Chase to leave radio broadcast for new role with Blues

United Center, 2002.

The question came from just a few feet below the broadcast booth. A United Center beer vendor, who undoubtedly knew he might ruffle the feathers of the Blues' broadcast team because St. Louis was Anheuser-Busch country, was smiling.
"Buddy, you can keep your Miller beer," Chase yelled back. "But your coach could probably use one because he's about to lose again!"
Chase's attempt at playful banter wasn't very well-received by some of Chicago's loudest and most passionate fans. When the action on the ice resumed, an open can of beer came flying into the Blues' broadcast booth.
Chase, who was providing color commentary, simply laughed and left the booth before it could happen again. But Kerber, who was doing the play-by-play, had to watch the game, call the action and search for a towel… all at the same time.
Moments like this - the ones where you enjoy your job so much that you forget it's a job - are the ones that make it tough for Chase to step away from his career broadcasting games. But the excitement for what's ahead - a role in business and community development with the Blues and an opportunity to get involved in real estate development for the Discovery Land Company - is why he has decided to do it anyway.
"It's tough for me to say I don't want to broadcast games anymore, but this decision is mine and it's time for a change," Chase told stlouisblues.com. "(Former Blue) Garth Butcher was a guy I respected a great deal. He said to me at the end of his career that he knew he could play longer, but that it was someone else's turn.… I think that's where I'm at. It's someone else's turn."
"Without a doubt, Kelly brought the virtues of being candid to Blues radio broadcasts," said Steve Chapman, the Blues' Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer. "That - combined with his knowledge of the game and his rapport with Chris Kerber led to a great broadcast. 'Chaser' brought his personality to the game and his connection to other players provided a great opportunity to tell their stories. On behalf of the Blues, we all congratulate Kelly on 18 years in the booth. That's quite an accomplishment in any field."
Making the decision didn't come without a lot of careful thought and consideration, though. Before working behind the microphone, Chase enjoyed an NHL career that spanned 458 regular-season games, including 345 with the Blues as one of the most popular enforcers in franchise history.
He doesn't just have passion for the Blue Note and the Blues organization - it's part of his very fabric.

Chase is leaving 18 years of broadcasting side by side with Kerber, too. That pairing - which worked so well together on KMOX, then at KTRS and then back at KMOX again - was originally put together in 2000 by Jim Woodcock, the Blues' Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications from 1997-2005.
"It was an unusual set of circumstances that we needed to bring in a completely new broadcast team - a new play-by-play guy and an analyst," Woodcock told stlouisblues.com. "You rarely see that in sports where an entirely new team takes over from the previous year, but that's what we had to do. I anticipated they would have chemistry, but it was better than I anticipated. And as for Kelly, I had faith he would understand the importance of this job. He didn't get the job because he did a good job defending players or by being an enforcer on the ice or being a good guy. If I didn't think he wouldn't have been a good analyst, I wouldn't have appointed him there. He rewarded my faith."
The Kerber-Chase duo accomplished a lot together. After a chance meeting in Hartford in 1999, they found themselves sitting side by side calling the action two years later when the Blues mowed down the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars en route to their first Western Conference Final in 15 years. A handful of underwhelming seasons on the ice followed as the team went through an ownership transition and adjusted to a new salary cap system, but in 2016, Kerber and Chase were again calling another thrilling Western Conference Final.
They also might be the only broadcasting team in sports that found a sponsor for their early on-air mistakes, which they labeled the "Bud Light Bumblers."
"I've been very fortunate to work with who I consider to be the best play-by-play guy in the League," Chase said of Kerber. "If you listen to him, it's hard not to feel the emotion of the game, and I'm lucky to have been alongside him."
"I learned a lot about the NHL in a hurry from 'Chaser,'" said Kerber, who will remain the play-by-play voice of the Blues on KMOX. "I had just come up from the minor leagues, and he took me under his wing. He introduced me to people, helped me build relationships with players and that was a huge start to the success we've had together.
"He has the ability to bring personality and strategy to the game and do it in such an entertaining way," Kerber added. "Even a non-sports fan was wanting to hear more. I am very proud of our work together and I am happy for him as he takes the next step in his career."
While Kerber searches for a new partner, Chase is busy preparing for his new duties with the Blues. Working with Chapman and his team, Chase will bring new business to the club through his work and connections.
"I'll be able to sit down and watch a game or sit with a sponsor or client or someone that's been part of our community and talk with them on a different level," Chase said. "It's going to be a huge change for me. I've never sat down and watched the game with the fans. I'm going to get their perspective on things and help make it a better experience for them. And I've never sat down and watched a game with my sons, who are ages 19, 17 and 15. I'm finally going to get to do that now.
"I've always wanted to be part of the St. Louis Blues and I'm grateful I have a chance in a different role that won't consume as much of my time as broadcasting did," he said. "I have absolutely wonderful kids and a great wife who has been very patient with my job. It's going to be a change for everybody and I'm expecting it will be positive."

Kerber said he has no doubt Chase will excel in his new role.
"'Chaser' has a solid mind for business. He has interest and ability in areas that go far beyond sitting down and broadcasting a hockey game," Kerber said. "I'm thrilled for him because this new position is one that is tailor-made for his abilities. And his business acumen and ability to market the team is going to continue to let him play a very valuable role in the continued growth and success in this organization that he loves so much. That's what he wants. I'm thrilled for him that it worked out this way."
When the Blues get back on the ice in October, it's a sure bet you'll see No. 39 in the stands rooting for the team he loves alongside the people he loves.
And if one of the beer vendors happens to walk by and say "Hey Kelly Chase!!! Want a Bud?" … he'll likely have a different answer.