The St. Louis Blues facing the Colorado Rockies in an NHL Western Conference playoff semifinal series has the hockey world fixated on our team and our region.
You can add the law enforcement world to the list of extremely interested parties.
During the first period of Saturday’s game, Rockies center Nazem Kadri plowed into Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, injuring the Blues’ net-minder, and putting him out for the remainder of the series.
Kadri got a little help from Blues defenseman Calle Rosen as they were racing for the puck. Kadri said he was shoved, but he made no attempt to avoid the high-speed collision.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, correct? Unfortunately, the reaction by some idiots who sent racist death threats to Kadri in such number that local authorities and league security are involved is ridiculous.
Kadri is Canadian, born in London, Ontario. His parents were born in Canada. His grandparents are from Lebanon and immigrated to Canada. Obviously, some folks are letting their hatred of Middle Eastern people fly like a slap shot.
“We take threats made to any of our Players or other Club personnel seriously. We are in touch with the St. Louis Police Department, and they are employing enhanced security procedures both at the arena and in the hotel,” the NHL said in a statement.
Andy Strickland, Bally Sports Midwest Blues reporter, said via Twitter “the league feels the collision with the defenseman as they’re both going for a loose puck causes the goalie contact.” At least in the NHL’s eyes, Kadri is vindicated. The league has made crazy calls in the past, this could be one of them.
This also is not the first go-round between Kadri and the Blues. He was suspended for eight games during a 2021 playoff series after an illegal hit to the head of Justin Faulk.
When asked about the incident after the game, Blues coach Craig Berube threw gasoline of the fire.
“Look at Kadri’s reputation. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Berube told reporters.
At the time, didn’t know the NHL ruled the play accidental. He didn’t know that every commentator on the NHL Network deemed the collision “a hockey play.”
But Berube can take some blame for racist threats directed at Kadri for his “reputation” comment.
Speaking of bad reputations, Berube has one too.
In March 2019, I wrote about his inexcusable behavior as a player in 1997.
Berube, then a Washington Capital, and Florida Panthers rookie Peter Worrell, who is Black, had an on-ice dust-up. Berube then called Worrell a monkey.
Berube, who is of Native American descent, apologized. He said it was not a racist remark, and that he had called other players monkeys who are not Black.
The NHL suspended Berube one game, and he forfeited about $7,500 in salary. That was it. Play on, fellas.
The Reid Roundup
After suffering a punctured tire on the first lap of last Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton climbed from last place to finish fifth. His Mercedes teammate George Russell finished third, making it the team’s best race this season…Pitcher Sandy Alcantara, who the St. Louis Cardinals dealt away in a 2018 trade with the Miami Marlins that brought outfielder Marcel Ozuna to town, is 4-2 this season with a 2.11 ERA. He tallied the fourth complete game of his career in a 4-3 win last week against Atlanta, the team Ozuna now plays for…The Chicago Cubs unveiled a Ferguson Jenkins statue outside Wrigley Field last Sunday, and the Hall of Fame pitcher said, “I stand here a proud man, but also humble.” The Cubs greatest pitcher had six 20-win seasons, 154 complete games and 29 shutouts during 10 seasons with the franchise…I read this at stloiussports.com. Jenkins and the late Bob Gibson started against one another nine times. Jenkins won five, Gibson won three and there was one “no decision.” The scores of Jenkins’ three career losses to Gibson were 1-0, 2-1 and 1-0. In the nine games, Jenkins posted a 1.78 ERA compared to Gibson’s 2.43.
