Oshie thrilled to be back in St. Louis for All-Star Game

ST. LOUIS - T.J. Oshie said he couldn't think of a better place to be for his first career NHL All-Star Game than in St. Louis.
"It's pretty surreal. (There are still) a lot of '74 Oshie' jerseys out there," Oshie told reporters at the NHL All-Star Media Day on Thursday afternoon at Stifel Theatre. "It goes to show you the loyalty of the fans here. Obviously (Washington) D.C. is where my career really started to take off… but to come back here, where I really started growing my family and had a lot of special memories and to the place I was drafted to, it's a pretty cool story (I will) be able to tell my kids when they're older and my grandkids after that."

Things have worked out pretty well for Oshie since he was traded to the Washington Capitals in 2015 for Troy Brouwer, Pheonix Copley and a third-round draft pick in 2016. He had played 443 games over seven years with the Blues before the trade, and now has spent the last five seasons in Washington, where he's compiled 120 goals and 122 assists (242 points) over 340 games. He also helped the Capitals claim their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018 and said he was happy for St. Louis last season.
"Ironically I talked to some of the guys on the way to the golf course and they were still up partying after they won," Oshie recalled shortly after the Blues won the Stanley Cup last June. "It was pretty cool to call them and not really share that moment with them, but talk to them and tell them congratulations. You're really happy for them. They're a tough team to play against, a tough team to beat, and you can see why with their record this year and their Cup last year."
Oshie will have a handful of friends and family in the stands at Enterprise Center for Friday's All-Star Skills and Saturday's All-Star Game, and he's looking forward to a warm welcome from fans in St. Louis yet again.
"No one turned their back on me," he said. "(The fans) were always so great to me and that's what makes it so special to be back in St. Louis to play in my first All-Star Game."