CRESTWOOD, Mo. – An act of kindness this holiday season leads some lucky grocery store shoppers to St. Louis Blues tickets.
Blues Hall-of-Famer Bernie Federko and team mascot Louie spent their Friday morning spreading Christmas cheer at Schnucks in Crestwood. The dynamic duo handed out several ticket vouchers for an upcoming Blues game against the Ottawa Senators next month.
“Christmas is what it’s all about for me,” said Federko on the surprise appearance. “It’s a time of giving. We’ve got a lot of great fans out there, and we’ve got a lot of fans who have never been to a hockey game. For us to come in and go to the store, have some conversations and give them some Christmas cheer, it’s really a fun thing to do.”
The holiday surprise comes as St. Louis Blues staff also rang kettle bells at the Crestwood Schnucks location Friday morning to raise money for the Salvation Army’s Tree of Lights campaign. Organizers hope the holiday campaign raises $6.2 million for the Greater St. Louis area.
Federko says excitement for the Blues has kept growing since the team’s first Stanley Cup title in 2019.
“It’s a pretty big commodity right now,” said Federko on Blues tickets. “We get a lot more Blues fans, and we’ve always had a lot of great Blues fans here, but I think we get more and more each and every year.”
Federko is also optimistic the Blues will prosper after a rough start. St. Louis is currently three points out of the playoff picture with 14-15-1 record, though are building some momentum off some recent overtime thrillers.
“There’s been some tough times over the course of the last couple of months now, but this team is still for real, and I really still I think everybody still believes in the Blues,” said Federko. “It’s an 82 game schedule, and anything can happen. So keep your hopes up.”
The Blues continue a five-game roadtrip Friday against the Calgary Flames.