McDonald, Steen, Tarasenko could be special combination

Hitchcock to look at trio, likes potential;

'Vova' arrives after lengthy trip from Russia

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- Ken Hitchcock admits he doesn't know how this abbreviated training camp will play out.

But one thing the veteran head coach beginning his first full season with the Blues does know is that when skates are laced up officially Sunday morning, there is one particular trio of forwards the 61-year-old wants to keep a keen eye on.

"I don't know how this is going to play out, but that's one line we're going to take a look at," Hitchcock said, referring to veterans Andy McDonald and Alex Steen along with 2010 first round pick Vladimir Tarasenko.

(Mark Buckner/St. Louis Blues)

Andy McDonald will be the most experienced on a line with

Alex Steen and 2010 first round pick Vladimir Tarasenko.

It's one unit that intrigues Hitchcock, and the thought of this being considered the Blues' third line considering the lethal combinations and possibilities it can provide can be staggering.

There's speed, skill, grit and finishing ability from all three that will make the Blues troublesome to defend against once Hitchcock establishes his top two units as well.

Hitchcock wants the 35-year-old McDonald and the 28-year-old Steen together, and it was based off the chemistry the two had during the playoffs a season ago.

"They like playing with each other," Hitchcock said. "This is a new look for us, it's new for them. I like the part that Alex had played center in Europe, and if you can play in a big ice, you can play anywhere.

"Him and Andy have good chemistry. They find each other well on the ice."

Add in Tarasenko, the 16th pick in 2010 who will debut in the NHL this season with much anticipation, and the Blues feel they can have one of the most balanced and talented lineups in the league.

"Alex and I had a little bit of a test last year," said McDonald, who had 22 points in 25 regular season games and another 10 points in nine playoff games. "... In the playoffs, we played for the most part together and there was chemistry there. With Vladi, I know it's still early, but he's got a lot of speed, he's got good awareness on the ice, pretty solid shot and he moves the puck well.

"It's exciting. We're going to find out in a hurry because obviously we've got a short camp and right into games, but there's chemistry already there with Steener and we're optimistic there's going to be great chemistry with the line in whole."

Steen will center the line, and fans that think that's a change from the past, they're right. Steen, who admitted he doesn't know much about Tarasenko, hasn't played center much in the NHL. In fact, he hasn't played there on a regular basis since his first season in Toronto. But when he went to Sweden during the lockout and played for MoDo, Steen played there exclusively and loved getting back to old roots.

"I really enjoy playing center," said Steen, who had 28 points in 43 regular season games along with three points in nine playoff games a season ago. "It's actually what I grew up playing. ... I think the last game (with MoDo) I played 29 minutes. I think they knew it was my last game.

"But I really enjoy playing with Andy. I think we have great chemistry. We talk ... a bunch ... all the time. We communicate really well. Really good friends off the ice, which usually is good chemistry for on the ice. Hopefully that's what the plan is. If it isn't, we'll find out when training camp starts. I'll play wherever they want me to play."

Tarasenko, who arrived from Russia Thursday night after roughly 7,800-plus miles of travel, was on the ice with his new mates despite the long travel day. Tarasenko, who totaled 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) in 31 games for SKA St. Petersburg in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League this season, played for what Hitchcock said was "the best line" in the league with New Jersey's Ilya Kovalchuk and Phoenix prospect Viktor Tikhonov.

"He doesn't miss the net, the puck's on the net, it comes fast, it's on his stick ... gone," Hitchcock said of Tarasenko's offensive ability. "He can put pucks through people. He's a good offensive player. The rest of the game, we're going to teach him. That's going to take long-term. If he can do the things offensively that we think he's capable of, he's going to contribute to our hockey club and help us a lot."

Tarasenko, 21, who's still mastering the English language, said there was no doubt he'd come back once the lockout was over and is glad to get the chance to play with such skilled players.

"I'm very happy to play with those guys," he said. "They're both very skilled players. I'm very happy.

"I'm really excited to be here, hoping for a good part of the season."

But Hitchcock cautioned that Tarasenko, who has 131 career points in the KHL, will be showcased by his strengths and will be a project in areas he's unfamiliar with.

(Mark Buckner/St. Louis Blues)

Alex Steen will move to center for the Blues this season.

"This is a whole different game here," Hitchcock said of the NHL. "That's a game of puck-possession, east-west, make plays. We are a linear game ... skate, chips into pucks, confrontation everywhere. It's a different game altogether. It's a completely different game. That's a game played on the move and this is not a game that you can play on the move here. ... There's a high skill level there. The ice is so big. Everybody can skate, but the game's played east-west. There's a lot of lateral plays that end up as shots on goal. You can't make those lateral plays here. There's no room.

"The players that adjust to the linear game in North America ... doesn't matter what country you're from ... the European players that can make that adjustment will have a lot of success."

Tarasenko does admit that the change in rink sizes will be his biggest challenge.

"The first one (is) the rink is smaller," Tarasenko said. "The second part's the mental part. It's a very difficult part for me."

But one of his teammates feels like won't be an issue.

"His language is pretty good and hockey sense-wise, he's right up there," McDonald said of Tarasenko. "There's not much communication needed during the game. He reads the play pretty well."

Despite being a newcomer to the league, Hitchcock is willing to give Tarasenko a shot to play with two established players. That's based off the 20-25 games Hitchcock said he's seen the Novosibirsk, Russia native play.
 
"I think that with any young player, what you want to have is a short-term focus on his strengths, in other words push him into areas that he's good at and then know that the long-term aspects of things he needs to work on are going to take time," Hitchcock said. "I think the problem with young players and coaches is you get impatient with the things that they need that are not their strength. When you get impatient in those areas, then you get nothing from the player.

"For me, what he does well, we're going to really push on. The things that he needs to learn about playing in the National Hockey League, that's long-term. That's going to take a year or two and we're just going to be patient as heck on that and take it from there. Any time you've got a young player, you've got to just build on his strengths and keep pushing on his strengths every day."

* NOTES -- Although the official 2012-13 schedule hasn't been released by the NHL, sources indicated that the Blues will open the regular season on Jan. 19 at home vs. the Detroit Red Wings. The remaining schedule won't be released at least until sometime Saturday morning once player ratification of the new collective-bargaining agreement is complete.

... The Blues announced that their training camp schedule has been set. Camp opens Sunday at Scottrade Center and is free and open to the public. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning and practice runs from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For a complete schedule, roster and events, click on the link here: http://blues.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=649858&navid=DL|STL|home

Cole's time has finally arrived

Team's 2007 No. 1 pick has best

chance to make Blues' top six on D

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- Ian Cole has been through this routine before.

But this time, the Blues' defenseman fully understands this is the best chance of his short career to make the ultimate opportunity stick.

Cole, the 18th pick in the 2007 NHL Draft who will switch from No. 23 to No. 28 this season, was part of each of the last two training camps with the Blues. He was realistic about his chances of making the big club two seasons ago ... he knew it was a longshot. Last year, Cole was optimistic but knew it was a 50/50 proposition. Still, getting the news you're going to start the season in the American Hockey League was never easy to take.


(Getty Images)

A position among the team's top six defensemen is Ian

Cole's to win or lose when camp opens this weekend.

Cole did play 26 games in each of the last two seasons with the Blues. There were ups and there were downs. But since it looks more and more unlikely the Blues will be able to trade for a top-pairing left-handed defenseman they had been seeking since the summer, Cole's chances to be among the top six have never been better.

"I'm obviously extremely excited to go into any camp, but I think now there's actually -- not that there wasn't before -- but I think now there's much more of an opportunity to get that chance to play consistent minutes, consistent games ... to not kind of being on the outside looking in," said the Ann Arbor, Mich. native, who dressed in two playoff games a season ago. "I've hopefully played myself into that lineup that plays consistently every night. That would be ideal.

"No one's happy being on the outside, being the seventh guy, not playing. My goal is to try and definitely get into that lineup. It's not going to just be handed to me or to anybody. It needs to be worked for and needs to be proven that you can be dependable and coaches can depend on you to be consistent every night. That's what I've got to do here for the next two weeks."

Along with 2010 14th overall pick Jaden Schwartz, Cole had been toiling with the American Hockey League's Peoria Rivermen, rounding his game into form during the NHL lockout playing in 34 games. Cole, according to coach Ken Hitchcock, was playing between 25-28 minutes a game and in all important aspects.

"I was playing a lot, first power play, first on the penalty kill," Cole said. "... I'm not disillusioned thinking that I'm going to play those minutes here. I'm not disillusioned into thinking I'm going to be playing the first power play here. But at the same time, those minutes and those experiences just turns me into a more well-rounded player."

Cole, who has two goals and 10 points and is a plus-13 in his NHL career, has the upper hand on the sixth spot in the lineup over veteran Jeff Woywitka, who was brought back to the Blues as a free agent this past summer to provide depth.

"Obviously he's one of the seven guys here right now, so we expect him to have a good camp, we expect him to play," Hitchcock said of Cole. "How much and where is going to be totally on his shoulders.

"We don't know what level he's going to be at. We're assuming all the minutes he played down there and all the situations, he's going to be a more comfortable player. But this is his first time where he's going to be leaned on to be a regular. We're hopeful that he grabs that ball and really runs with it."

Which is what Cole plans on doing, but he knows what he has to keep doing: continue to play positive, consistent minutes.

"I think I am more consistent," Cole said. "I think I am able to recover from mistakes a lot better.

"Early in my career, even high school and early on in college, I think I would get really rattled if I made a mistake. Hockey's a game of mistakes. Mistakes are bound to happen. How you respond to that, whether you dwell on that mistake or compound that mistake into five, six more mistakes or you just cut it off there and play a good rest of the game. That's something I've really tried to work on, not getting affected, not losing my head per say over one mistake that can easily be let go."

Blues brass, including Hitchcock and the team's assistant coaches, were on hand for a number of games in Peoria to scout out the franchise's talent, including Cole. What Hitchcock has taken away from Cole's play since he's been here has been anywhere from spectacular to up and down.

"The top-end that I've seen Ian play at, he's been very impressive," Hitchcock said. "What we've got to get is a consistent level in his play. He's got to find that and we've got to help him find that.

"When he played well down in the American League, he was a cut above. That's impressive. He was physically a cut above, he was able to move the puck, he got out of trouble, he was really smart with it, and when he plays that way, that's going to make him a very effective NHL player. But there were times he wasn't as consistent as he should be. Working with (assistant coach) Brad (Shaw) here is going to be a major factor. Every time he gets around Brad, he gets better. Those two guys have a good working relationship and hopefully he can continue that and get better every day."

It's not likely that Cole will play with Alex Pietrangelo, but he could find himself on a pairing with Kevin Shattenkirk and that wouldn't be bad since the two were partners on the United States' Under-17 and 18 Developmental Program.

And considering the NHL season will be a blur with only a 48-game season, plus playoffs, Cole is ready to tackle any challenge head-on.

"It's going to be a grind, it's going to be quick, it's going to be fast," Cole said. "It's going to be right away ... everything you've got. It'll be good.

"I think it'll be easier to slide in like a glove since I was playing games. I don't know if it's going to be that perfect necessarily, but after playing however many games it was (in Peoria), it'll be a little bit easier definitely getting the pace. ... I felt good today. I felt like I had legs, I felt like I wasn't getting tired. I've been through full practices for a while and I felt good. I don't know about everybody else, but speaking for myself, I felt good and I'm looking forward to what's ahead."

Leaner Stewart ready to embrace new season

Blues' power forward used summer diet program,
training regimen to get in shape; coach impressed

(Getty Images)

Chris Stewart arrived in St. Louis Tuesday leaner,

in better shape than when he left in May.

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- Chris Stewart understood a change was necessary.

The Blues' power forward, on the heels of a sweep with the rest of his teammates against the Los Angeles Kings, had just completed the most challenging season of his brief four-year career.

After back-to-back 28-goal seasons, there were some that projected that Stewart, 25, could become the NHL's next 40-goal scorer. And why not? He displayed the ability to bulldoze his way to the net and power goals into the net. He also displayed soft hands with a deft touch in delicate areas. He was fast, strong and only getting better.

But higher expectations were never lived up to a season ago despite the Blues' rise to the top of a regular season run that had them fall two points short of the Presidents' Trophy. Stewart's numbers fell to 15 goals and 30 points in 79 games, a season that saw him being relegated to third- or fourth-line status, decreased minutes and even a game in which he was a healthy scratch.

The exact words were never used on the record but terms like "out of shape" and "overweight" were tossed around to describe Stewart's conditioning last season.

But Stewart took those challenges in stride and went back home to Toronto with a plan in mind.

Enter Matt Nichol, the founder and head strength and conditioning coach of Paragenix Systems who was also the former strength and conditioning coach and nutritionist of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It was up to Nichol to mold Stewart back into form with a summer-long program that included weight training and a dietary regimen.

"Not really unique. ... We just worked hard and we attacked it from a diet standpoint," Stewart said. "I just really got ahead of the game and I'm on top of that.

"We did a little bit of MMA every Friday and sparring and stuff like that. Nothing too crazy."

Stewart was one of 10 Blues players who departed North America during the lockout and played for Eispiraten Crimmitschau in Germany along with best friend and Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds. Stewart was eager to see his hard work put to the test somewhere since the NHL was involved in a prolonged lockout.

"There's only one way to get in game shape, and that's to go and play games," Stewart said. "That obviously wasn't the opportunity here and so I went over there with my best friend and we played together for two-and-a-half months and we had fun. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

And what did Stewart notice most about his time spent in Germany? A telling sign.

"I especially noticed over there ... last year come third period, I was a little tired," Stewart said. "This year when I was over there, the third period ... that's when I started to get going. I was playing 25-30 minutes a night over there. Not that I'm going to play that over here, but I did get in good shape playing over there."

Stewart was back in St. Louis Tuesday, getting back on the ice with roughly half of his teammates taking part of informal workouts as teams prepare for the upcoming season.

It was obvious that Stewart looked leaner and in prime shape. And the person that matters most noticed himself.

"He's done three things: he's lost weight, he's in great shape and he's focused," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said of Stewart, who will be a top-six forward. "He's done a heck of a job. The things to get to the next level off-ice as a player, he's done all that.

"He looks great. He looks like a different player on the ice. When you see him skate, it's way more fluid. He looks really good."

Stewart appreciated the vote of confidence, since it was Hitchcock that challenged him through a trying season a year ago.

"He's the captain of this ship here, right," Stewart said of Hitchcock. "It's good to know that he's going to back me 100 percent.

"The biggest thing is just putting last year behind me, learn from your mistakes and come in with a fresh start and just run with it."

Maybe a fresh slate and flying under the radar is what Stewart needs to jump out of the gates flying. He received a one-year, $3 million deal this past summer, in similar fashion that T.J. Oshie got in the summer of 2011. It was basically a prove-yourself type of contract. If Stewart does prove himself in this abbreviated season, it could be the scoring infusion this team will rely heavily on and in the end, security for Stewart next summer in the form of a multi-year contract.

The Blues would love to see the guy that used to terrorize them (15 points in nine career games) on a regular basis when he was with Colorado.

"This is the leanest I've ever been in my life," Stewart said. "I'm excited to put the training into results and help this team win the Stanley Cup."

European experience helpful for Blues skaters

Players who skated overseas can jump

right into grind when NHL season begins

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- For those Blues players that got to experience firsthand the taste of what European hockey was all about, even though it was worthwhile, they're glad to be home.

Not because the experience in Finland, Sweden, Germany, Russia, the Czech Republic or wherever any of the skaters were was bad, but ultimately, it was about getting back to North America and playing in the National Hockey League.

It meant the lockout was done.

"Feels good. Good to see the boys again," said defenseman Kris Russell, who spent an extended time in Finland playing for TPS Turku. "You can tell the anticipation, the excitement is already here. Guys are eager to get going.

"A lot of guys have been working hard. It's a fun time for us now. There's a lot of work that comes into it now. We've got to jam a lot of days into it before we get started."

For Russell and Kevin Shattenkirk (Finland), Alex Steen and Patrik Berglund (Sweden), Vladimir Sobotka and Roman Polak (Czech Republic), Chris Stewart and Matt D'Agostini (Germany), Vladamir Tarasenko (Russia) and even the one game played by Jaroslav Halak in Germany, when camp finally does open up, these guys will have games under their belts unlike their teammates, who haven't played in a competitive game since May.

An advantage? Perhaps. But for those that stayed here, workouts were pretty competitive.

"I think it helps, but I think the guys here have been working just as hard on the ice," Russell said. "Maybe in a few game situations we might pick up a little faster, but this (the NHL) is getting to another level, it's a different speed. It's the best league in the world for a reason. I'm looking forward to putting the work in and having a good year."

Added Stewart: "I think going over and playing definitely helped us. ... I think they can lean on us. We all played 23-24 games over there this year and I'm ready go to. I think it's benefited me going over there and playing the two-and-a-half months that I did. That was the biggest focus. There's only one way to get into game shape and that's playing games. I got the opportunity to go over there and got to play with one of my best friends in Wayne Simmonds (Philadelphia Flyers) and it was a good experience."

D'Agostini, who began workouts here but ultimately went overseas, said it provided players a good way to stay in shape and be ready at any time the NHL resumed.

"I really did feel it was beneficial," he said. "It was a good schedule down there, practicing twice a day sometimes. I kept myself in good shape. ... it was a good experience. I've never had an extended stay in Europe before, so it was fun. It was good hockey down there.

"It was a different kind of a game with the bigger ice. Any time you change the ice surface like that, the game's going to change. It's not as much pressure forechecking, more of a possession-type of a game. It was different getting used to it, but I had a blast."

A cultural difference was a once-in-a-lifetime experience these players will never forget. But playing games is what some of them needed most, and those that didn't have any family ties could easily pick up and go.

"I wanted to play games. It's a different situation," Russell said. "I don't have a family or I don't have any kids, so it's a lot easier for me to just pick up and go and play hockey and not have much to worry about. I thought it was best for me personally. I chose to go and I was fortunate that I got to play in Finland for a great organization, a great group of guys and it was a lot of fun."

Said Stewart: "For me personally, I just think I needed to play. I worked so hard over the summer. After the way I ended last year, I wanted to be ready to go when we did get the call to come back. That's the reason I went over."

Stewart, Russell, D'Agostini and Chris Porter joined teammates in Tuesday's informal workouts. Porter, like many teammates including David Backes, Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie, Barret Jackman, Alex Pietrangelo, Jamie Langenbrunner and Scott Nichol who stayed back in St. Louis, also stayed back in Minnesota.

Porter was training in Minneapolis with what he said was "30-35 guys" on a consistent basis, including several Minnesota Wild players. Working out here was something that didn't provide the game action players craved but beneficial nonetheless.

"You train like there is going to be a season," Porter said. "Obviously disappointed when they came to meet and nothing would get done. Guys have ramped it up and are in good shape with the season right around the corner. I definitely tried to do some of that (play in Europe). I don't think the right opportunity ever arose, but in Minneapolis, we had 30-35 guys skating every day. We tried to make it as game-like as possible every day. I think it was beneficial with some time off to stay here. We'll see in the long run, but I know it was a good time off.

"Those guys will definitely have an advantage as far as the bumping and grinding of a 60-minute game. So you look to them, lean on them a little bit to get us in shape. But I think most guys dedicated themselves well enough to being in the best shape they could be in coming into camp. I don't think that'll be an issue."

With the Blues chomping at the bit to pick up the pieces from a second-round sweep at the hands of Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles, whether guys played in Europe or guys worked out on their own, they all will have one common denominator.

"I don't think we need much," Russell said. "We've had quite a few days to think about what we're going to do this year. It's work time. We owe it to our fans. I think we owe it to ourselves and our teammates to get ready for this camp and be ready to go as soon as that puck drops.

"I thought we had a pretty good season last year. Guys were excited to get into the playoffs, but now we really want to make some noise. We want to be a team that competes every year. This is where it starts."

Blues equipped to succeed in shortened season

Familiarity, limited turnover could benefit team with games crunched together

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- They weren't all out in full force -- not yet anyway -- but Blues skaters were back on familiar ice Monday morning.

A day after a tentative deal on a new collective-bargaining agreement was reached between the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players Association, things have started to slowly get back to normal in NHL facilities/arenas all across North America.

Of course the new 10-year CBA, which includes a mutual eight-year opt-out, needs ratification from both sides, including a majority vote. But for all intents and purposes, 30 teams are beginning the process of a shortened season (either 48 or 50 games) and the Blues, who finished second in the Western Conference last season, feel like they are equipped for the rigors that lie ahead: a game every other day on average.

Why?

"First off, our depth," said veteran winger Jamie Langenbrunner, who was one of couple handful of players that regularly skated here in town during the lockout. "(We have) a lot of guys that can play a lot of different roles. Unfortunately when you're going to have this sprint of a season and a bit of a compressed schedule, there's going to be injuries. You're going to need to use that depth. Secondly, we have a lot of the same guys back. There's going to be no feeling-out process (or) trying to build a team. Everybody in this locker room, with the exception of maybe two, three guys tops was here last year and knows what we're all about and the way we want to play. We're going to be able to hit the ground running with that, and third, I think we feel we have something to prove still. We made a step last year that put ourselves in that top group and put ourselves short of where we wanted to go of winning a Cup. We saw firsthand of what it takes and saw an LA team (that swept the Blues in the second round) and the way we played playing against them and knowing what it takes to get to that next level."

Blues goalie Brian Elliott, another one of the players who trained extensively in St. Louis, agreed.

"As the season went on, we had more and more expectations of ourselves," Elliott said of the Blues' 49-22-11 final mark. "We want to prove that it's not a fluke, that we are a good team and we have a core group of guys that can win on any given night and make it hard on anybody to play against. I think in a shortened season when you make it hard on teams, hopefully you can kind of make them quit a little bit earlier because of how hard the season's going to be and how the fatigue level's going to come in."

The Blues have had up to 10 skaters work regularly at the Hardees Iceplex in Chesterfield while the lockout dragged out for nearly four months, and they were one of three teams to have 10 or more players play games in Europe in various leagues from Germany to Sweden to Russia to Finland and the Czech Republic. But Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, who has witnessed all three league lockouts since 1994-95, said teams that had more skaters on this side of the Atlantic will be better suited.

"I'm reading teams that have had 18 players skating together for two months, I'm reading teams that have had six, seven guys skating in the American (Hockey) League ... I think the one advantage are the teams that have the most players skating in North America on a regular basis playing hockey," Hitchcock said. "That would put teams like Edmonton in that mix because they've got a lot of top players that were able to play in the 'A.'

"I have no idea if playing in Europe helps or hinders. I have no idea. I just know that when we start up this weekend, hopefully when we start, there will be players that have played close to 40 hockey games and then some that have played zero. It's going to be an interesting challenge."

A challenge the players seem willing to rely on with the help of a veteran coaching staff that's been through these types of situations before.

"The biggest thing is going to come from our coaching staff knowing how to rest us depending on our schedule and how to get us to be as sharp as we possibly can to start the season in such a short amount of time," said winger David Perron, who arrived in St. Louis at 12:30 a.m. Monday morning after a 19.5-hour drive from his native Sherbrooke, Quebec. "We feel really confident in our room. A lot of these guys have been training together for the whole lockout. Now that it's over, guys are going to start rolling in.

"It's going to be a grind. I don't know if it's going to be similar to the Olympic season or not. With the Olympics, there's more games in less time. At the same time, I think the tough part was a week ago, we didn't know if we would play until next September. Now we know we're going to play in two weeks."

Elliott, T.J. Oshie, David Backes, Andy McDonald, Alex Pietrangelo, Langenbrunner, Scott Nichol, Barret Jackman, Kevin Shattenkirk (before leaving for Finland) were among the players that stuck around most of this lockout in St. Louis to train extensively in anticipation of a season at any time. It's certainly benefited those that did stay together.

"Having this core group of guys that was here all lockout long, we had a chance to just bond and be together and work out and push each other to know if this guy's working out, I better work out ... little things like that," said Elliott, who is coming off a 23-10-4 record and who was a league leader in goals-against average (1.56) as well as save percentage (.940) splitting time with Jaroslav Halak. "I think we've got a lot of young guys that are going to be excited and having those feet rolling as soon as the puck drops and we have those veterans to kind of calm everybody down, make sure to keep a level head ... not get too high, not get too low. That's the key for this type of shortened season.

"I haven't been through it before, but it'll be a good experience, a learning experience and I definitely feel we'll have to learn as we go."

Along with Shattenkirk, Kris Russell (Finland), Patrik Berglund (Sweden), Alex Steen (Sweden), Chris Stewart (Germany and Czech Republic), Vladimir Sobotka (Czech Republic), Roman Polak (Czech Republic), Matt D'Agostini (Germany), Vladimir Tarasenko (Russia) and Halak (one game in Germany) all played in Europe.

Those guys will be in game shape and have an upper hand on the pace of the game, but as Langenbrunner said: "Time will tell from that. It'll be interesting to see the difference between the guys that have been playing for the last couple months. Obviously they're in game shape and their timing's probably going to be a little bit better. Maybe we'll be able to lean on those guys a bit coming out of the gate and then there's a fear of maybe hitting a wall for those guys.

"It's been a long grind for them playing there and traveling back and forth, but most of us that were here are going to have that freshness and kind of pump that up. Hopefully we'll have a good mix with that. I think everybody's in that same boat of trying to figure out the new situation for almost everybody. The fact of us being together is going to really help. We know what buttons to push with guys and how to push each other a little bit."

Hitchcock, who replaced Davis Payne early last season, feels the fact the Blues have had limited changes in personnel is key.

"I don't know if we've got the biggest one, but I think it's a plus. I think it's an important plus, because we can cut through the get-to-know-you stage quickly," Hitchcock said. "I think that's a big advantage. I think when you can cut through the quick get-to-know-you stage, it's a big advantage.

"We're going to need it because when you look at our team, we've got a lot of big-minutes players who haven't played a game yet. That's going to be a challenge. We've got two goalies who've played very little, if not any goal. That's going to be a challenge. We've got significant challenges in the other places, but one thing we've got going for us, I think we can cut through the good and the bad pretty quickly here because we've got a great group of guys, great leadership, real sound, fundamental group of leaders and then everybody knows each other."

The New Jersey Devils won it all in that abbreviated 48-game season of 1994-95 with a mix of veterans and young, skillful players that also didn't have a lot of turnover.

Hitchcock can only hope lightning can strike in similar fashion.

"I think it's a team that can move on quickly," Hitchcock said is crucial for teams in this type of season. "It is going to be an emotional roller coaster. I watched it in 94-95 and one week, it looked like this team was never going to lose and then next week, it looked like they could never win. I think the team that can keep it grounded, keep the train on the tracks is going to do well here because it is a huge challenge. You're going to have games that just can't get shut down.

"The toughest thing to learn is checking. That's the hardest thing to teach players to do, to get out of summer hockey mode, get out of playing on-the-move mode and get into what you need to do to win in the NHL. That's a hard focus. It takes a long time to get there, and you're asking players to get there in seven days. You're going to have games where you gotta lead and it's going to evaporate quickly and you're going to have to gain it back. You're going to have games that are really emotional wins or losses. You're going to have to get grounded the next day. I think the teams that are going to be successful are the ones that can get their feet on the ground the next morning and get back to work."

NHL lockout: It's finally over

NHL, NHLPA tentatively agree on new 10-year

CBA; Blues players relieved season was saved

By LOUIE KORAC
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. -- The words "it's over" never resonated more positively to a National Hockey League player than they did in the early hours Sunday morning.

David Backes was awakened after 4 a.m. with texts from fellow National Hockey League Players Association members, Andy McDonald woke up and "figured something was up" when he checked his phone, T.J. Oshie was a late-bloomer with the news, finding out at 9:30 a.m. and Ian Cole, well ... fellow Peoria Rivermen teammate Cade Fairchild broke the news to him at the team hotel in San Antonio around 8 a.m. His response: "I got excited for a little bit and went back to sleep."

Fair enough.

It severed 113 days of what was supposed to be the 2012-13 National Hockey League season, but after some long and at times arduous efforts, the NHL and NHLPA came to a tentative agreement on a new collective-bargaining agreement that was announced by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr at roughly 4:30 a.m. (St. Louis time).

A bargaining session that lasted every second of 16 hours finally broke through on the remaining issues that prolonged the league's third lockout since 1995 and nearly left a second canceled season in balance since 2005.

"Apparently it just took some sleep deprivation and getting the two sides together," Blues captain David Backes said. "Happy to be back and it's about dang time."

Now that the parameters of the new CBA -- which is a 10-year deal with a mutual opt-out clause after eight years -- are drawn up, it must officially be ratified and go before both parties for a vote. The players are expected to have their vote in by Monday night and the league should have their stamp of approval in by no later than Wednesday following the Board of Governors meeting.

Overall, it was a drawn out process that exhausted all parties and fans alike, including those that stuck with the players and game they love as well as those that said enough is enough. In the end, a deal looks to be done and abbreviated training camps (the Blues will hold theirs at Scottrade Center) will get underway sometime within the next week and either a 48- or 50-game season will get underway no later than Jan. 19.

"I think it's still a little surreal," Backes said. "It's been such a roller coaster of ups and downs. There's progress, there's not, it's blown up, it's together ... it's been a road of trials and tribulations. To have it over with, it's great to be back and to still have potentially a 50-game season ahead of us ... (despite) all the pain and agony that's gone through on both sides.

"Hopefully, we haven't pissed too many fans off. We have a 50-game season to go, we're going to have a great product on the ice. I think the city of St. Louis and the Blues are still in that upward trajectory with something to prove and we're going to continue the momentum of last year."

The Blues, who had a handful of skaters on hand Sunday at the Hardees Iceplex in Chesterfield for a late afternoon/early evening skate, felt a different sense of intensity skating knowing now there's a purpose.

"I'm excited, a little nervous to get out there but really excited," said winger T.J. Oshie, who signed a new four-year contract over the summer. "I don't even know what word I can (use) to describe it. Maybe Christmas day when you're about 10 years old. That's kind of how I think of it. (You're) so excited. You're waiting for it so long to get there.

"It's been a tough process. I think it's been tough on everyone, especially the fans who have been waiting for this to happen. It's just great that it's all over and we can get out and start playing the game we love again."

Veteran Andy McDonald, who along with Backes has been directly involved with talks for much of the process, has been one of the most outspoken players believing a deal would eventually get done despite many negative outcries that the season would be lost.

He's just glad its all come to fruition.

"Before I went to sleep (Saturday) night, I think they were real close and I think everyone kind of thought of that yesterday ... that whether it was late last night or sometime today that there would be a deal," McDonald said. "You look at the issues and what was left to figure out and how far they came from the start, I just thought there would be too much damage to the game to miss a year over it, especially getting down to the wire with what was left to figure out. You still kind of believed there would be a season."

The Blues, who finished second in the Western Conference a season ago but were bounced in four games by eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles in the conference semifinals, know the task at hand is 1) prepare for a sprint to the finish of an abbreviated season and 2) win the fans back over again ... at least those that are teetering on abandoning ship or those that left a long time ago.

But since the Blues created such a buzz in the city with their re-emergence again and with new ownership in place led by Tom Stillman, hockey in St. Louis won't take much time to get off the ground.

"We know what's expected," McDonald said. "It's our job now to try and win them back and the best way we can do that is putting the best product we can on the ice, being out in the community ... things we've always done in the past become important now.

"The fans have been really supportive. Just today, it's been really upbeat. A lot of people stopping to talk to you and their message is clear (that) they're excited. You've got to appreciate that because certainly you understand the frustration."

Added Backes: "It's great to hear and a lot of people saying they want to wear their Christmas gifts of the Blues and stuff. Now thankfully, they can. ... The fans deserve the game on the ice. Hopefully, we still have a full building. All those fans deserve a lot of credit for sticking with us through the business side, the ugly side of business."

They know it won't be easy.

"That is such a hard kind of consolation to me," said Cole, who had 14 points in 34 games for the Rivermen this season. "How do you console a group of people that feel like they've been completely used by random people they don't even know? The whole thing is not good.

"It's been real tough for them and I'm sure extremely frustrating, as it has been for a lot of people in this situation, players included. For them having no personal stake, I can actually imagine that it has been more frustrating. So to them, we hope they come back. We hope that they're still fans of the NHL and still fans of players and the personalities that the players provide. We do have the greatest fans in the world, so them coming back, hopefully will happen."

Added Oshie: "The fans that we did lose: I'm sorry. I hope they come back, and the fans that stuck with us, hats off to them ... thank you. Hopefully we can make this -- what's left of the season -- a memorable one."

Andy McDonald: sides too close not to consummate deal

Before talks faltered, Blues veteran "was encouraged;" talks resume Wednesday

By LOUIE KORAC
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. -- After last week's emotional roller coaster that saw National Hockey League Players Association executive director Donald Fehr all but disclose that the players and owners were on the cusp of a breakthrough but get shot down by the National Hockey League before concluding his press conference, it was another black eye against a process seemingly spinning its wheels.

But according to Blues veteran Andy McDonald, who was directly involved in last week's negotiations between players and owners that seemed to gain plenty of footage and shed some daylight on the league's third lockout since 1995, the light at the end of the tunnel is near in the aftermath of Thursday's gloom and doom.

"My impression was when I was there (a week ago) Tuesday, the owners really wanted to get a deal done," said McDonald, one of 19 players and six owners involved in intense negotiations that abruptly broke down after three days in New York. "They (the owners) made some significant steps in our direction. I was encouraged. I thought with what happened on that day, it would lead to a deal.

"I left Wednesday around the Board of Governors meeting and after that, they talked again all day Wednesday and that's when things kind of stalled and slowed down and I guess lost momentum. There's definitely a group over there that wants to get a deal done. I think it's the same with the players. This has just dragged on too long. You only hope there hasn't been too much damage and we can get a deal done in the near future."

What may have looked like a bombshell by the league or a re-enactment of Pearl Harbor to fans and the NHLPA after Fehr's promising declaration that the players were in agreement with many of the issues at hand, it was hard to believe that the league would jump at the PA's new proposal immediately. But a flat-out rejection was hardly expected either.

Or was it?

"We knew that was kind of going to happen," McDonald said, "(But) I thought last week with what happened early on in the week, there would be a good chance it would get done. For whatever reason, things broke off. It's kind of disappointing with the way things broke off. The reality is we're a lot closer than we were two weeks ago. I'm still optimistic something can be done really soon."

After a weekend of cooler heads prevailing, talks between the two sides will once again get started on Wednesday at an undisclosed location. It is believed that the NHLPA will be represented once again by a group of players yet to be determined, and the Fehr's (Donald and Steve) and the NHL will be represented by commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly. U.S. Federal mediators Scot Beckenbaugh and John Sweeney will also take part in the meeting after being involved with the two sides two weeks ago before declaring they couldn't help the process.

The NHLPA last week requested federal mediators be included again, which prompted Bettman to tell reporters Thursday: "We're not interested in mediation. We went through it a week and a half ago. It was of no value because of the position of the parties."

When the league's stance changed doesn't matter to the players. McDonald is just glad talks will begin again.

"I'm encouraged. We're meeting again," he said. "There was a lot of negativity after things broke down Thursday. We're back at it again (Wednesday). I'm optimistic how close we were last week that there would be a deal. I hope everybody realizes more damage could be caused to the game and it's just not really worth it."

Last week's rejection by the league surrounded three sticking points that required "yes" answers from the union: the length of the collection bargaining agreement (the NHL proposed 10 years with an opt-out after eight; the PA countered with eight years and a six-year opt-out), term limits on contracts maxed out at five years (seven if resigned by current team) and the transition rules to help teams get under the salary cap. The league is proposing 5/7 on those contracts; the PA proposed a flat eight-year max. It's one point that Daly said is "the hill we will die on."

The sides agreed in principal to transition payments, or in simpler terms, the "make whole" dollars on current contracts when the league upped its offer to $300 million (they were previously offering $211 million and the players were looking for $393 million) but that number was contingent on the players agreeing to the aforementioned three points the league is adamant about.

The league this week canceled two more weeks' worth of games through Dec. 30. That means 42.8 percent of the 2012-13 schedule has been wiped out (or 526 regular season games). Fans' restlessness continues to mount, and with all the public banter about how close the sides are from the PA perspective (although Bettman and Daly both refuted that notion Thursday), one can only wonder how to recapture them once all is said and done.

"You just sympathize with them," McDonald said about all hockey fans. "My thing all along is there never should have been any games missed. Owners and players have done so well, there's no reason for it. There's a lot of things that we could have done differently as a union. I think we'll all look back on it, and I think players down the road will learn from it. ... I really feel for the fans. I don't know what to tell them. There never should have been any games missed, but it is what it is. You have to live with it because I'm part of the union.

"Where the league has been revenue-wise ... I know there's a disparity among teams; there's some things that need to be fixed but the players have done really well themselves. Everyone has done great as a result of the sport and there's no reason why any games should have been missed. There's too big a risk and the game was in such a good spot, especially here in St. Louis. It's just a shame it had to get to this."

In the meantime, skates have been conducted on a regular basis at the Hardees Iceplex, and there have been a good number of Blues players as well as fellow NHLers to keep the pace high, brisk and to the point when/if the season begins, players are ready.

"You have no other choice," McDonald said. "You have to keep yourself ready. Obviously there's a physical fit component to it and mentally as well. Personally, you try and set a timeline. Pick a date when you think things will get started and start preparing yourself for that date and try to block out the rest of it.

"There's a lot of negativity, a lot of ups and downs. You just have to focus on trying to control the things you can control. That right now it's preparing, practicing and working out."