Blues honor service members on Salute to Military Night

The St. Louis Blues proudly hosted their annual 'Salute to Military Night,' presented by Boeing, on Tuesday evening against the Detroit Red Wings. 

Fans inside Enterprise Center got to experience a night of recognition and appreciation for the men and women who have served the country, with several moments throughout the evening dedicated to honoring their contributions and sacrifices.

Camouflage colored stick tape was available for Blues players to use during warmups

A crowd-wide sing-along of the national anthem

Retired Navy officer Generald Wilson led fans inside Enterprise Center in an annual Veterans Day tradition, as the crowd joined together to sing the national anthem before puck drop. The pregame ceremony also included members of the Active-Duty Color Guard representing all branches of the U.S. military.

104-year-old WWII veteran does ceremonial puck drop

104-year-old Bob Schultz performed the ceremonial drop before Tuesday's game and was escorted by Blue Crew member Zac Ulrich.

Schultz joined the United States Marines at 20 years old. After boot camp, he was assigned to the USS California. The ship was hit in the Philippines with Schultz on board in January of 1945, killing 44 and injuring 155. Schultz and the crew of the California were among the first Americans in Occupied Japan.

Ulrich is a Technical Sergeant in the Peoria IL Air National Guard. He has been an Air Transportation Specialist for a little over 10.5 years and a member of the Blues' Blue Crew for six seasons.

Captain Robert Thomas and former Blue Justin Faulk took the ceremonial faceoff dropped by Schultz, after which Thomas gathered his teammates to shake Schultz's hand and honor his service.

'Salute to Military Night' themed puck

This year's Salute to Military puck was designed by community artist Kearsten Foster. Kearsten was honored at the 2024 Blues Better Halves Operation Shower, celebrating her second child. Her husband, Staff Sergeant Foster, spent 14 years in the Army National Guard with two deployments to the Middle East. Kearsten's artwork showcases the importance of communities coming together to support one another during military spouse's deployment and the impact of the support she and her children received from their community.

All proceeds from the mystery pucks benefit multiple military-aid organizations including St. Louis Blues Warriors, Folds of Honor and H.E.R.O.E.S. Care. Additionally, the Blues for Kids auction featured autographed military jerseys and pucks and all 50/50 raffle proceeds directly supported Military Night partners.