Blues become first team to hold virtual meeting during season pause

The St. Louis Blues became the first professional team to gather virtually since sports were paused last month due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus when 25 players, coach Craig Berube and general manager Doug Armstrong connected Wednesday on a videoconference arranged by the NHL.

The virtual meeting was held on the day the Stanley Cup Playoffs were scheduled to begin, when the Blues would have been seeking their second straight championship.

Instead, they spoke to moderators Jim Hughson (Sportsnet) and Kathryn Tappen (NBC) about what they've been doing to stay busy since the NHL season was paused March 12, and went over memories, favorite moments and untold stories from their Cup run last season.

Forward Alexander Steen told the story of how a dinner in Boston also involving forwards Oskar Sundqvist and Chris Thorburn, and defensemen Carl Gunnarsson and Colton Parayko, helped play a role in the Blues winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in their history.

"It was before Game 2 when [Gunnarsson], [Sundqvist], myself, Parayko and Thorburn went to a sushi restaurant, and then [Gunnarsson] got that big (overtime) winner for us," Steen said. "And then we went back to St. Louis and split the home games. So we went back to Boston for Game 5, and the night before [Thorburn] was the one pushing we had to go back since we won the last time. So, we went back there for the sushi again and won Game 5, and then went home and had to go back to Boston for Game 7.

"There was no real discussion; we just kind of ended up back at a sushi spot. So, we went 3-for-3 with the sushi in the belly."

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Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said being quarantined has allowed him to discover the chaos of entertaining his one-and-a-half-year-old triplets, Evelyn, Oliver and Theodore.

"They're hard to simulate, let's say that," said Pietrangelo, sporting a full beard. "We're running out of things to do, unfortunately.

"But the silver lining behind all this is we don't really get an opportunity to be a dad for a long period of time, so I get so out of the routine. My wife is such an angel taking care of all that that I've kind of had to find my own balance and find a routine to help her."

Goalie Jordan Binnington joked about taking this time to scout pop superstar Justin Bieber, who he famously challenged to a best-of-10 breakaway challenge Jan. 1.

"Right when I found out the season was paused, I ordered a computer monitor just to get some double screens up there and really study his moves and see when he's picking up his head, how his backhand is," Binnington said with a chuckle. "But for the most part, we're just going to wing it."

Defenseman Marco Scandella said he's staying active by chopping down trees.

"I'm actually at my cabin about an hour outside Montreal and we've been going for these nature walks and I'm bringing my ax," he said. "I've actually just been like chopping down dead trees, getting some of the frustration out of having to deal with this isolation."

The Blues have also stayed in touch with super fan Laila Anderson during the pause. Parayko said he speaks to her regularly.

"This is the perfect time, obviously, to just stay connected as we're at our homes and just keep each other entertained a little bit," Parayko said. "Always good to talk with her. She's a warrior and great girl."