Family Learns That Attending Favorite Team's Away Preseason Game May Not Feature Star Players.

York Plagge
Oct 4, 2022
5 min read

Updated: Jan 1

Preseason tickets are cheap... and we were in St. Louis anyway... So why not go see the Minnesota Wild?

W/W's Five-Hole Fanatics Hockey Tour

Game #4: NHL Preseason Game (10/4/22)

Location: St. Louis (Enterprise Center)

Score: St. Louis Blues (4) Minnesota Wild (2)

W/W Team: Minnesota Wild

W/W Fan Record: 3-1-0

Player Of The Game: Pavel Buchnevich (Blues)

Being a "Player of the Game" during a preseason game might be a huge accomplishment and a significant boost to a player who is working to make an NHL roster, but for Pavel Buchnevich, it isn't something that is going to top his list of career accomplishments. Entering his seventh NHL season (and his 12th season as a professional), his goal and assist in the night's action, and his spot on the opening day roster solidified, this was just a warmup for the upcoming season.

So I didn't get a very good picture of Buchnevich during the game...

Beginning his NHL career with the New York Rangers, Buchnevich was selected with the 75th pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Choosing to stay at home in Russia for a couple more seasons, Pavel made his rookie debut during the 2016-17 campaign. During his 41 NHL games that year, the Russian put up 20 points. He remained with the Rangers for the next four seasons.

Making his way to the St. Louis Blues last season, Buchnevich's offensive game took off. As a point-per-game left winger, the Russian also posted a career high +/- of +29. Pavel was also a nearly point-per-game player during the postseason and had a two-assist night in the Blues' crucial Game 5 win over the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the NHL Playoffs.

Favorite Player: Jacob Middleton (Wild)

On March 21, 2022, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin made a trade, which at the time, disappointed all four of the Four Nomadic Hippies. Heading out of Minnesota was one of our favorite players, goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. Our affinity for Kahkonen dated back to our time as season ticket holders for the Iowa Wild during the COVID-19-shortened 2019-2020 AHL season. The Iowa Wild were a talented group, one that would have factored into the Calder Cup race. But alas, the AHL pulled the plug on the season, leaving us with an almost infinite list of "what-ifs." One thing we were confident in was Kappo Kahkonen's future with the Minnesota Wild.

With a preseason away game skeleton crew for the Wild, it was good to see Jacob Middleton on the ice.

Since none of us were brought in on the dealings surrounding Kappo, we couldn't voice our concerns with shipping him out for an unproven defenseman named Jacob Middleton. Beyond the passing surprise of his size (6'3... 220), the trade seemed unremarkable. After getting our first look at him, for lack of a better word, we thought he was a doof (that mustache puzzled us). His stats were, to put it nicely, pedestrian. Over his 59 NHL games for the Sharks, Middleton had twelve career points (three goals; nine assists) and had a career +/- of -2.

Then we got to see him play... and see how seamlessly he fit in with the Wild. From the fan's perspective, it appeared that he quickly endeared himself to the team, and there was much to like about the energy he brought to the ice. Suddenly, the mustache came off as fun, quirky, and humorous rather than doofy. Then word came out that he had expressed to his parents he had never had more fun playing hockey than he was having with Minnesota, a huge factor in Jacob signing a three-year, $7.35 million extension to remain with the Wild.

W/W Future HOF: Ryan O'Reilly (Blues)

Ryan O'Reilly is an elite two-way player on the ice, as evidenced by being awarded the 2019 Selke Trophy (top defensive forward) and his 672 career points heading into the 2022-23 season. Even with the 1,000 career points barrier still a few seasons off, O'Reilly is working towards Hockey Hall of Fame consideration. Also, given the fact that Marc-Andre Fleury was the backup goalie this night, Ryan slid into this spot.

Oh... look at me, Ryan O'Reilly, skating all around... making stellar hockey plays... I'm so damn important.

Already leading the Blues to the 2018-19 Stanley Cup, O'Reilly will be an enduring legend in the St. Louis sports world. Winning the Conn Smythe (Stanley Cup Playoff MVP) during the cup run and putting up huge numbers throughout the entire playoffs that season, Ryan scored eight goals (five coming during the finals) and posted fifteen assists.

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret... we don't like O'Reilly... I mean, like not at all. Is he our least favorite player? No... but he is right up there. But we did enjoy the fact that he didn't put up a point against the likes of Steven Fogerty, Mitchell Chaffee, Nick Swaney, Ryan O'Rourke, Calen Addison, and Dakota Mermis. If Marcus Foligno had traveled and suited up, I bet he would have punched you in the mouth for us...

Dickhead Move Of The Night: Wild's Stars Left Behind In St. Paul

Matt Boldy? No. Mats Zuccarello? Nope. Joel Eriksson Ek? Nah. Kirill Kaprizov. Naw. Jared Spurgeon? Not. Jonas Brodin? I think you get the picture... Where were those guys? Resting comfortably back in St. Paul... watching on their gigantic state-of-the-art 30" console TVs... drinking cognac and smoking Cuban cigars... All while we sit our butts in St. Louis with the players who made the trip... Let's get real here... no one really wants to go to St. Louis except for sports, visiting the arch, or taking a tour at Budweiser.

When Minnesota's six-on-five group took the ice late in the game, they had 69 career regular-season goals (Jost and Steel account for 67 of them). Mats Zuccarello (not playing/didn't travel) had 175. Skeleton crew?

St. Louis... That was a bit harsh. I kid with you. There is a lot of cool stuff in your fine city. I'm mostly just mad at the Minnesota Wild and taking it out on you. We had high hopes that at least a couple of our Wild favs would take the ice...

So... lesson learned on our end. Away preseason hockey games are a bit of a letdown. But, there was hockey played... and hockey is the best. And tickets were cheap. Very cheap. Like the Wild are playing, but you don't get to see Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, or Mats Zuccarello cheap...

The Statue: Al MacInnis

I'm sure if Brett Hull sees this (there is also a statue of him in front of the Enterprise Center, also), he will be very disappointed that Al MacInnis was chosen over him for this. My explanation to the Hull would be simple... I spent hours upon hours using MacInnis on the all-time great video game NHL '94 for the Sega Genesis. Why... because his slap shot in the game could shatter the glass behind the goal, just like he did once in real life. Drinking beer in the dorm room... listening to Ice Cube... breaking glass with Al... not doing my required reading for any of my classes... Think about it, Brett... It makes sense... doesn't it?

Would it have killed the sculptor to put a puck in the base?

There is way more to MacInnis on the ice than his insane slap shot and broken glass, and his hockey resume is fantastic. A seven-time First or Second-Team All Star, Al won the Conn Smythe (Playoffs MVP) during the Calgary Flames Stanley Cup championship season (1989), a playoff campaign that saw him score seven goals (four in the finals) and dish out 24 assists.

MacInnis won the Norris (best all-around defenseman) during his 1998-99 season (20 goals; 42 assists) with the Blues, and was runner-up three other times. He is third all-time in the NHL for career assists, goals, and points for a defenseman (1,274 = 340 + 934). An Olympic Goal Medalist (2002 w/ Canada) and Hockey Hall of Famer (2007), MacInnis was named to the 100 Greatest NHL Players list for the NHL's 100th Anniversary in 2017... and he can break the glass in NHL '94..