Jobu's arrival helps Blues push into playoffs

At the 4 Nations Face-Off break in mid-February, the St. Louis Blues had just 55 points and were a longshot to make the playoffs.

Lately though, the team has reeled off a franchise-record 12-game winning streak, collected more wins (21) and points (46) than any team in the League since Feb. 2, and surged to a playoff-clinching 6-1 victory in their regular-season finale vs. Utah.

Through all of it, the one constant (other than just really good hockey)… was Jobu.

Nobody seems to know where he came from.

Or how he got here.

Yet every day since at least Feb. 22, he has stood in the Blues locker room — both at home and on the road — for every moment of what’s become an incredible gotta-see-it-to-believe-it run by the Blues.

“Love Jobu,” said captain Brayden Schenn. “He’s a good guy, good to have him here with us.”

In case you didn’t know, Jobu was a character in the 1989 hit movie Major League — a comedy about a group of misfit baseball players assembled with the intention of having lackluster on-field performance. One of those players — Pedro Cerrano, played by Dennis Haysbert — offers rum and cigars to Jobu, who “lives” in his locker. Much to everyone’s surprise, the team bonds, rallies around Jobu and wins their division.

The Blues’ Jobu has his own locker, a nameplate like the rest of the team, and has ditched the cigar in favor of a rolled-up piece of white hockey tape. Jordan Binnington and Robert Thomas have both confirmed Jobu gave a motivating intermission speech that sparked a critical 2-1 win in Colorado in late March. He was included in the annual team picture and also made an appearance in the team’s social media graphic celebrating the clinch of a playoff spot.

Oh, and he now appears on playoff merchandise at STL Authentics.

“You always know where he is,” said Jake Neighbours. “Everybody greets Jobu every morning. What’s up, Jobu? He’s one of the boys.”

Since Jobu showed up, the Blues are 19-4-3.

We’re not saying it’s all Jobu, of course. But he definitely hasn't hurt, and now he's part of the team.

“Uhhh, he’s one of the leaders in the locker room, that’s all I’ll say,” said Cam Fowler. “I think he’s been a part of this run for us. So we’ll give him the credit, a little bit of Jobu magic has helped keep this thing alive.”