Rendering courtesy of Enterprise Holdings
enterprise center
For 19 seasons, Charles Glenn belted out a booming and familiar rendition of the Star Spangled Banner before St. Louis Blues games at Enterprise Center. But Glenn retired after the team’s 2019 Stanley Cup run, leaving the Blues one more roster change to wrestle with. Who could possibly replace the long-tenured tenor?
Well, how about you?
The Blues announced Friday that they’re hoping to start a new tradition at home games beginning this season, asking all fans in attendance to join in a collective singing of the national anthem. St. Louis fans have been asked to sing together prior to select games in the past, notably for the Blues’ annual Salute to Military Night. But the organization wants to expand that request to all home games this season, beginning with the Blues’ home opener on October 23 against the Los Angeles Kings.
“The National Anthem is a time of pride and reflection,” Dan O’Neill, the team’s senior director of media content, writes on the Blues’ web site. “A moment when home and visiting supporters alike come together to recognize we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. … It's a 'call of duty' that will add weight to an already heavy custom. It's an opportunity for Blues fans to engage and set the tone before puck drop. It's a time for fans to stand together and use their voices to honor the brave men and women that selflessly serve the United States, to bond with their neighbors and to inspire their Blues.”
And let’s also be honest: There probably was no replacing Glenn, a fan favorite who was as much a part of going to a Blues game as getting to see Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron snap it tape to tape.
Speaking of which, the new anthem tradition isn’t the only change that the Blues are making to this year’s game day experience at Enterprise Center. The organization announced last month that fans will be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test in order to attend games at the arena this season.
