2010-11 St. Louis Blues training camp schedule

Friday, Sept. 17: On-Ice Testing (Group One) 9 a.m., (Group Two) 11:30 a.m. -- St. Louis Mills
Saturday, Sept. 18: Practice (Team Gold) 10 a.m., Practice (Team Blue) noon -- St. Louis Mills

Sunday, Sept. 19: Practice (Team Gold) 9 a.m., Warm Up (Both Teams) 10:20 a.m., Scrimmage (Gold vs. Blue) 10:30 a.m., Practice (Team Blue) 11:45 a.m. -- Scottrade Center
Monday, Sept. 20: Practice (Team Blue) 9 a.m., Practice (Team Gold) 11:15 a.m. -- Scottrade Center
Tuesday, Sept. 21: Practice (Team Blue) 10 a.m., Practice (Team Gold) 11:30 a.m., Blues vs. Colorado 7 p.m. -- Scottrade Center
Wednesday, Sept. 22: Practice (Team Gold) 10 a.m., Practice (Team Blue) 11:30 a.m. -- Scottrade Center; Blues at Minnesota 7 p.m. Xcel Energy Center
Thursday, Sept. 23: Practice (Team Blue) 9 a.m., Practice (Team Gold) 11:15 a.m. -- Scottrade Center
Friday, Sept. 24: Practice (Team Blue) 10 a.m., Practice (Team Gold) 11:30 a.m., Blues vs. Minnesota 7 p.m. -- Scottrade Center
Saturday, Sept. 25: Practice (Team Gold) 10 a.m., Practice (Team Blue) 11:30 a.m. -- Scottrade Center; Blues at Dallas 7 p.m. American Airlines Center
Sunday, Sept. 26: Practice (Team Gold) 10 a.m., Practice (Team Blue) 11:30 a.m. -- St. Louis Mills; Blues at Colorado 8 p.m. Pepsi Center
Monday, Sept. 27: Practice (All players) 10:30 a.m. -- St. Louis Mills
Tuesday, Sept. 28: Practice (All players) 10:30 a.m. -- St. Louis Mills
Wednesday, Sept. 29: Practice (All players) 10:30 a.m. -- St. Louis Mills
NOTE -- Practices are open to the public on the following dates: Sept. 17, 18, 19, 26, 27, 28, 29

Open competition for spots on defense will come from four

Pietrangelo, Strachan, Cole, Nikitin vying

to make Blues squad as camp opens

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- When the Blues drafted Alex Pietrangelo with the fourth overall pick of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, it was perceived that he would be a lock for the big squad right from the get-go.

After all, those picked around him -- Drew Doughty (Los Angeles), Zach Bogosian (Atlanta) and Luke Schenn (Toronto) -- were immediately ushered into the big leagues without the benefit of growth and those much-needed learning curves playing junior hockey or in the minor leagues.

Pietrangelo, 20, played eight games with the Blues in 2008-09 and another nine last season but on each occasion was returned to his junior team. Sure, the disappointment was obvious at the present time. There's not a player that wants to be told that he's not ready to play in the NHL.

But when he steps onto the ice today at St. Louis Mills for on-ice conditioning drills, which officially kick off the 2010-11 training camp, Pietrangelo -- along with fellow defensemen Ian Cole, Tyson Strachan and Russian Nikita Nikitin -- will vie for one of two defensive spots that are up for grabs for the upcoming season.

They won't be auditioning for spots to play in Peoria. The big ticket is St. Louis.

After a couple seasons playing in juniors of the Ontario Hockey League along with the World Junior Championships while playing for Team Canada, Pietrangelo can look back and see the benefits of going back to improve his game, becoming a bigger, stronger player and of course to mature accordingly.

"The biggest thing is I'm two years older," Pietrangelo said. "You're stronger and more experienced at what I've been through the last two years. I learned a lot when I was up here and obviously when I was in Barrie last year and what we did in the playoffs and also in the World Juniors. I'm two years stronger and working with (strength and conditioning coach) Nelson (Ayotte), it makes a huge difference."

The Blues' defensive corps is pretty well set from one through five, with Erik Johnson, Barret Jackman, Roman Polak, Eric Brewer and Carlo Colaiacovo entrenched in their positions. But the team needs a sixth and seventh defenseman to fill the slate, which will make for an interesting competition with the aforementioned quartet. Fifty percent of those involved will finally be able to live out their respective dreams of being NHL players. The other half will to go to the Blues' American Hockey League affiliate in Peoria and work to get to the big club in the future.

"... Nobody has an upper hand when you talk about those players like Strachan, Petro, Cole and Nikitin," insists Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. "No one has a wealth of experience that's going to say, 'Well, it's my job.' They're all coming in green."

Of the four players, the 25-year-old Strachan has the most NHL experience. Strachan played 30 games in the 2008-09 season when the Blues were ravaged with injuries to their defensive unit, registering three assists. Strachan played eight games a season ago and picked up two assists.

"It's been two years; this will be the third year I'll be with the organization and obviously I wanted to be here last year," said Strachan, who signed a one-year, $600,000 deal in the off-season. "This year looks like a situation where I'm going to have an opportunity to get a good look and compete for a spot here and stick for the whole year. That's the only thing I can ask for. I'm hoping to have a good camp. I stayed here all summer and worked hard and I'm ready to go."

Cole, who continues to rise up the prospect ranks after being selected in the first round (18th overall) in 2007 out of the University of Notre Dame, says the important mindset for everyone involved is to have tunnel vision. One's thought process is that they're going nowhere but here.

"That's the mentality I have to have going into it," said the 21-year-old Cole, who just competed with Pietrangelo on the Blues team that finished 2-2 in Traverse City, Mich. at the Prospects Tournament. "If you're going into camp thinking, 'Oh, I'll give it a try and go back to Peoria,' that's not a good mentality to have. I want to go in there and I want to play well enough to play for this team. Whether that happens or not ... I just need to go out and play as well as I can. I'll just try and control what I can control and let the chips fall where they may."

Nikitin is the unknown of the group, but the 24-year-old has been a fixture with HC Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League and gives the Blues a look at a solid two-way defenseman. Nikitin, who seems committed to staying in North America one way or the other, was the team's fifth round selection in 2004.

No doubt, there will be a healthy competition for whoever prevails.

"We're going to look at what gives our team the best chance to win," Armstrong said. "We're also going to be mindful of development. What we don't need to do is fast-track anybody here. We don't want to put players in positions to fail. We want to put them in positions to succeed."

They're teammates now and in the end, but once they hit the ice Saturday, it's every man for himself.

"You want competition," Pietrangelo said. "That's going to push guys to get better. Everybody's trying to take everybody else's job and that's just part of the business. The four of us are all going to try and make the team."

Strachan agreed.

"You look at all those guys, it's going to be a battle for those two spots," he said. "I take that as a challenge to myself and I look forward to it. I want to come into camp and just prove that I'm the guy that they need."

Blues announce four assistant captains to serve in 2010-11

Jackman, Backes return to role; Steen, Johnson

to serve for first time; Brewer returns as captain

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- Three days after general manager Doug Armstrong made it an open-and-shut case regarding who the Blues' captain was for the 2010-11 season, head coach Davis Payne let it be known who would wear the 'A' on their sweaters as well.

After Armstrong emphatically said Tuesday that defenseman Eric Brewer would serve as the team's captain for a third season, Payne on Friday identified Barret Jackman, David Backes, Alex Steen and Erik Johnson as the team's assistant captains (or alternate captains) for the upcoming season.

Payne, beginning his first full season as the Blues' head coach, said Backes and Johnson would each wear the 'A' together on game nights, and that Jackman and Steen would do the same as a pair. One pair will be designated for home games and the other for away games, but that decision hasn’t been made yet.

For Jackman and Backes, it's familiar territory, as both have served in that role in the past, but for Steen and Johnson, it will be the first time each has served in what is known as a leadership role.

"We spent a lot of our time this summer ... a lot of times myself and Doug and in conversations with our coaches as well is (talking about) how do we strengthen the group, how do we encompass the group and have leadership kind of gain an opportunity to grow from within," Payne said. "We feel this does that.

"We also feel we have areas of the team covered for be it a young guy (Backes and Johnson), be it a guy's who's got a European background (Steen), be it a guy who's got some experience (Jackman). We feel we've got everybody represented in that group. ... It also gives us great opportunity to cultivate some of that leadership going forward and have strong voices so that our group has not only a great voice but a great example to follow on a day-to-day basis."

It's quite a big step for Johnson, the team's No. 1 pick and top overall selection in 2006, who will begin his third season on the heels of a 39-point campaign last year. He missed all of 2008-09 after suffering a knee injury.

"It says a lot about where we think Erik is as a player, it says a lot about where we think he is as a person," Payne said. "He's a guy who's got a lot of pride in not only his performance but the St. Louis Blues' performance and where we're going as an organization right here in this city. He's a guy who's got very strong beliefs in that direction, he's also a guy who relates and speaks well and takes that younger portion of our hockey team and gives them a voice. We feel he's going to have a little bit of time to, within that group, kind of monitor how things work. He's a guy we expect a strong example and a strong voice to come from now and down the road."

Some may be surprised that veteran Andy McDonald or Jay McClement, who's worn the 'A' previously, were not among the selections.

Payne explained that it's not a knock against either player.

"I had that conversation with Andy. This is something where we want to make sure we're cultivating leadership from within our room and also making sure that guys like Andy, guys like Jay McClement continue to put forth the example that we need from them," Payne said. "They have very consistent work ethic, they have very consistent attitudes, they have very consistent drive to make themselves and make their teammates better. We don't expect that to change now."

As for Brewer, who's garnered the respect and attention from management and teammates, there seems to be a difference of opinion between the fans and those within the organization. And frankly, the Blues can't seem to understand why there's discontent there.

"I'm not sure what that is," Payne said. "We know that over the last couple years, Brew has had some struggles with some injuries and there is nothing more difficult than to try and represent and try to lead when you're from a position of disadvantage based on that stuff. I think for everyone to understand, here's a guy that cares deeply about the organization, our performance, his teammates and conducts himself accordingly. It's more of an internal decision based on what we feel and what we believe. He does a great job with it, he will continue to do a great job with it and we feel that his role and his performance within his role is crucial to our hockey club. There's not a concern of Eric Brewer filling that role."

Armstrong added, "When (it was) said Eric Brewer's the captain now, no. Eric Brewer's the captain. Not (just) now ... he's our captain. There's no question he's going to be our captain. He's going to be part of the leadership group that Davis will define.

"Eric Brewer was never a problem here. He's a good captain. He has the pulse of this team. He's an Olympian, he's won a gold medal, he's been around the league. Eric Brewer's a good captain. Eric Brewer's the captain of our team."

Blues prospects ready for Traverse City

Pietrangelo, Cole among players participating for St. Louis

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- For Alex Pietrangelo, it will be a recurring theme the next few days in Michigan.

The Blues' defensive prospect and team's No. 1 pick (fourth overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft has been a participant in the Traverse City Prospects Tournament the last two seasons. When the Blues prospects face Tampa Bay's prospects Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Pietrangelo will have a leg up on most of his fellow teammates.

So as the "veteran" of the squad making the trek north, the King City, Ontario native offered the best advice he could for those looking to make an impression on Blues management now and for the future.

"Just go out there and do your thing," said Pietrangelo, who has a legitimate shot at making the big squad this season. "Some guys maybe will try and do too much and try to get noticed too much. Just go out there and play your game. That's why guys are here, because of what they did during the season. Just go out there and play the same way."

For others such as defenseman Ian Cole (the Blues' No. 1 pick and 18th overall in 2007), who also has an above-average chance of earning one of two slots available on the Blues' back line, it's about showcasing his skill now and getting a leg up when training camp begins within days of the conclusion of the tournament.

"Yeah, getting out there, getting your feet wet, getting up to game speed and play -- actually play, which is something you don't do over the summer," Cole said. "You're kind of floating around, making saucer passes and having a good time. Getting out there and actually playing against guys who are also playing is going to be a good experience.

"Being able to play with those guys and know that that's going to be a steppingstone to where I need to be for camp and ramping that game speed up -- that mental process -- that'll be key."

The Blues will take with them 24 prospects and play in the eight-team tournament beginning today against the Lightning, Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against the Dallas Stars, Tuesday at 6 p.m. against the Detroit Red Wings as well as a final game Wednesday.

"For them, training camp has started," Blues coach Davis Payne said. "Now they get a chance to take that one quick practice up to Traverse City and put forth an effort as a team. They're the first group and they're carrying the torch and they're getting us started to this season. It's good to see."

Some familiar names participating in the tournament include forwards Philip McRae, Anthony Nigro, Anthony Peluso, Tyler Shattock and Brett Sonne, defenseman Brett Ponich and goalie Jake Allen.

Everyone involved sees an opportunity to gain an edge when camp begins Sept. 17.

"You're going into main camp already playing games," Pietrangelo said. "You're kind of a step ahead already playing full-contact games and I think that's an advantage we have going to camp."

For both Pietrangelo and Cole particularly, who will be monitored closely, it's an opportunity to gauge their progress as Blues management goes through the selection process of defensemen it will carry this season.

"It's valuable in the way you can't play enough games to gain experience," Payne said. "You have to play them. Alex has been through this tournament a couple times, he's been through the start of training camp so this is a familiar step for him. It gets him up and ready at game speed, which is valuable.

"You look at a guy like Ian, he's in a situation where he's going to get to this tournament, he'll be tested under those conditions from a physical standpoint, from a workload standpoint and it really gives him an opportunity to be sharp from the start of training camp going forward."

Halak introduced to St. Louis

New Blues netminder ready to turn page, focus on

task at hand: getting his new team back to playoffs

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- After soaking in adulation from the frenzy of Montreal fans, Jaroslav Halak has finally traded in his Canadiens red and white for the blue and white of the Blues.

The Blues formally introduced Halak at a press conference Thursday morning at Scottrade Center that featured roughly 100 of Halak's new fans that bleed Blue.

The Blues opened with a Halak video tribute featuring highlights from last season's magical playoff run before concluding with Halak putting on his new sweater, the Blues' alternate jersey.

Halak, 25, became a fan fixture a season ago after guiding the underdog and eighth-seeded Canadiens to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they fell in five games to the Philadelphia Flyers.

But the summer did not go according to plan for Halak, who became a restricted free agent along with fellow netminder Carey Price.

The Canadiens were willing to only commit to one of them. Someone had to go and when Blues general manager Doug Armstrong came calling, a trade was eventually worked out and Halak became a Blue, shocking the Ontario community.

The Blues, who missed the playoffs one year after returning following a three-year hiatus, addressed a need when it became apparent that things were not going to work out with unrestricted free agent Chris Mason, who wound up signing a two-year deal with Atlanta.

"Back in June when our season ended and we were looking how to improve our team, we set out that we were looking for one more piece to our puzzle," said Armstrong, who dealt away prospects Lars Eller and Ian Schultz on June 17. "Someone that could grow with this team, someone that had the pedigree, not only of the flash in the pan success that we saw him have in the playoffs and the season too. But when you look at his resume, he's a winner. He knows how to win, he's played great goal for a number of years."

Halak, who helped knock Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby out of the same playoff season, has shifted his focus to his new challenge despite the fact he'll be adored in Montreal now and in the future. One of his new goalie masks feature three Blues great goalies: Jacques Plante, Mike Liut and Grant Fuhr.

"Do you think about it, yeah. It's a real nice memory, but that's in the past," said Halak, who signed a four-year, $15-million contract. "We've got to move forward and try to do something similar in the future. We'll see what the future brings. Our goal is to make the playoffs and you never know what's going to happen then. You look at Philadelphia and us (last season), we ended up in the conference finals that no one really expected.

"It was a great run in the playoffs, it was a great experience, but that's the past. Everybody needs to do something similar like that in the future. You can't live on what happened in the past."

Halak, who was 25-13-5 with a 2.40 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in the regular season a season ago, was 9-9 with a 2.55 GAA and .923 save percentage in the playoffs that saw the Canadiens eliminate the Capitals and Penguins each in a seven-game series before falling to the Flyers in five games. He also was the top netminder for Slovakia at the Vancouver Winter Olympics as well.

"This is a 25-year-old that understands when you go on the road trip, you fight and battle to where you want to get to," Blues President John Davidson said of Halak. "That's the type of character player that we want in our organization."

Halak, sporting a No. 41 alternate jersey, was flanked by Davidson, Armstrong and team owner Dave Checketts, who obviously was pleased with the events that led up to one of the biggest trades in team history.

"John and Doug called me to report that they were working on a blockbuster trade; those are the days I just dream about," Checketts said. "They don't come along very often in your life as an owner. When they do come along, you have to appreciate them."

Blues players Alex Steen, David Perron and Erik Johnson were also on hand to welcome in their new teammate and offered praise to the organization for bringing in someone that has all the earmarks of a franchise goalie.

"It's exciting. It's a big piece of the puzzle," said Steen, who signed a new four-year deal this offseason. "Obviously with what he did last year in the playoffs beating out Washington and Pittsburgh was a huge accomplishment. With support from us, hopefully we can get back in the playoff picture."

Johnson added, "You have to give to get and we gave some good players to get Jaro. But we have an established franchise goalie who's young and not even in the prime of his career yet. He has a track record of winning where he's been. He took an underdog team into the conference finals last year and I know we're really excited to have him.

"(Montreal's) problem was our reward. ... We definitely have a lot more Montreal fans that are going to watch us this year."

Perron, also with a new two-year contract in hand, said it was tough to think about a new goalie when the one the Blues were losing (Mason) was a special teammate. But having Halak on hand softens the blow immensely.

"At first, you don't think about the guy coming in. You think about the guy you're losing and you feel bad for that," Perron said. "... Mase was such a good guy, such a good goalie as well. You just wish him luck after that. ... He helped me a lot, but after that, you turn the page and you realize how good of a goalie we got as well. We're excited."

Halak, who helped raise $22,000 in a charity autograph signing for Ste. Justine Children's Hospital in Montreal Saturday that saw 5,000 fans packed into La Capsule Sportive, will bring a 56-34-7 mark in 101 career games to St. Louis. But it will be his first season as a clear-cut No. 1 netminder. Ty Conklin will serve as his backup.

"I'm looking forward to new fans, a new team and a new organization," Halak said. "It's going to be different for sure. But the sooner I get used to it, it's going to be better."

"It's his group now; it's his team"

Payne anxious, eager to guide Blues for full season

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- As Davis Payne begins his initial training camp as head coach of the Blues, he can carry with him a favorable trait many rookie coaches don't have the luxury of bringing with them.

Payne, who was brought in to take charge of the Blues after the firing of Andy Murray a season ago at the midway point, does have those 42 games under his belt. It was a trial run of sorts.

And after Blues management was impressed with the dress rehearsal in which Payne went 23-15-4, a two-year contract was offered to the 39-year-old native of Kamloops, British Columbia. Management was certainly impressed by the precocious development of Payne's coaching abilities.

Now moving forward, as Blues general manager Doug Armstrong put it, "He's got his hands on the wheel. It's his group now; it's his team. I know he's excited about the players that we have here.

"(We're) excited for Davis quite honestly even though it's his first real camp."

Blues camp for 2010-11 doesn't officially open until Sept. 17, but it didn't stop Payne from looking back fondly on the trials and tribulations of being an NHL coach and looking ahead with a positive vision that the coach hopes is a bright future.

"It was an understanding to trust my own instincts," Payne said of last season. "There's lots of information and there's lots of knowledge and you really have to use your staff, you have to use the management group, you have to gather all that information and listen to those ideas and opinions and at the end of the day, kind of close the door and make the decision and trust that the instincts are the way we want them to go."

Payne's climb to the top has been rapid and smooth. He graduated from Michigan Tech and played in 22 games for the Boston Bruins in an eight-year playing career that spanned 464 games, in which he collected 324 points (155 goals, 169 assists). He was originally drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 1989.

After a stint with the Pee Dee Pride of the East Coast Hockey League, Payne became coach of the Blues' ECHL affiliate, the Alaska Aces in 2003 and was the ECHL coach of the year during in 2006-07.

Payne was named head coach of Peoria on July 8, 2008 and immediately guided the Rivermen to a 43-31-2-4 mark that culminated in a postseason berth after a two-year hiatus.

The rise continued when Payne took over for Murray on Jan. 2 as the Blues labored around the .500 mark at 17-17-6 and were struggling to find their identity after a playoff berth the previous season.

"To have reassurance that those instincts work and the players follow them and follow them with good passion and good drive towards great team hockey is the biggest thing for me when I reflect upon that 42 games. (That) was what registered the most," Payne said. "Stuff comes at you fast, there's a ton of information, the schedule's changing. There's lots of pulling here and there on your timelines. But to take a moment to step back, breathe and think about your decisions and trust them, it was probably the biggest thing going forward."

It didn't hurt Payne's cause that the players also endorsed his tenure.

"I think he made an effort to really try and get to know the guys and have that communication open," defenseman Erik Johnson said. "He was very good in that regard. All the guys were very comfortable with him, so I think that was important."

Besides some leisure time spent this summer fishing, Payne has been busy preparing for what will be a transitional camp and season for the Blues, who have a mindset of returning to the postseason and getting back on that climb of being in the upper echelon of the Western Conference.

Payne spent time discussing what to expect from current and former coaches and GM's, including former Dallas/Philadelphia/Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock. They've all provided pivotal advice on the life and times of being an NHL coach.

"There's been a ton of time put in searching out ideas or searching out things that guys used in the past that worked and didn't work," Payne said. "The most important part for me is understanding this is a training camp, the 10th year I'll be running a training camp. Certainly not at this level, but the building of a team, the establishing of a work ethic, the establishing of standards is not new to me. It's something when I look back at the last 42 games, it was something I always felt that was missing based on these guys getting an understanding of how we as a team will react to certain situations that will go on during the year.

"Last year obviously with the Olympic year, there was a tough schedule there and a lot of practice time that you didn't have the opportunities to put these types of things in place. Getting there from Day 1 and establishing how we react, how we perform, how we prepare for each practice, for each session, for each exhibition game and for October 9th. It's really a planning out of how we're going to establish those standards, how we're going to talk about them, how we're going to have our leaders talk about them, how we're going to make sure how young guys know that this is an all-inclusive process."

When the Blues announced the signing of Payne, it was a sign of solidarity and utmost confidence, especially given the quick turnaround of the deal after the completion of the season. Payne was awarded his deal within days of season's end.

"He's young, he's got energy, he's got communication skills," Blues President John Davidson said. "We feel really good that he's from within, we feel real strong about that. ... We hope that it's going to be a Doug Armstrong-Davis Payne relationship for 15 years. ... We feel that this young man has a great opportunity to be a long-term coach."

"We're not kids anymore"

Blues management, players understand the future has arrived

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- For those that haven't seen the Blues' commercial gearing up for the 2010-11 season, words spoken from David Backes couldn't have been more concise: "We're not kids anymore."

Even though Backes -- one of those players touted as "kids" for the past five years or so -- pokes fun at teammates David Perron for his white skates and T.J. Oshie for his locks of hair in the skit, he could not have been more to the point. The Blues are not kids anymore.

Even though the growth of a franchise that has only one playoff appearance in the post-lockout era, the Blues understand that it's not time for these players they have been nurturing must become their own men.

It was quite evident as Blues President John Davidson, general manager Doug Armstrong and head coach Davis Payne met with the media Tuesday at the team's practice facility inside St. Louis Mills to discuss the 2010-11 season.

"We expect there to be growth still to be had there. But we expect the values not to be nearly as low (and) not to be nearly as long," said Armstrong, who begins his first season as GM since taking over for Larry Pleau July 1. "We expect them to be able to recognize when their game is going in one direction and turn it quicker. They're going to have bad games; they're human beings. They're going to have bad shifts, they're going to have stretches of bad play, but now we expect them to be able to get over it quicker. We expect the internal leadership to hold them accountable to get out of it quicker."

That means players like Oshie, Backes, Perron, Alex Steen, Patrik Berglund, Erik Johnson and Roman Polak to name a few must continue that ascension that some feel like has been a slower-than-expected progression after the Blues missed the playoffs a year after making the Field of 16.

Blues brass has made it clear that while they expect those players to make that leap forward, there will be bumps in the road and nobody is impeccable. It's a question how quickly those players recover from the head-on challenges.

"We know there's going to be ebbs and flows to the season, but we expect them to be mature enough now to recognize it quicker, to get out of it quicker and most importantly, to hold a guy beside them accountable to get out of it quicker and to help him get out of it quicker," Armstrong said. "That's the sign of the team that we want to have here. They play for each other, they play for the guy beside them. They're not playing for anyone else except the guy beside them in the room. Once they're held accountable to each other, and once they don't want to let the guy beside them down, that's when you have a team."

With a pair of season veterans (Keith Tkachuk, who retired and Paul Kariya, whose career -- post-concussion syndrome -- is in limbo) not present to lean on for leadership and support, the onus is on a crop of players to lift this franchise and offer the support the Blues have come to expect when those players were brought in here.

"What the commercial is saying and what we're saying is that the apprenticeship is mostly done," Armstrong said. "Now go play. ... They understand what's expected of them. Now, it's time to get the job done. But we're not stupid here. We're going to let these guys grow. The burger went from simmer, now it's on medium and for some guys, it's gone from medium to hot."

Davidson, who came in here in 2006 and begins his fifth season orchestrating the team's day-to-day operations, is known to fans for his place in a past commercial saying, "Come grow with us." While he won't shy away from the growing aspect, he's also aware there comes a time when boys become men.

"There should be a big change in the maturing factor of these younger players," Davidson said. "... The cultural change here is important to understand too.

"There's always evolution when you have sports. People come to your team as a young player and mature, they become older players and they go out into their next lives. We've had that happen to some people here who were really good people, who were good for us, but the cultural change is happening now. It's someone else's team. That's what's going to be very interesting to watch with this club this year. ... Our team is somewhat the same with players, but they should be much better players, physically stronger, mentally understand (the game). I sense something here, I really do."