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This special day can’t match Cardinals opening day, which has been an unofficial holiday for decades. The Blues can’t really match that spectacle, considering driving the players onto the ice in a pregame vehicle parade would be impractical.

Also, asking the Clydesdales to skate would be flat-out dangerous. But the Blues’ home opener is still a thing.

“The city has a buzz to it, definitely, always, on the first game,� Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “It’s our job to give them something to cheer for, to play hard for them.�

The faithful showed out for the pre-game pep rally on a crisp Tuesday afternoon at Union Station. They sipped beer, listened to the country music band Russo and Co., mingled with the Blues Crew, greeted ambassador dog Barclay (grown up, still cute), watched Louie perform mascot street theater and enjoyed a live question-and-answer session between Schenn and broadcasters Chris Kerber and Joey Vitale.

A couple of bright wig/face paint guys posed for photos with Kerber. A little girl got a selfie and autograph from Schenn. A random fan walked up to thank Blues executive Chris Zimmerman for his hard work on the business side.

Before puck drop, the Blues debuted their new “Meet Me in ºüÀêÊÓƵâ€� video open — which was no small undertaking, from the look of it. Shout out to Trevor Nickerson and his crew on that effort.

After the hoopla, it was time for hockey.

Going back to the days of Barclay and Bob Plager, wearing the blue note meant something. For the bulk of their existence, the Blues have honored that commitment by icing a competitive team.

This year is no different.

Through the decades, the Blues have remained determined to answer the challenge. That tradition helped the team maintain its following through its various financial crises and resulting ownership changes.

(How loyal is this following? When you can walk to Enterprise Center next to a guy wearing a Vitali Prokhorov replica sweater, that’s an indicator. It’s been 30 years since Little V played here.)

General manager Doug Armstrong is trying to build up this team during the next few years. Along the way, he expects it to at least remain in the hunt.

The Blues refuse to hit rock bottom, as the San Jose Sharks did last season while tanking to a 19-54-9 finish in their successful quest to win the NHL draft lottery and grab Macklin Celebrini first overall.

The Blues do not want to become trapped in years-long downturn, like the archrival Chicago Blackhawks. That team has not qualified for the playoffs in a full (non-COVID) season since 2017.

They seek to avoid the fate of the once-mighty Detroit Red Wings, who have been shut out of the postseason since 2016.

They certainly don’t want to become next Buffalo Sabres, who have accumulated lots of young talent — over and over and over again — without getting anywhere. That long-suffering franchises has been trapped in a doom loop since 2011.

The 2024-25 Blues will be competitive, barring catastrophic injuries. We can make that promise. Forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have become true cornerstone performers.

Jordan Binnington has harnessed his extreme competitiveness and settled into the NHL’s upper goaltending tier. Heady two-way forward Pavel Buchnevich bought into Armstrong’s plan for quick pivot to contention and he agreed to a contract extension.

The Blues showed resilience during their 2-1 road trip to open the season, rallying each time from multi-goal deficits. Their best players were their best players in those games, thus satisfying the age-old hockey axiom.

This team will suffer ups and downs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference this season, but the long view looks good. The Blues hope to make strides without getting stuck in the NHL’s squishy middle, where they have spent much of their existence.

This franchise has missed the playoffs just 11 times since entering the league in 1967, but it has won just one Stanley Cup and it has reached the final four just three times since 1970.

Armstrong and his destined successor, Alexander Steen, are aiming high. The Blues have more speed and a bit more skill with the addition of Alexandre Texier and the Josephs, Mathieu and Pierre-Olivier, to the supporting cast.

Emerging leader Jake Neighbours and poached prospects Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway will try to jump start the youth movement. Over the next few years, prospects Zack Bolduc, Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, Zach Dean, Theo Lindstein, Otto Stenberg, Adam Jiricek and Lukas Fischer should push the franchise forward.

After suffering its post-Cup downturn, this franchise is promising more exciting times ahead. In the meantime, the Blues will battle and give folks reason to celebrate hockey’s return.

“We’re very fortunate and lucky to have you guys as fans, cheering us every single night, win or lose,� Schenn said, signing off at the pep rally. “We’ll try to go out, give a good effort and give you something to cheer about.�