NEW GLASGOW, N.S. – You might not recognize Dougal MacInnis if he wasn’t wearing a St. Louis Blues cap.
At work, at the rugby field, at the mall, “I pretty much wear it all the time,” says MacInnis, who, after nearly 30 years of hard-core Blues fandom, finally got to see his team lift the Stanley Cup on June 13.
He currently owns three Blues hats, along with jerseys, sweatshirts, T-shirts, and whatever else he’s got stashed in closets and dresser drawers. “It’s what I wear,” he says, matter-of-factly.
MacInnis called Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins “pretty nerve-wracking. I remember the years when they were really bad, but obviously, this year, they were good. It’s pretty cool.”
Not only is it cool, it’s also a gigantic item checked off his bucket list.
“I can at least say I saw them win it in my lifetime.”
Luke MacDonald was in Grade 5 when he became a hockey fan. Similar to MacInnis (they are actually buddies, and both are 40 years old), MacDonald was initially attracted by the scoring exploits of Brett Hull and started following the Blues.
He is also a die-hard, unwavering in his support for the Blues, a consistent competitor over the years but rarely a legitimate Stanley Cup favourite.
His loyalty was rewarded when the Blues erased 52 years of frustration.
“It’s surreal,” says the Plymouth Park resident.
“When the clock ran out (in Game 7), I didn’t quite know what to do. I was jumping up and down when they scored the goals, but when it was over I just sat there with a big smile on my face. I was really nervous – it’s a hard thing to watch, when your team gets that far – but when they scored the third goal, I started to relax.
“I’ve waited a long time.”
