The Best of 2017

ST. LOUIS - I've been working as a sports photographer for almost 34 years, but very few of those years can compare to the amazing moments 2017 provided for me professionally.
I was fortunate enough to be there every day as the rink for the 2017 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic was being constructed. I was there when Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, Keith Tkachuk and Martin Brodeur wore the Blue Note again in the Winter Classic Alumni Game, and I was there on the glass shooting the Blues' victory over the rival Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium in their memorable game on Jan. 2.
I was there on the ice with Blues legend Bob Plager when he teared up during his jersey retirement ceremony in February, and I was able to capture a memory for Ari Dougan's family as she watched a home game from the front row in April.
Of course, another trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs is always special, too.
As we say goodbye to another year and look forward to what 2018 has in store for us, join me as I reflect on some of my favorite photos our crew shot in 2017.

Getting a decent netcam shot is not only about timing, but also about being lucky that something happens in front of the net that is visual. Having a nice save and the stadium background makes this a nice image.

You always hope to get a decent shot of the one of the team's top players - especially when they score two goals in one game.

It would have been great if the Arch wasn't covered in fog, but it's still a neat shot showing the celebration against the Busch Stadium background.

What more can you say? Vladimir Tarasenko taking a selfie with fans after scoring two goals and beating the Blackhawks at Busch Stadium makes for a nice photo.

Before the One Nation Classic skills competition at Busch Stadium, Carter Hutton went down to the Cardinals batting cage and caught some balls from the pitching machine. He had a blast and even let a few hit him in the pads.

During the skills competition, Colton Parayko had the hardest slapshot. It's just amazing how much the stick bends.

David Perron getting a face full of snow (and a hook) after being pushed to the ice by Jacob Trouba turned out to be a neat shot from my remote camera that was in a cutout in the dasher board.

Bob Plager reacting during his number retirement ceremony was an extremely emotional event, especially standing so close to him as he watched his and his brothers' numbers being raised to the rafters.

From my photographer Jeff Curry: "As I watched the play develop, I saw Alexander Steen out of the corner of my eye. I quickly framed up the photo and shot. I couldn't believe he had put the puck past the Canucks goalie from that angle for a game-winning goal."

This image was photographed by my assistant Joe Puetz: "Every once in awhile, you take a picture and look at it on the back of your camera and get excited, and you can't wait to see it blown up on your computer. That's how this image was for me. It's not every game that you're able to capture a player flying through the air."

I was lucky to get this photo of Vladimir Tarasenko and his son, Alexander, during warm-ups before a game. I was heading to turn on my remote camera in the net and happened to see this cute moment, as Vladi was there for only a brief second.

No one can forget this very special girl Ari, and getting this photo of her after a Blues victory was truly a memorable one.

Vladimir Tarasenko looks at his stick before warm-ups prior to Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinal. I really enjoy trying to get interesting shots in the locker room before games. You definitely get an interesting view that most people don't get to see.

This is a fisheye shot after a Blues playoff game. All of the elements make this shot work - the screen showing Blues Win, Vladimir Tarasenko and other players with their sticks raised, and the playoff logo in the ice.

Paul Stastny scored in his first game back during Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinal after missing games due to an injury. I love shooting celebrations on the opponents' ice!

From my photographer Dilip Vishwanat: "Shooting with a wide angle can be tricky as a lot of the time the action comes at you so fast that you don't even have time to look through the viewfinder. A little bit of luck goes a long way in our business, and I got lucky with the body language, Colton Parayko's facial expression and having the puck in an ideal spot."

Another celebration shot and this is the best kind. Seeing the happiness in our players and fans, while the opponents show dejection, are what really make these shots work.

Timing is everything and since I shoot using strobe lights that are mounted up on the catwalk of the arena, I can only shoot one shot every three seconds because the lights have to recycle. Sometimes you shoot a millisecond too early, and sometimes too late. So it's always nice when you get the peak moment of the play.

I made this image of Alexander Steen during warm-ups from the catwalk and I had only one strobe turned on so that I would get the shadow from one side, making it a more dramatic photo.

This image was taken with a 360-degree camera before the Hockey Fights Cancer game. The fans were asked to tun on their cellphone lights in honor of Ari, the young fan lost to cancer.

After shooting in the locker room for years, this was the first time that I saw players talking about plays before the game. Either that, or Alexander Steen was talking about a fish he once caught!

I used a crystal ball that is becoming popular, sometimes marketed as a lens ball. I took this photo with my phone and then flipped the image upside down to show the Blue Note correctly. I also like the way you can see "Happy Hollidays" on the big screen, making the image look more like an ornament.

It's easy to go through my images and pick cool action shots, but I like to show images that make the fans feel like they're right in the middle of what is going on. This was taken after Tarasenko scored an overtime goal.

Yes, I know this isn't a Blues photo, but it is the type of image that I am happy to capture. Getting a decent shot on a netcam can be frustrating. I believe I took over 800 images this game and ended up with only three images that I liked. I like that you can see Tarasenko, who took the shot and the "Happy Holidays" message on the screen and the ribbon board.