad to be back.

"My foot has healed up. I can't feel anything. It was about some practicing and most of the time was about conditioning."

With Sobotka returning, that means forward Adam Cracknell, recalled under emergency conditions, will remain in Peoria unless needed further. The Blues, who reassigned both Cracknell and defenseman Ian Cole Sunday, did bring Cole back Monday to play tonight against Minnesota.

"With Sobe coming back and the emergency conditions, that affects Cracknell in that way," Payne said.

* Cracknell impressive -- Although Cracknell was sent back to Peoria, he made a lasting impression in the NHL and got high marks from Payne.

"I thought be was excellent," Payne said of Cracknell. "I thought he was a guy who worked, he executed structure, detail. He's an intelligent hockey player."

Cracknell collected three goals and three assists in 22 games with the Blues, including tallying goals in each of the previous two games.

"His first time up, the pace he was at early didn't seem to fall off," Payne said. "I thought he maintained pace and was effective from start to finish. We used him on the wing, we used him at center, got in some penalty killing minutes, blocked some big shots for us. He did everything he needed to do."

* Rematch with Wild -- The Blues (34-32-9) will look to duplicate the effort they received against the Wild (35-32-8) when they doubled up Minnesota 6-3 Saturday in St. Paul.

The Blues outshot the Wild 47-16 in that contest and got goals from six different players

"It was a good team effort," winger Chris Porter said. "Everybody was ready to play. Everybody played the way we're supposed to play, it was a good team effort. I think we would have hung around with anybody that night.

"If we can replicate that the last seven games, we'll win more than we'll lose."

Turmoil seems to be residing in Minnesota, who are 0-7-1 in their previous eight games, but not so in St. Louis, where the Blues have played good hockey without always getting the end result with a younger lineup.

"They understand that success now isn't a lost cause," Payne said of his team. "It's about setting yourself up for next year, it's about habits and details and making sure that there's an imprint there that we carry forward."

Temporary or permanent, Oshie solid option at center

Injuries, trade leave Blues thin down the middle

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- Nine games ago, Blues coach Davis Payne needed someone to step into a role down the middle, someone that could fit in during the ladder stages of a season without having to go through an abundance of tutorial.

Enter T.J. Oshie, who's had extensive time playing down the middle, mostly while at the University of North Dakota.

Oshie, the Blues' first-round pick in 2005, has had stints playing center in the NHL as well, but his versatility has been utilized mostly on the wing.

However, nine games ago there was a need. Jay McClement was traded, Patrik Berglund is currently banged up and Vladimir Sobotka has missed 12 games with a broken foot.

"There's more than one benefit. There's probably two (and) three benefits for the situation in that right now, it's out of necessity," Payne said. "With Bergy being out and Sobotka being out, Jay Mac involved in the trade, it creates a hole there and we need a guy that can step in.

"Obviously when you play some teams that are three lines deep, you need to have that ability. That's been the necessity."

Oshie, 24, has performed well. He began playing down the middle against Columbus on March 7 as a third-line center and moved up to second-line center after Berglund suffered a lower-body injury two games ago in Phoenix.

After Thursday's one-goal, one-assist performance in a 4-0 win over Edmonton, Oshie has four goals and five points in nine games. But is this move a temporary fix or are the Blues (33-32-9) looking at this as an opportunity that could lead to a more permanent role in the future?

Payne is certainly open to the idea.

"The benefits are seeing him play in that situation; it gives us options," Payne said. "It gives us a real tenacious, intelligent checker down low. I think in d-zone coverage other than the San Jose game, the games he's been down low in those areas have been really, really good. We have to look at that and say, 'Is this a long-term option for us in whatever role fits our lineup?' The versatility of him both defensively and offensively is something here that we're getting a great look at."

In his third season with the Blues, there was some perception that Oshie would have developed into more of a scoring forward than someone who is heavily relied on as a shutdown player. But Oshie has shown signs of being both a scorer and defensive stalwart. His relentless energy with or without the puck is proof positive.

"I think the guys we have out and the situation we're in right now and moving to center, I'm moving more to a defensive role," said Oshie, who has 10 goals and 29 points in 43 games this season. "But they're asking me to shoot the puck a lot. They're wanting me to have a little more faith in my shot. I've been doing that lately. I think I've been averaging around five shots a game the last five games. Just keep that up, keep shooting, keep scoring. I obviously want to put more points on the board."

Oshie's rookie season produced 14 goals and 39 points in 57 games that was limited because of an ankle injury. He followed that up with 18 goals 48 points in 76 games a season ago. And looking at this season, the numbers have not been there mainly because of a broken ankle that forced Oshie to miss 31 games.

But moving forward, the opportunities seem to be there for Oshie to thrive in a position that looks like a natural fit for him.

"We saw him in the beginning of the year in a top six role with some success," Payne said of Oshie. "I think that the scoring role for him is going to be understanding how to create beyond the one-on-one. That's something young offensive players all have to continue to understand that this is a two-on-one, create-your-advantage-with-your-teammate kind of league because defense gets better as the year goes on.

"As you face top-end defensive players, you have to look to create those spaces and those angles of opportunity, those transition opportunities in short spaces with the give-and-go mentality. This is something that not with just him but with all our guys we're having to preach because you're not going to beat a lot of top defensemen one-on-one, whether it's on the rush or out of the corners or in net-front situations. They're pretty skilled at defending with their sticks and the support layers that are in behind. It's just far too difficult. The best players in the world have trouble doing it. It's something that we've had to emphasize to all our guys."

For the time being, Oshie will center a line with Chris Stewart on it. The two seemed to click Thursday night. And when Berglund returns to reclaim the No. 2 center position, Oshie will likely slide back to being a No. 3 center, one more geared towards being a defensive marksman with the versatility of providing offensive punch.

The Blues know they will have options with Oshie -- a restricted free agent this summer -- moving forward. Whether Oshie stays in the middle or moves back to the wing, he has no preference.

"Honestly, I feel the same amount of comfort ability there and on the wing," Oshie said. "... If they need me to be a centerman, I definitely can do it. We've got three good centermen in Sobotka, Bergy and Backs (David Backes). But if it comes down to it that they want me to play middle, I'm definitely comfortable with it."

* NOTES -- The Blues practiced Friday at St. Louis Mills before departing for Minnesota, where they'll play the Wild in a home-and-home series starting today in St. Paul (7 p.m. on FSN, KMOX 1120-AM). The Wild (35-31-8) are winless in seven straight, going 0-6-1. The rematch is slated for Tuesday in St. Louis. ... Berglund (lower-body) did not practice Friday but accompanied the team to Minnesota. He is questionable at best but more inclined as doubtful to play. Andy McDonald and Roman Polak also missed practice Friday but made the trip and will play. ... Expect Jaroslav Halak to make the start once again. Halak has started eight consecutive games since coming back from a broken hand and is 4-3-0 in that span.

Blues blank Oilers for second straight meeting

Oshie, Halak lead charge in 4-0 victory,

extend Edmonton's winless skid to eight

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Maybe the Blues don't have much to play for. The playoffs are all but out of the question.

But the way T.J. Oshie and his Blues teammates feel after Thursday night's 4-0 victory over the hapless Edmonton Oilers, there's much more meaning to the remaining eight games than just making the playoffs.

"Pride. Playing for the guys next to you," said Oshie, who picked up a goal and an assist. "Obviously, a huge part of it is playing for the fans that have supported us all year, even in our darkest hours when we weren't playing very good there. ... We'll play for them and from here on out and the guys sitting next to us."

The Blues (33-32-9), who had lost four of the last five, needed roughly 40 minutes to get the wheels going in motion and get the 19,150 at Scottrade Center into the game even after a trio of fights in the first period.

Oshie's goal with 1 minute 32 seconds left in the second period on a wicked wrister that beat Nikolai Khabibulin high on the short side gave the Blues all the goals they would need.

"I figured (Khabibulin) would be leaning," Oshie said. "Not a high percentage shot, but it went in. I'll definitely take it.

"I think we just needed to get one on the board to fold our game into the next step. We weren't generating too much. Fortunately, we popped one and kind of went from there."

The Blues got three third-period goals from Matt D'Agostini, Chris Stewart and Adam Cracknell to break the game open and Jaroslav Halak pitched his sixth shutout of the season after making only 12 stops.

The Blues, who extended the Oilers' winless skid to eight games (0-6-2), did so by blanking Edmonton for the second straight meeting and extending that team shutout streak over the Oilers to 141:08, dating back to the second period of a 5-3 Blues win here on Feb. 4.

"It's good defense," defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. "... Twelve shots against, but we really didn't get to the game we wanted to until the third period.

"Some positive things to obviously take from it."

The Blues entered the game on a 1-for-17 funk on the power play but got man advantage goals from D'Agostini 2:12 into the third and Stewart 8:30 into the third to seal a victory.

"We had to get skating," Blues coach Davis Payne said. "Yeah, we came back from a (four-game) road trip, but we had to realize it was a lot about support in all those areas, getting skating, getting to the right spots, making sure we had outlets for the pucks. I didn't think we did that very well in the first. I thought even in the second, it dropped off a little bit. We had to really get ourselves back on track after the second because it was a game that really could have gone either way those first two periods.

"We didn't play our kind of hockey for the first two periods. Good thing we did in the third."

The Blues played the kind of hockey in the third period that had earned them high marks through many of their victories this season. They played shutdown, lockdown hockey against an Edmonton team that didn't register a shot in the final period until there was 1:08 left in the game. The Oilers went 28:34 between shots in the game and the Blues were able to fire off with the man advantage.

"At the end of the second when we had the penalty kills, we got to our game," Pietrangelo said. "Guys were on their toes again, and obviously the power play in the third period got things going for us. That's what we needed to do."

D'Agostini extended the lead 2:12 into the third period by snapping a shot that squirted between Khabibulin's pads from the low left circle.

Stewart added his 10th goal with the Blues and 23rd overall since coming in a trade with Colorado on Feb. 19 by finishing off Oshie's feed from the slot 8:30 into the third period.

Cracknell made it 4-0 with a one-time finish of a cross-ice feed from Kevin Shattenkirk with 4:53 remaining.

Although there were no goals scored in the first period, there were three fights that kept the crowd entertained. Cam Janssen and Jim Vandermeer kicked things off in a lengthy bout, followed by Ryan Reaves and Theo Peckham after 1 second ticked off the clock. Then, B.J. Crombeen and Jean-Francois Jacques completed the fight hat trick near the end of the opening period.

"We were kind of flat to start out the game and they kind of found their game early on," D'Agostini said. "It was a good job by those guys to step up. It woke us up a little bit.

"Slowly but surely, we got to our game."

* NOTES -- Blues center Patrik Berglund (lower-body injury) missed his first game of the season. That leaves David Backes and D'Agostini as the only players to have appeared in all 74 games this season. Center T.J. Hensick was recalled from Peoria to replace Berglund. ... The Oilers have scored two or fewer goals during this eight-game winless streak. ... The Blues are playing without defenseman Barret Jackman (finger), left winger Alex Steen (ankle), right winger David Perron (concussion) and center Vladimir Sobotka (foot). ... Oilers defenseman Kurtis Foster (neck) missed the game after being injured Tuesday in Nashville. Foster joined defenseman Ryan Whitney (ankle), left winger Taylor Hall (ankle), right winger Ales Hemsky (shoulder), center Sam Gagner (hand), center Shawn Horcoff (ankle) and right winger Gilbert Brule (concussion) on the injured list. ... The Blues have killed 26 consecutive Oilers power plays dating to the 2008-09 season.

(3-24-11) Oilers-Blues Gameday Lineup

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- As the Blues play out the final string of games in the 2010-11 regular season, reality has set in that there won't be any more hockey beyond Game No. 82 -- again.

For the fifth time in six seasons since the 2004-05 lockout, the Blues will be on the outside looking in. They haven't been mathematically eliminated from the playoff chase yet (they enter tonight 12 points in back of eighth-place Anaheim) with nine games remaining but it's evident reality has finally taken over perception.

"It's tough to swallow," center T.J. Oshie said. "That date is getting closer and closer, which makes it tough. But we're still playing hockey, trying to get better and having fun."

The Blues (32-32-9), who host the Edmonton Oilers (23-40-10) at 7 p.m. today (FSN, KMOX 1120-AM), will try to avoid falling below the .500 mark for the first time this season.

"We've been dealing with some of these realities for some time," Blues coach Davis Payne said. "Our motive is to continue to play with that kind of effort, to continue to play with the kind of detail and execution levels that are going to drive success.

"Right now, we're moving forward in the future. It's not going to be a switch that we're going to turn on around here."

The Blues are coming off a 1-3 trip in which there was a fine line between going 3-1 or 4-0.

But in the process, they're getting an extensive look at players (Ian Cole, Adam Cracknell, Ryan Reaves, T.J. Hensick, Chris Porter and Philip McRae) that under normal circumstances would not have spent such extensive time here and played in Peoria.

"That evaluation process has been going on," Payne said regarding the younger players. "Obviously with new guys in the lineup, young guys up and playing ... it's important for us to be looking at defining success. It's through effort, first and second efforts, it's through the habits and the details that we show through paying attention to structure. Ultimately, finding ways to create success."

- - -

The Blues were in Anaheim last week when they found out that chairman Dave Checketts has placed the franchise for sale. But instead of fretting and pondering what the future of the franchise will be like, say, this summer, it's been business as usual for the coaches and players.

"We can't worry about stuff that's two floors up and well beyond any decision-making that we'll have," Payne said. "That would be the easy option for us. If we're answering that question down at this level, which is ice level -- coaches and players, that obviously would be the easy answer. But for us, our job is to play, our job is to coach and prepare."

- - -

When Oshie played at the University of North Dakota, he had extensive time playing down the middle.

Oshie, drafted in the first round by the Blues in 2005 and who's spent the majority of his career as a winger in the NHL, has spent the last eight games playing center.

Whether it's out of necessity with all the injuries the Blues have suffered or the team is looking at Oshie as a permanent fixture there, Oshie said it's all the same for him.

"Honestly, I feel the same amount of comfort ability there and on the wing," said Oshie, who's scored three goals in the eight games. "There's a little more responsibility there in my end, most of the things I had to get used to again. Certain reads from a winger's perspective, you just kind of back up and retake your ice. A centerman, if you get on the wrong side of the ice, he's going on net and getting an opportunity.

"A couple video sessions that brought my mindset a little differently how to defend people has really helped out. I can't just go in there 100 miles an hour. I'm getting comfortable with it."

- - -

The NCAA West Regional will take place here at Scottrade Center on Friday and Saturday, with Blues prospect and last summer's first-round pick Jaden Schwartz in town with his Colorado College team. But one certain Blues player will have his mind -- and heart -- set in Green Bay and the Midwest Regional, where the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota will be playing on Saturday against Rensselaer.

"I've been keeping tabs on them all year. I always do," Oshie said of his alma mater. "This senior group that's there right now were the freshmen that I tried to take under my wing when I was there my last year. It's exciting to watch them play, it's exciting to watch the (Matt) Frattin, (Evan) Trupp and (Brad) Malone line. Those three guys are some of my really close buddies."

North Dakota will take a 12-0-1 record into their matchup Saturday and has been tabbed as one of the favorites to win the national championship this season.

"They're definitely at the top of my list, even though I'm a little bit of a homer," Oshie said. "You watch games that they play and there's some guys on that team that just dominate."

- - -

The Blues' Vladimir Sobotka, who's missed the last 11 games after suffering a cracked bone in his left foot Feb. 27 in Calgary, skated this morning and is close to a return from the lineup.

"Getting closer. No timeline in mind yet," Payne said. "Obviously there's a timeline there with the foot. Close but not all the way."

Sobotka, who has 18 assists and 24 points in 58 games, said things are progressing well and a return is within days.

"I'm working out and doing everything I can to be 100 percent," Sobotka said. "The foot feels good. We're on schedule. I would say a little bit ahead, but we'll see how it goes."

- - -

The Blues will be without Patrik Berglund (lower-body) tonight after the center stepped on the puck and was injured in the third period of Tuesday's 2-1 loss in Phoenix. The team recalled Hensick under emergency conditions to fill in for Berglund, who has 18 goals and 45 points in 73 games this season.

That means only David Backes and Matt D'Agostini remain as the only players who will have played in every game this season. Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo (illness) returns after missing Tuesday night.

Here is the Blues' lineup for tonight:

Andy McDonald-David Backes-Matt D'Agostini

Philip McRae-T.J. Oshie-Chris Stewart

Chris Porter-Adam Cracknell-B.J. Crombeen

Cam Janssen-T.J. Hensick-Ryan Reaves

Carlo Colaiacovo-Alex Pietrangelo

Ian Cole-Kevin Shattenkirk

Nikita Nikitin-Roman Polak

Jaroslav Halak will make his eighth consecutive start. Halak has a 1-0-1 lifetime mark against Edmonton with a 2.88 goals-against average and .882 save percentage.

- - -

The Oilers have also been hit with the injury bug to key players in recent weeks. Defenseman Ryan Whitney (ankle), left winger Taylor Hall (ankle), right winger Ales Hemsky (shoulder), center Sam Gagner (hand), center Shawn Horcoff (ankle), right winger Gilbert Brule (concussion) and defenseman Kurtis Foster (neck) are all out.

Winger J-F Jacques and center Colin Fraser, who both were dealing with foot injuries, return to the lineup tonight:

Ryan Jones-Andrew Cogliano-Jordan Eberle

Magnus Paajarvi-Ryan O'Marra-Linus Omark

Teemu Hartikainen-Chris VandeVelde-Liam Reddox

J-F Jacques-Colin Fraser-Steve MacIntyre

Ladislav Smid-Tom Gilbert

Jim Vandermeer-Jeff Petry

Jason Strudwick-Theo Peckham

Nikolai Khabibulin gets the start for the Oilers in goal tonight. Khabibulin (10-28-3 this season), is 20-14-4 with a 2.78 GAA and .909 save percentage in 42 career games against the Blues. Khabibulin was in net when the Oilers beat the Blues 2-1 in overtime on Dec. 4. Devan Dubnyk is 0-2 against the Blues this season.

Checketts puts Blues, Scottrade Center up for sale

SCP Worldwide unable to come to agreement with TowerBrook

Capital Partners on value of franchise; asking price too much

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Dave Checketts wanted to remain in St. Louis and stay on as owner of the Blues.

But as the old saying goes: money talks, and you-know-what walks. And in this case, it's all about differing opinions on what the Blues are worth.

Checketts and his partnership group, Sports Capital Partners Worldwide, were looking for an investment group that would but majority share of the Blues, Scottrade Center and the franchise's AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen from TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P. Checketts also owns Peabody Opera House, which is under renovation, but Checketts indicated that is a separate entity.

Checketts and his group could not come to an agreement on the franchise's value and thus, have put the Blues, Scottrade Center and the Rivermen up for sale, a move announced Wednesday evening. Game Plan LLC, based out of South Florida, has been brought in to conduct a search for a new owner.

Checketts and SCP Worldwide was trying to organize a group of investors, some locally, to purchase majority ownership of the franchise and buying out TowerBrook Capital Partners, a private equity firm. TowerBrook owns approximately 70 percent of the franchise, SCP Worldwide 20 percent and minority owner Tom Stillman 10 percent.

But TowerBrook and SCP could not come up with an affable number on what the franchise is worth, and thus, Checketts now becomes a seller himself instead of a buyer.

"We have tried putting together a group, which includes local investors, as well as others with the intention of buying out TowerBrook Capital Partners," Checketts said in a conference call. "This has been going on for months and the last two months having raised the money that I needed, we began negotiations in earnest with TowerBrook and we have been unable to come to an agreement with them on terms that they will accept.

"This is a story that has gone on longer than anyone would have liked it to."

This story began a year ago in May when TowerBrook announced they would be divesting it's share in the hockey club but would remain with Checketts and SCP Worldwide until a new ownership group would be put in place.

Checketts, who said he went on to announce that he would have news regarding a new ownership group by the end of the calendar year. Nothing came of that but Checketts would say that an investor group was "95 percent assembled," and that in the coming weeks, they would work on league approvals and getting things wrapped up. That timeframe was assumed to be around the NHL's All-Star break.

When nothing came of that, it was with concern that things didn't pan out like Checketts and his people had hoped. And it's come to this conclusion.

"This is a difficult, personal decision for me because we've all come to love this team, my family and I, we love the city of St. Louis and we are especially grateful to the fans who have been just terrific," Checketts said. "I could not have asked for better from the fans of St. Louis. But now, we look forward to finding a buyer that shares the same passion that we've had, and the same commitment.

"There's no timetable in this process. But I felt it was important to go public that I am no longer a buyer of the franchise but in fact a seller alongside TowerBrook. The Blues franchise and arena are all for sale as of this moment. I will not try and stay in. It will be open to a new buyer."

Checketts, who was filled with so much promise early in 2011, said the decision was made recently.

"This decision was made towards the end of last week and over the weekend, and lots of conversation with our partners (at) TowerBrook," Checketts said. "... The franchise is in really good shape, much better shape than it was when we came along five years ago."

Checketts, whose investment firm also owns Utah's Real Salt Lake Major League Soccer team, bought the Blues in March 2006 from Bill and Nancy Laurie for $150 million. According to Forbes Magazine, the franchise's value at the end of 2010 was $165 million.

The franchise is in much better shape today, but it appears that the end of the line has come.

"It's pretty simple. This is where I've been for the last couple months, trying to make a deal with TowerBrook," Checketts said. "It couldn't happen. It's just very difficult when there are differences and opinions in terms that we couldn't live with, our new investors couldn't live with and our old ones couldn't live with. As a result, just out of respect for them and frankly because we had told them this is what we'd do if we couldn't make a deal, I now have to turn and put the franchise up for sale.

"... This is simply a legacy group of investors who believed that we've made the franchise a significant amount of money and they want out at that price. It's that simple. There's nothing else here. That group of new investors, with the economy and everything else ... we just couldn't agree on the terms."

It's been reported that a group, believed to have Stillman at the forefront, made some kind of an offer to Checketts recently, but the Blues' owner brushed that off.

"I stand by what I said that we have received no credible offer for the franchise," Checketts said succinctly.

Checketts firmly stated that SCP and TowerBrook would make sure that the new owners would keep the franchise in St. Louis and that is their intent.

"Absolutely, in every way, both of us," Checketts said. "This team belongs in St. Louis. That's not even on the table, it's not a question."

The Blues, who played in Anaheim Wednesday night, appear to be on the outside looking in on the playoff picture again for the second straight season after being a playoff participant in 2008-09.

"I really care very much about this team and I'm going to keep pushing this team forward because we have a lot to be proud of," Checketts said. "We have a season ticket base of over 11,000 tickets. We have sold out pretty much every game this year, the fans are back, the sponsors have rallied around us, the Opera House is under construction ... all the things that we set out to do. With the exception of carrying the (Stanley) Cup down Market (Street), we have achieved or were in the process of achieving.

"I could not be more proud of the management team here or the way they're performing. This is a very good NHL franchise ... very good. It's not losing money anymore. It was losing barrels of money when we bought it. It is not losing money. I'm going to keep pushing them forward just the way that I have been until we find a new buyer. There's no timeframe for that. I don't know how long this will take."

With a new owner will bring new changes in ownership. But what will that do to management, particularly team president John Davidson and/or general manager Doug Armstrong and so forth? Davidson's five-year contract ends at the end of this season.

"We're going to address each of those matters," Checketts said. "I think we'll have something to say about them perhaps a little bit later. For now, those guys are all in place. They're doing a great job ... all of them.

"I expect them to remain in place during the sale process. If I were an owner coming in, I would look at this management team and what they've accomplished and say, 'They've got to stay.' But obviously, that will be up to a new buyer. For now, they are in place and I expect that any buyer would be wise to keep them."

The Blues began the season a franchise-best 9-1-2 despite being at the bottom of the league as far as team payroll. But injuries have ravaged this season throughout the season and they fell down the Western Conference ladder. And when the team dealt away assets at the trade deadline, they fell into the bottom five. Fans felt the Blues were pawning off players because the franchise was in financial dire. But Checketts made it clear that those were hockey trades and nothing else.

"They were hockey trades brought to me by our hockey people and I said, 'let's go,'" Checketts said. "Because we were in 12th place, I thought we needed to pursue another direction and that's what they've started. And yet they've kept a very good young nucleus together."

With the Blues' franchise value up slightly when Checketts bought the team and the NHL coming into a new television contract, the franchise would likely have appeal to someone else. But that remains to be seen.

"There is no doubt. We're right on the cusp of a new NHL television deal," Checketts said. "Commissioner (Gary Bettman) has done a wonderful job in building revenues at the league level, the Winter Classics ... the game has its issues just like every sport. For now, we've got relative labor peace when it seems like everybody else is at war. It's a really good time to be the owner of the St. Louis Blues and I think someone will want to take that role."

It still doesn't take away the sting of having to sell.

"Without a doubt," Checketts said. "... The NHL will not have to worry about the St. Louis Blues. It is operating well, it has cash, it has resources and it can operate not only responsibly but very well moving forward. It's a good franchise and it's in good shape.

"I've had a great five years. I want to put it in the hands of people that will protect it and care about it and be passionate about it. And if I can find someone, they're going to have a lot of fun because I think we've done a lot of the hard work. Not all of it, but a lot of the hard work, and this franchise is on a very good path."

March 16, 2011 Dave Checketts comments

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- So it has come to this: Dave Checketts, his partnership group (Sports Capital Partners Worldwide) and TowerBrook Capital Partners could not come to a viable solution for Checketts, SCP and new investors to buy up TowerBrook's majority shares of the Blues, Scottrade Center and the AHL's Peoria Rivermen.

So on Wednesday, Checketts announced he and his group are no longer buyers but are now sellers and the Blues franchise is up for sale.

Here are Checketts' comments, conducted via conference call Wednesday night:

OPENING STATEMENT:
This is a story that has gone on longer than anyone would have liked it to. Now it takes an important turn as of tonight.

"We have tried putting together a group, which includes local investors, as well as others with the intention of buying out TowerBrook Capital Partners. This has been going on for months and the last two months having raised the money that I needed, we began negotiations in earnest with TowerBrook and we have been unable to come to an agreement with them on terms that they will accept.

Therefore, we have agreed with our long-term partner, which has been so supportive of what we've done in St. Louis ... they're really outstanding partners in every way, we have agreed with them to put the Blues up for sale, and we have retained Game Plan LLC (out of Boston) to conduct a search for a new owner.

This is a difficult, personal decision for me because we've all come to love this team, my family and I, we love the city of St. Louis and we are especially grateful to the fans who have been just terrific. I could not have asked for better from the fans of St. Louis. But now, we look forward to finding a buyer that shares the same passion that we've had, and the same commitment. There's no timetable in this process. But I felt it was important to go public that I am no longer a buyer of the franchise but in fact a seller alongside TowerBrook. The Blues franchise and arena are all for sale as of this moment. I will not try and stay in. It will be open to a new buyer.

I just want to make sure that I identify and put it in the hands of someone who will care about it and be passionate about it. I look forward to that process.

When did you come to this decision? What are the primary factors leading you to make this decision?
Only one factor. The franchise is in really good shape, much better shape than it was when we came along five years ago. we've sold out every night, the fans really care about it, they're back. We’ve had some very difficult luck this year after starting 9-1 and even coming out of the All-Star break the way we did, we just have not been able to compete the way I'd like. This decision was made towards the end of last week and over the weekend, and lots of conversation with our partners (at) TowerBrook.

Claimed in December, 95 percent done w/new investor group, what happened after that?
It's pretty simple. This is where I've been for the last couple months is trying to make a deal with TowerBrook, our partners. It couldn't happen. It's just very difficult when there are differences and opinions in terms that we couldn't live with, our new investors couldn't live with and our old ones couldn't live with. As a result, just out of respect for them and frankly because we had told them this is what we'd do if we couldn't make a deal, I now have to turn and put the franchise up for sale.

Do you worry that you will be in the same position 2-3 months from now? Do you have an idea of a potential buyer already?
I actually don't have any ideas about buyers. We've received no credible offers at all for the franchise since we've started this process. The only thing that's happened is I've found a lot of good people that were willing to join me and back me to buy the team. But the reality is we couldn't make a deal with TowerBrook. ... I don't expect to be in any different position in two or three months. I really care very much about this team and I'm going to keep pushing this team forward because we have a lot to be proud of. We have a season ticket base of over 11,000 tickets. We have sold out pretty much every game this year, the fans are back, the sponsors have rallied around us, the Opera House is under construction ... all the things that we set out to do. With the exception of carrying the Cup down Market, we have achieved or were in the process of achieving. I could not be more proud of the management team here or the way they're performing. This is a very good NHL franchise ... very good. It's not losing money anymore. It was losing barrels of money when we bought it. It is not losing money. I'm going to keep pushing them forward just the way that I have been until we find a new buyer. There's no timeframe for that. I don't know how long this will take.

TowerBrook wanting to stay in for a smaller percentage?
That's correct. That is why we're doing this.

Offer made by another group here. Response?
I stand by what I said that we have received no credible offer for the franchise.

What would the situation be regarding John Davidson, Mike McCarthy and any other management personnel that might have a contract that's expiring?
We're going to address each of those matters. I think we'll have something to say about them perhaps a little bit later. For now, those guys are all in place. They're doing a great job ... all of them. I expect them to remain in place during the sale process. If I were an owner coming in, I would look at this management team and what they've accomplished and say, 'They've got to stay.' But obviously, that will be up to a new buyer. For now, they are in place and I expect that any buyer would be wise to keep them.

Was problem TowerBrook or finding investors with more money?
No, it was not a problem with that. That was not the issue. This is simply a legacy group of investors who believed that we've made the franchise a significant amount of money and they want out at that price. It's that simple. There's nothing else here. That group of new investors, with the economy and everything else ... we just couldn't agree on the terms.

The NHL getting involved with teams and sales. Have you had any communication with the league regarding helping you out?
No, we don't see that being necessary at all. However, we have a long-term relationship with the NHL. I've known Gary personally for 25 years and he has been kept up to speed on all of this. The NHL will not have to worry about the St. Louis Blues. It is operating well, it has cash, it has resources and it can operate not only responsibly but very well moving forward. It's a good franchise and it's in good shape.

Sell to keep in STL?
Absolutely, in every way, both of us. This team belongs in St. Louis. That's not even on the table, it's not a question.

Will game plan sell SCP/TPC shares together or separate?
We're the general partner, the managing partner. Between TowerBrook and us, we control 90 percent of the franchise. The franchise is for sale. Period. All of it.

If new owner asked you to stay on, would you?
I've got to be clear, I'm not staying on for a new ownership group. When I left MSG, I said I wasn't going to work for anyone ever again ... I was going to be an owner ... and that's what I want to be. Now we just have to make it clear to anyone, if they're coming in to buy the Blues and they want control, they can get it.

Tough to come to realization that you're selling?
Without a doubt.

What were the hurdles that couldn't make it happen for you?
It's a worthwhile question, but it's not one I'm going to address. These were business negotiations, business discussions between new investors and old investors. We weren't able to make a deal. I don't want to get any more specific than that.

Do you think Blues is a viable business?
There is no doubt. We're right on the cusp of a new NHL television deal. Commissioner (Gary Bettman) has done a wonderful job in building revenues at the league level, the Winter Classics ... the game has its issues just like every sport. For now, we've got relative labor peace when it seems like everybody else is at war. It's a really good time to be the owner of the St. Louis Blues and I think someone will want to take that role.

Where do things stand with JD?
We still plan on proceeding down that road because ... out of my loyalty and allegiance to the guys ...but you know when you sell a package to someone, it really is up to them. I'll be as loyal and keep this management team as firmly in place as I can, considering the circumstances.

Once sale is complete, do you have desire to own another pro team?
We have a little major league team in Salt Lake, called Real Salt Lake, who's quite a successful story in major league soccer, very proud of them. We built a stadium for them. It's all gone well. But I'm going to get this done and we'll see from there. I'm not looking any particular direction. We're going to be focused on the St. Louis Blues until that owner gets in place. Then I'll just have to maybe take a little rest and look around. We'll see.

Any possibility that you would sell team separate from building/opera house?
The opera house is a separate entity. We have a very fine partner in the opera house. It's on time, it's on budget, it's going to open to, I think amazing acclaim in the fall of this year ... Today's announcement is about the Blues and the Scottrade Center. And also our ownership, we own 100 percent of the Peoria Rivermen, and that will be part of the package as well.

Is St. Louis a viable market as far as making a profit?
This is a franchise that in my opinion has been run very responsibly considering the size of the market and the challenges it presents. Some people would say they built the building too big. There's too many seats. I never saw it that way. I just said, 'Look, let's get 19,000 people in there every night and then there's not too many seats.' So we tried to do our best and we've really done our best. Is St. Louis a viable hockey market? The answer is absolutely. I've been around a lot of teams over the last 25 years and never met more passionate fans. Boy have they treated me well. I have no complaints. They have treated me so well. The fans, even during the worst of times, came up to me and said, 'Hang in there, keep going, we like the direction, we like the kids, we're pulling for you.' Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, someone approached me in the team store and said, 'we hope you always remain as the front guy for this franchise. I've had a great five years. I want to put it in the hands of people that will protect it and care about it and be passionate about it. And if I can find someone, they're going to have a lot of fun because I think we've done a lot of the hard work. Not all of it, but a lot of the hard work, and this franchise is on a very good path.

Does this have effect on Armstrong helping team?
I don't think it does. We haven't had those conversations in terms of what that means and what the payroll and what the budgets are. We wouldn't have had them at this point in other season either. We've got some games left to play. I expect our guys to play very hard and work hard and do their best the rest of the way. I don't expect anything less and I don't we will get anything less. At that point, after our general manager and our coach does the exit interviews, we'll sit down and talk about the needs of the hockey club are, and we'll develop a plan. Sale or no sale, we're going to keep operating this team the way we have.

And by the way, while I'm on this subject, I just want to say ... those trades that we made at the trade deadline were hockey trades. They made this club better and I don't have any doubt about that. Anybody that suggests otherwise just doesn't know. They were hockey trades brought to me by our hockey people and I said, 'let's go.' Because we were in 12th place, I thought we needed to pursue another direction and that's what they've started. And yet they've kept a very good young nucleus together. We've got to get healthy, we've got to stay healthy. We need some breaks that way. But this is a club that with a tweak here or there ... it's more like the 9-1 (at the start of the season) or the 8-2 after the all-star game than the 2-8 it was in January. So we'll be right back at it next year and sale or no sale, this club is in very good shape. I'm very proud of what we've done.

Shattenkirk young, successful on many levels

Blues defenseman, No. 1 pick motivated by trade at young age

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- When Doug Armstrong swung the trade that many suggested had the most impact of this 2010-11 NHL season, he targeted Colorado power forward Chris Stewart.

That's no secret. The Blues felt like they had a pressing need.

But make no mistake, the trade that sent Erik Johnson, Jay McClement and a No. 1 pick to Colorado doesn't happen unless the Avalanche included defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk.

In losing Johnson, it created a big gap on the Blues' blue line.

The Blues knew what they were getting in Stewart, and the Avalanche coveted Johnson. Each player filled a need for their respective new clubs and were the centerpieces of the deal that was announced in the early hours of Feb. 19.

But Shattenkirk, a 22-year-old first-round pick in 2007 (14th overall) out of Boston University, is considered by many to be the wildcard of the trade. The Blues are banking on having a pair difference-makers heading into the future.

So instead of mulling at the fact of why Colorado did not want him anymore, the 5-foot-11, 193-pound Shattenkirk has chosen to take the high road and is motivated in playing for his new team ... one that coveted him to begin with.

"You have to look at it as the Blues wanted me," said Shattenkirk, who has six assists and is a plus-4 in 13 games with the Blues. "Just in talking to Mr. Armstrong, he made it clear that he wanted me to be a part of the trade, and he wouldn't have done it otherwise. That just gives me a lot of confidence coming in.

"I don't think you can look at it as a team not wanting you. That's just the way the business works these days. You can't really hold grudges."

The Blues knew what they were getting in Shattenkirk and certainly did their homework.

The Greenwich, Connecticut native committed to the Terriers after spending two seasons with the United States Developmental Program's U-17 and U-18 squads, where he won a silver medal with the U-17's in the World Hockey Challenge and the World U-18 Championships.

Shattenkirk went on to represent the U.S. at the World Junior Championships in 2009 and was considered one of the best defenseman in the tournament, where he led all D-men in points with nine. He was an alternate captain of the squad.

After three seasons with Boston University where he totaled 18 goals and 60 points, won a Frozen Four championship in 2008-09 and named captain his junior season in 2009-10, Shattenkirk was signed to an amateur try-out contract with the Lake Erie Monsters -- the Avalanche's AHL affiliate -- to conclude the '09-10 season, recording two assists in three games.

Shattenkirk would begin the following season with the Monsters, but after Avs defenseman Kyle Cumiskey suffered a concussion earlier this season, Shattenkirk was recalled in early November.

He hasn't left the NHL ever since.

Shattenkirk racked up seven goals and 26 points in 46 games with the Avalanche and was among the top rookies in points.

"I don't think I could have been more fortunate with the situations that I've come into," Shattenkirk admitted. "A young team in Colorado and an injury there allowed me to get called up. Getting traded here, it's kind of the same situation with a lot of young D and spots to fight for.

"It's not like I'm going to the Red Wings or the Blackhawks where they have their defense locked up. It's definitely a great opportunity for me to succeed."

After his acquisition from Colorado, the Blues have given Shattenkirk, known more for his offensive capabilities, an opportunity to succeed as well.

So far, so good.

"We're very high on his abilities to make plays and to add to the power play," Blues coach Davis Payne said of Shattenkirk. "Second to that is to make sure he becomes a better defender so that his minutes are even that much more valuable.

"We've seen some real quality play as far as his defensive anticipation goes, his stick reads, his denying opportunities. As he continues to push forward, his skills and assets are always going to be there. It's making sure that we add to his game."

Despite early success in the NHL, why would the Avalanche give up on a highly-touted player, a No. 1 pick no less than four years ago from draft day? It's easy for someone that age with limited experience to wonder what he did wrong.

"At first, I was really disappointed and a little hard on myself," Shattenkirk said. "But just looking at it now, I think maybe down the line, it would have happened. To get it out of the way now at a young age and really learn from it is going to be important for me."

Shattenkirk, who's been paired most recently with Ian Cole, a teammate on the U.S. U-17 and U-18 squads, understands that he has basically changed spots with Johnson, the top overall pick of 2006. Shattenkirk's not here to be Johnson and that can't deter Shattenkirk from being the player he is and doing what he does best.

"He's an extremely high-skilled defenseman," Cole said of Shattenkirk. "When he got traded here ... EJ was a great guy. I've gotten along with him, got to know him ... almost longer than I've known Shatty, but at the same time, I played with Shatty on the (U.S.) World Junior team. He's a great player, highly skilled, offensive and can wheel.

"As far as a defensive partner goes, (Eric Brewer) was there for me earlier this year, but it's nice to have someone there you're very familiar with."

Shattenkirk has already displayed an uncanny ability to join in the Blues' rush and attack offensively, an element Johnson was criticized and questioned at times for here in St. Louis.

"A huge part of my game is joining the rush, trying to be an offensive element," Shattenkirk said. "At the same time, trying to take care of my responsibilities defensively, that's something that can always improve. No matter how long you've been playing, the game changes and guys get faster. That's something you have to adjust to every year. That's probably been the biggest adjustment for me this year and the biggest area of focus.

"It's high-risk, high-reward," Shattenkirk added about being offensive. "You just have to pick your spots and not be reckless out there."

Shattenkirk is in the first year of a three-year, entry-level contract before he can become a restricted free agent following the 2013-14 season. In the meantime, the Blues feel like they have a blossoming gem on their hands. Maybe in that same mold of Alex Pietrangelo, who was the fourth overall pick of 2008.

"When we look at him from the beginning of the year til the trade and from the trade til now, he's a guy that has always taken more opportunity and run with it," Payne said of Shattenkirk. "He continues to do that here and that's exciting for us."

* NOTES -- The Blues recalled defenseman Nathan Oystrick from Peoria under emergency conditions because of the uncertainty of Nikita Nikitin (hand/finger) and Tyson Strachan (concussion).

Oystrick was suspended six games in the AHL for leaving the bench and getting into a fight Friday in Chicago. His suspension is on hold while with the Blues and will begin serving it once he returns.

Both Nikitin and Strachan were on the ice Tuesday and both made the trip out west, where the Blues begin a four-game swing in Anaheim today at 9 p.m. (FSN, KMOX 1120-AM). Strachan cleared his baseline concussion test on Monday.

Also, center Philip McRae (knee) practiced with the squad and Payne indicated that McRae is, "Close. At some point during the trip, he'll be ready to play."

'St. Louis' Rivermen embracing audition

Blues' AHL players filling immediate

needs, hope to leave impressions for future

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- Ryan Reaves walked into the Blues' locker room on Monday and had to think for a second.

Was Reaves really in St. Louis or did he and a couple handful of teammates somehow make their way back to Peoria for the Rivermen's practice?

"We were saying this was the St. Louis Rivermen," Reaves joked.

If one didn't know much about the Blues or their roster, they may not have felt like it was a joke.

Monday's optional skate included all but two (B.J. Crombeen and Cam Janssen) Blues regulars throughout the season. Throw in Nikita Nikitin, Chris Porter, Ian Cole, Philip McRae, Adam Cracknell and T.J. Hensick and the Rivermen were represented very well at St. Louis Mills.

"My girlfriend sent me a text the other day when we beat Columbus in Columbus, and she was like, 'Oh, another win for the Rivermen dressed up as Blues ... congrats!'" Cole joked. "It was pretty funny, but it's true.

"It's unbelievable. Usually, we'll have the rookie skate and there's like one or two guys on the ice. We have a full skate with 10 guys out there. It's pretty crazy, but it's nice, too, at the same time."

As crazy as it may seem, what the situation presents is an opportunity for these players to not only help the Blues (31-29-9) play well down the stretch but also audition themselves for next season.

Injuries have obviously plagued the Blues throughout the season, and the shuttle from Peoria to St. Louis has blazed a hot trail. But instead of taking it with a deer-in-the-headlights approach, these Peoria recalls have quite the opportunity to embrace the challenge.

"This is the best opportunity most of us are going to have to become an NHL player full time," Porter said. "I treat every game like it's the last one I'm going to play for them. Hopefully, I can show them by the end of the year that I'm a full-time player.

"It's almost comforting to look around and you've got the same faces that you've seen down there. It's nice to see guys getting an opportunity."

According to Cole, Blues assistant coach Ray Bennett recently delivered a message to the players regarding their situation. Needless to say, these guys will use the final 13 games as if they were playing for their playing lives.

"Ray Bennett said at one point, 'If someone told you when you were five years old, you could have a 20-game tryout to show that you can play in the NHL, would you take it,'" Cole said. "It's not even a question. Of course. Anyone would.

"I was looking at the (NHL's) stat pack the other day, and (it showed) player by player for the whole year. Actually looking at the whole season down the paper in a row, I'd only played a chunk of six games, two games, five games. It hasn't been much. A chunk of games is actually a lot compared to what I've been. Even though I've been up for two weeks, it's only been five games at a time. It's nice to be able to come in and play 20 games and get into a rhythm rather than get sent back any day. At this point, you're like, 'I know I'm going to be here for at least another couple weeks.' Just relax and make it happen."

Reaves agreed.

"I don't know if you could ask for a better situation getting called up," Reaves said. "Being here for the rest of the season is just a huge opportunity. I don't think you can ask for more. ... I'm fighting for a new contract, just like a lot of guys are here.

"Yeah, it's been crazy with the injuries in this organization this year. As bad as it's been for guys going down, there's great opportunities for a lot of guys. Me, Cracknell, Hensick, Porter ... we're all just getting great opportunities up here to bid for a spot."

Of course they are, because one never knows who's watching.

"It's always an opportunity every time you play," McRae said. "There's always someone watching, especially up here. But whether it's up here or in Peoria or in junior or whatever, there's always people watching. ... It's probably a little bit of an audition, for sure."

* NOTES -- McRae and Nikitin were both on the ice Monday and appear close to returning to action.

Nikitin left Saturday's 5-3 loss against Detroit early in the first period after getting hit on the hand, while McRae has not played since injuring a knee Feb. 24 at Vancouver. McRae has missed the past nine games.

"I've skated for a couple days now and it's starting to feel better each time I'm out there," McRae said. "I'm starting to get back into it."

McRae hopes to practice today and if all goes well, there's a possibility he could play in Anaheim Wednesday.

"Hopefully tomorrow, if there's a full team practice, I'll feel good enough to do that and see how it feels," McRae said.

* NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman unveiled a five-point plan on Monday at the GM Meetings on concussion prevention.

It's no shock that concussions/head injuries were the hot topic of discussion in Florida. Here is what Bettman has in mind:

• -- Brendan Shanahan has been directed to focus on equipment, in conjunction with the Players' Association, in an effort to reduce the size of the equipment without reducing its protectiveness but also without compromising the safety of an opponent who is contacted by that equipment.
• -- The NHL Protocol for Concussion Evaluation and Management has been revised in three areas: 1) Mandatory removal from play if a player reports any listed symptoms or shows any listed signs (loss of consciousness ... Motor incoordination/balance problems ... Slow to get up following a hit to the head ... blank or vacant look ... Disorientation (unsure where he is) ... Clutching the head after a hit ... Visible facial injury in coombination with any of the above). 2) Examination by the team physician (as opposed to the athletic trainer) in a quiet place free from distraction. 3) Team physician is to use 'an acute evaluation tool' such as the NHL SCAT 2 [SCAT stands for Sports Concussion Assessment Tool] as opposed to a quick rinkside assessment.
• -- The Board will be approached to elevate the standard in which a Club and its Coach can be held accountable if it has a number of 'repeat offenders' with regard to Supplementary Discipline.
• -- In the continuing pursuit of the ultimate in player safety with regard to the rink environment, a safety engineering firm will be used to evaluate all 30 arenas and determine what changes, if any, can and should be made to to enhance the safety of the environment. For the 2011-12 season, the teams that have seamless glass behind the nets, on the sides, or surrounding the entire rink will be directed to change to plexiglass.
• -- A 'blue-ribbon' committee of Shanahan, Rob Blake, Steve Yzerman and Joe Nieuwendyk -- all players who competed under the standard of rules enforcement that has been in place since 2005 -- to examine topics relevant to the issue.