Blues show ultimate class after Pat Maroon retirement announcement.

The St. Louis Blues certainly deserve their flowers for this gesture, a true display of class and sportsmanship and a display of what the sport of hockey is truly all about.

On Saturday, the Chicago Blackhawks traveled to St. Louis for what was otherwise a fairly typical regular season game between the Blackhawks and Blues. Things quickly took a drastic shift however when, during a pre-game interview, former St. Louis Blues forward Pat Maroon unexpectedly announced that this would be his final season in the National Hockey League.

Maroon, a native of St. Louis, had several members of his family on hand for the game and it was clearly a very big moment for the 3 time Stanley Cup champion but unfortunately things would not go his way. Although Maroon did drop the gloves in this one the Blackhawks picked up yet another loss on Saturday with the Blues eventually taking a 4-1 victory, but it would be what came after the game that has left so many with a lasting appreciation for the Blues organization.

In spite of the fact that Maroon had quite literally come to blows with Tyler Tucker several minutes earlier, hadn't had a major impact on the game, lost the game, and most notably plays for the opposing team, the Blues chose to do right by Maroon, giving him an extra special honor at the end of the game.

In order to give Maroon one final lap in what is his hometown arena, the Blues made the decision to award Maroon the first star of the game. This allowed Maroon to come out in front of a roaring St. Louis Blues fan base to say one final farewell, and the fans in St. Louis who all got to watch Maroon win a Stanley Cup for their city in 2019 gave him exactly the reception he deserved.

It was a touching moment, and one created entirely by the generosity of the St. Louis Blues organization.