The St. Louis Blues missed out on the playoffs in 2017-18, ending any hope of the team winning their first Stanley Cup in team history. That’s a familiar feeling for Blues fans who have watched the organization fail to win the Cup repeatedly since their inception in 1967. It turns out the Blues actually did win something this season, but it’s not one to brag about.
The Hockey News has created a new list called the Fan Misery Index that ranks the frustration felt by fans of each team around the NHL. Can you guess which team’s fans claimed the top spot? You’ll only need one guess.
The Blues claimed the top spot in terms of fan suffering.
“The oldest franchise without a Cup hasn’t reached the final since the first years after expansion. And those shouldn’t even count since the playoff format guaranteed an expansion team a final berth.”
The Blues have made the Stanley Cup Final three times. In those three appearances, they’ve been swept three times. They’ve never won a Stanley Cup Final game, let alone won enough to come close to hoisting the Cup. Those dreadful appearances, which occurred in their first three seasons, have been the closest the team has ever been to winning the ultimate prize. The long list of failures that followed have been well documented and, with lots of therapy and booze, forgotten as much as humanly possible.
You could extend this list out a little further and make a strong case that Blues fans are the most-tortured group in sports. It’s been over 50 years of failure. More than 50 years of missed opportunities, blown chances and suffering. Rosters loaded with talented players have thrived in the regular season only to fade away when it mattered most.
Looking ahead, the Blues have a lot of work to do. Their current roster isn’t close to being ready to challenge for the Cup, and the odds of winning the Cup continue to drop as the NHL adds new expansion teams.
Will the madness and sadness ever end?
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
